Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1007/s10533-019-00573-6
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Biofilm-specific uptake does not explain differences in whole-stream DOC tracer uptake between a forest and an agricultural stream
Author Graeber, D.; Gücker, B.; Wild, R.; Wells, N.S.; Anlanger, C.; Kamjunke, N.; Norf, H.; Schmidt, C.; Brauns, M.
Source Titel Biogeochemistry
Year 2019
Department ASAM; FLOEK; HDG; CATHYD
Volume 144
Issue 1
Page From 85
Page To 101
Language englisch
Supplements https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1007%2Fs10533-019-00573-6/MediaObjects/10533_2019_573_MOESM1_ESM.pdf
Keywords Epilithic biofilms; Hydromorphology; Land use; Ecological stoichiometry; Stable isotope addition
Abstract Benthic biofilms are often assumed to control terrestrially-derived dissolved organic carbon (tDOC) uptake in streams. We tested this by comparing 13C-enriched ryegrass leachate uptake in an agricultural and a forest stream, hypothesizing that a greater abundance of autotrophic biofilms in the agricultural stream would cause its whole-stream tDOC uptake to be comparatively low. We measured whole-stream and biofilm tDOC tracer uptake, metabolism, bacterial and algal diversity, and nutrient status of benthic epilithic biofilms, and assessed whole-stream hydromorphology. Whole-stream uptake of tDOC was six times lower in the agricultural (3.0 mg m−2 day−1) than in the forest (19.0 mg m−2 day−1) stream, and tDOC uptake velocity indicated lower tDOC demand in the agricultural (1.2 mm min−1) than in the forest (1.9 mm min−1) stream. The agricultural stream differed from the forest stream by slightly lower transient storage capacity and higher benthic biofilm bacterial abundance and production, lower biofilm biomass and lower biofilm molar C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios. Changes in epilithic biofilms contributed little to the differences in whole-stream tDOC tracer uptake between streams, as biofilm tDOC uptake only amounted to 4% and 13% of whole-stream uptake in the forest and agricultural stream, respectively. This comparison of a forest and an agricultural stream suggests that agricultural stressors have the potential to diminish both whole-stream tDOC uptake and uptake efficiency. Furthermore, the weak link between biofilm and whole-stream tDOC uptake implies that benthic biofilms characteristics are poor predictors for human impacts on tDOC uptake in agricultural streams and that hot spots of tDOC uptake are likely situated in the hyporheic zone or in the stream water column.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=21899
Graeber, D., Gücker, B., Wild, R., Wells, N.S., Anlanger, C., Kamjunke, N., Norf, H., Schmidt, C., Brauns, M. (2019):
Biofilm-specific uptake does not explain differences in whole-stream DOC tracer uptake between a forest and an agricultural stream
Biogeochemistry 144 (1), 85 - 101 10.1007/s10533-019-00573-6