Lakes aren't just storing water—they're changing the carbon cycle
Lakes may look like picturesque stopping points along a river or stream, but they can have a big influence on what happens to carbon as it moves through a landscape. New research suggests that the more lake-rich a network of streams is, the more carbon is released into the atmosphere rather than carried downstream.
Lakes play a significant role in shaping the carbon cycle, according to recent research. Scientists from Umeå University in Sweden found that the more lake surface area within a network of streams, the higher the carbon emissions. In 32 connected Northern Swedish stream-and-lake networks, those with 10 times more lake area released almost twice the amount of carbon into the atmosphere compared to downstream export.
This is due to the extended residence time of water within lakes, which allows microbial activity to break down dissolved organic carbon, often resulting in carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere. The study highlights the importance of considering lakes and streams as interconnected components of the landscape, rather than separate entities.
The findings suggest that lake-rich networks store carbon in their sediments and release it into the atmosphere, shifting the carbon fate from downstream transport. The researchers emphasize that studies of the global carbon cycle should account for the diverse components of inland water systems, such as lakes, streams, wetlands, reservoirs, and floodplains, as they collectively influence carbon movement in a landscape.
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