Microbial primary production on an Arctic glacier is insignificant in comparison with allochthonous organic carbon input
Cryoconite holes are unique freshwater environments on glacier surfaces, formed when solar-heated dark debris melts down into the ice. Active photoautotrophic microorganisms are abundant within the holes and fix inorganic carbon due to the availability of liquid water and solar radiation. Cryoconite...
Published in: | Environmental Microbiology |
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Language: | English |
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2008
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Online Access: | https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_806950 |
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ftgfzpotsdam:oai:gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de:item_806950 2023-05-15T15:07:08+02:00 Microbial primary production on an Arctic glacier is insignificant in comparison with allochthonous organic carbon input Stibal, M. Tranter, M. Benning, L. Rehak, J. 2008 https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_806950 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2008.01620.x info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pissn/1462-2912 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/urn/<Go to ISI>://WOS:000257715500023 https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_806950 Environmental Microbiology info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2008 ftgfzpotsdam https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2008.01620.x 2022-09-14T05:54:19Z Cryoconite holes are unique freshwater environments on glacier surfaces, formed when solar-heated dark debris melts down into the ice. Active photoautotrophic microorganisms are abundant within the holes and fix inorganic carbon due to the availability of liquid water and solar radiation. Cryoconite holes are potentially important sources of organic carbon to the glacial ecosystem, but the relative magnitudes of autochthonous microbial primary production and wind-borne allochthonous organic matter brought are unknown. Here, we compare an estimate of annual microbial primary production in 2006 on Werenskioldbreen, a Svalbard glacier, with the organic carbon content of cryoconite debris. There is a great disparity between annual primary production (4.3 mu g C g(-1) year(-1)) and the high content of organic carbon within the debris (1.7-4.5%, equivalent to 8500-22 000 mu g C g(-1) debris). Long-term accumulation of autochthonous organic matter is considered unlikely due to ablation dynamics and the surface hydrology of the glacier. Rather, it is more likely that the majority of the organic matter on Werenskioldbreen is allochthonous. Hence, although glacier surfaces can be a significant source of organic carbon for glacial environments on Svalbard, they may be reservoirs rather than oases of high productivity. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic glacier Svalbard GFZpublic (German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam) Arctic Svalbard Werenskioldbreen ENVELOPE(15.336,15.336,77.077,77.077) Environmental Microbiology 10 8 2172 2178 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
GFZpublic (German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam) |
op_collection_id |
ftgfzpotsdam |
language |
English |
description |
Cryoconite holes are unique freshwater environments on glacier surfaces, formed when solar-heated dark debris melts down into the ice. Active photoautotrophic microorganisms are abundant within the holes and fix inorganic carbon due to the availability of liquid water and solar radiation. Cryoconite holes are potentially important sources of organic carbon to the glacial ecosystem, but the relative magnitudes of autochthonous microbial primary production and wind-borne allochthonous organic matter brought are unknown. Here, we compare an estimate of annual microbial primary production in 2006 on Werenskioldbreen, a Svalbard glacier, with the organic carbon content of cryoconite debris. There is a great disparity between annual primary production (4.3 mu g C g(-1) year(-1)) and the high content of organic carbon within the debris (1.7-4.5%, equivalent to 8500-22 000 mu g C g(-1) debris). Long-term accumulation of autochthonous organic matter is considered unlikely due to ablation dynamics and the surface hydrology of the glacier. Rather, it is more likely that the majority of the organic matter on Werenskioldbreen is allochthonous. Hence, although glacier surfaces can be a significant source of organic carbon for glacial environments on Svalbard, they may be reservoirs rather than oases of high productivity. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Stibal, M. Tranter, M. Benning, L. Rehak, J. |
spellingShingle |
Stibal, M. Tranter, M. Benning, L. Rehak, J. Microbial primary production on an Arctic glacier is insignificant in comparison with allochthonous organic carbon input |
author_facet |
Stibal, M. Tranter, M. Benning, L. Rehak, J. |
author_sort |
Stibal, M. |
title |
Microbial primary production on an Arctic glacier is insignificant in comparison with allochthonous organic carbon input |
title_short |
Microbial primary production on an Arctic glacier is insignificant in comparison with allochthonous organic carbon input |
title_full |
Microbial primary production on an Arctic glacier is insignificant in comparison with allochthonous organic carbon input |
title_fullStr |
Microbial primary production on an Arctic glacier is insignificant in comparison with allochthonous organic carbon input |
title_full_unstemmed |
Microbial primary production on an Arctic glacier is insignificant in comparison with allochthonous organic carbon input |
title_sort |
microbial primary production on an arctic glacier is insignificant in comparison with allochthonous organic carbon input |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_806950 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(15.336,15.336,77.077,77.077) |
geographic |
Arctic Svalbard Werenskioldbreen |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Svalbard Werenskioldbreen |
genre |
Arctic glacier Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Arctic glacier Svalbard |
op_source |
Environmental Microbiology |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2008.01620.x info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pissn/1462-2912 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/urn/<Go to ISI>://WOS:000257715500023 https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_806950 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2008.01620.x |
container_title |
Environmental Microbiology |
container_volume |
10 |
container_issue |
8 |
container_start_page |
2172 |
op_container_end_page |
2178 |
_version_ |
1766338701108969472 |