Responses of Benthic Carbon Flows in Scandinavian Lakes to Atmospheric Sulphur and Nitrogen Depositions: Potential Influence of Nutrient Limitation

Sammanfattning

Paleolimnological reconstructions of past changes in carbon stable isotopic composition of chironomid head capsules (delta 13CHC) were used to quantify the impacts of atmospheric sulphur and nitrogen depositions on carbon processing at the base of lake food webs. We hypothesised that the impacts of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on carbon flows through food webs are influenced by nutrient limitation, as increasing nitrogen inputs are expected to drive higher primary producer biomass in nitrogen-limited lakes, thus increasing its availability for benthic consumers. The delta 13CHC values showed significant changes before/after 1960, corresponding to the time of early impacts of atmospheric deposition on water chemistry and biological communities in Scandinavian lakes. These results suggest that atmospheric deposition was a key driver of change in carbon flows through benthic food webs. Furthermore, our study showed that lakes responded differently to atmospheric deposition and that differences in delta 13CHC values were largely explained by a combination of nutrient limitation, latitude and water transparency. Overall, results support the hypothesis that the response of carbon flows through benthic food webs to changes in atmospheric nitrogen deposition differs partly depending on lake nutrient limitation. However, the observed strong collinearity between the explanatory variables complicates the interpretation of the relationships between the temporal changes in benthic carbon flows in response to atmospheric deposition and nutrient limitation.

Nyckelord

acidification; carbon stable isotope; Chironomidae; lake food webs; paleolimnology

Publicerad i

Freshwater Biology
2025, volym: 70, nummer: 1, artikelnummer: e14364
Utgivare: WILEY

SLU författare

• Belle, Simon

  • Institutionen för vatten och miljö, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

• Fölster, Jens

  • Institutionen för vatten och miljö, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

• Goedkoop, Willem

  • Institutionen för vatten och miljö, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

• Johnson, Richard

  • Institutionen för vatten och miljö, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

UKÄ forskningsämne

Multidisciplinär geovetenskap
Oceanografi, hydrologi, vattenresurser

Publikationens identifierare

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.14364

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/140200