Anthropogenic alteration of nutrient supply increases the global freshwater carbon sink

Anderson, N.J. ; Heathcote, A.J. ; Engstrom, D.R. ; Ryves, D.B. ; Mills, K. ; Prairie, Y.T. ; del Giorgio, P.A. ; Bennion, H. ; Turner, S. ; Rose, N.L. ; Jones, V.J. ; Solovieva, N. ; Cook Shinneman, A. ; Umbanhowar Jr, C.E. ; Fritz, S.C. ; Verschuren, D. ; Saros, J.E. ; Russell, J.M. ; Bindler, R. ; Valero-Garcés, B. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Edlund, M.B. ; Dietz, R.D. ; Myrbo, A.E.

Resumen: Lakes have a disproportionate effect on the global carbon (C) cycle relative to their area, mediating C transfer from land to atmosphere, and burying organic-C in their sediments. The magnitude and temporal variability of C burial is, however, poorly constrained, and the degree to which humans have influenced lake C cycling through landscape alteration has not been systematically assessed. Here, we report global and biome specific trajectories of lake C sequestration based on 516 lakes and show that some lake C burial rates (i.e., those in tropical forest and grassland biomes) have quadrupled over the last 100 years. Global lake C-sequestration (~0.12 Pg year-1) has increased by ~72 Tg year-1 since 1900, offsetting 20% of annual CO2 freshwater emissions rising to ~30% if reservoirs are included and contributing to the residual continental C sink. Nutrient availability explains ~70% of the observed increase, while rising temperatures have a minimal effect.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw2145

Año: 2020

Publicado en: Science 6, 16 (2020), eaaw2145 [8 pp]
ISSN: 0036-8075

Factor impacto JCR: 47.728 (2020)

Categ. JCR: MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES rank: 2 / 71 = 0.028 (2020) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 12.555 - Multidisciplinary (Q1) - History and Philosophy of Science (Q1)

Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)

Área (Departamento): Área Geodinámica Externa (Dpto. Ciencias de la Tierra)