Anthropocene climate warming enhances autochthonous carbon cycling in an upland Arctic lake, Disko Island, West Greenland
The Arctic is rapidly changing, disrupting biogeochemical cycles and the processing, delivery and sedimentation of carbon (C), in linked terrestrial–aquatic systems. In this investigation, we coupled a hydrogeomorphic assessment of catchment soils, sediments and plants with a recent lake sediment se...
Published in: | Biogeosciences |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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European Geosciences Union
2021
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Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530082/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530082/1/bg-18-2465-2021.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2465-2021 |
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:530082 2023-05-15T14:27:25+02:00 Anthropocene climate warming enhances autochthonous carbon cycling in an upland Arctic lake, Disko Island, West Greenland Stevenson, Mark A. McGowan, Suzanne Pearson, Emma J. Swann, George E. A. Leng, Melanie J. Jones, Vivienne J. Bailey, Joseph J. Huang, Xianyu Whiteford, Erika 2021-04-19 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530082/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530082/1/bg-18-2465-2021.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2465-2021 en eng European Geosciences Union https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530082/1/bg-18-2465-2021.pdf Stevenson, Mark A.; McGowan, Suzanne; Pearson, Emma J.; Swann, George E. A.; Leng, Melanie J. orcid:0000-0003-1115-5166 Jones, Vivienne J.; Bailey, Joseph J.; Huang, Xianyu; Whiteford, Erika. 2021 Anthropocene climate warming enhances autochthonous carbon cycling in an upland Arctic lake, Disko Island, West Greenland. Biogeosciences, 18 (8). 2465-2485. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2465-2021 <https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2465-2021> cc_by_4 CC-BY Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2021 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2465-2021 2023-02-04T19:52:01Z The Arctic is rapidly changing, disrupting biogeochemical cycles and the processing, delivery and sedimentation of carbon (C), in linked terrestrial–aquatic systems. In this investigation, we coupled a hydrogeomorphic assessment of catchment soils, sediments and plants with a recent lake sediment sequence to understand the source and quality of organic carbon present in three Arctic upland lake catchments on Disko Island, located just south of the low–high Arctic transition zone. This varied permafrost landscape has exposed soils with less vegetation cover at higher altitudes, and lakes received varying amounts of glacial meltwater inputs. We provide improved isotope and biomarker source identifications for palaeolimnological studies in high-latitude regions, where terrestrial vegetation is at or close to its northerly and altitudinal range limit. The poorly developed catchment soils lead to lake waters with low dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations (≤1.5 mg L−1). Sedimentary carbon/nitrogen (C/ N) ratios, the C isotope composition of organic matter (δ13Corg) and biomarker ratios (n-alkanes, n-alkanols, n-alkanoic acids and sterols) showed that sedimentary organic matter (OM) in these lakes is mostly derived from aquatic sources (algae and macrophytes). We used a 210Pb-dated sediment core to determine how carbon cycling in a lake–catchment system (Disko 2) had changed over recent centuries. Recent warming since the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA∼1860 CE), which accelerated after ca. 1950, led to melt of glacier ice and permafrost, releasing nutrients and DOC to the lake and stimulating pronounced aquatic algal production, as shown by a >10-fold increase in β-carotene, indicative of a major regime shift. We also demonstrate that recent increases in catchment terrestrial vegetation cover contributed to the autochthonous response. Our findings highlight that in Arctic lakes with sparsely developed catchment vegetation and soils, recent Anthropocene warming results in pronounced changes to in-lake C ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic glacier Greenland Ice permafrost Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Arctic Arctic Lake ENVELOPE(-130.826,-130.826,57.231,57.231) Greenland Biogeosciences 18 8 2465 2485 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
English |
description |
The Arctic is rapidly changing, disrupting biogeochemical cycles and the processing, delivery and sedimentation of carbon (C), in linked terrestrial–aquatic systems. In this investigation, we coupled a hydrogeomorphic assessment of catchment soils, sediments and plants with a recent lake sediment sequence to understand the source and quality of organic carbon present in three Arctic upland lake catchments on Disko Island, located just south of the low–high Arctic transition zone. This varied permafrost landscape has exposed soils with less vegetation cover at higher altitudes, and lakes received varying amounts of glacial meltwater inputs. We provide improved isotope and biomarker source identifications for palaeolimnological studies in high-latitude regions, where terrestrial vegetation is at or close to its northerly and altitudinal range limit. The poorly developed catchment soils lead to lake waters with low dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations (≤1.5 mg L−1). Sedimentary carbon/nitrogen (C/ N) ratios, the C isotope composition of organic matter (δ13Corg) and biomarker ratios (n-alkanes, n-alkanols, n-alkanoic acids and sterols) showed that sedimentary organic matter (OM) in these lakes is mostly derived from aquatic sources (algae and macrophytes). We used a 210Pb-dated sediment core to determine how carbon cycling in a lake–catchment system (Disko 2) had changed over recent centuries. Recent warming since the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA∼1860 CE), which accelerated after ca. 1950, led to melt of glacier ice and permafrost, releasing nutrients and DOC to the lake and stimulating pronounced aquatic algal production, as shown by a >10-fold increase in β-carotene, indicative of a major regime shift. We also demonstrate that recent increases in catchment terrestrial vegetation cover contributed to the autochthonous response. Our findings highlight that in Arctic lakes with sparsely developed catchment vegetation and soils, recent Anthropocene warming results in pronounced changes to in-lake C ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Stevenson, Mark A. McGowan, Suzanne Pearson, Emma J. Swann, George E. A. Leng, Melanie J. Jones, Vivienne J. Bailey, Joseph J. Huang, Xianyu Whiteford, Erika |
spellingShingle |
Stevenson, Mark A. McGowan, Suzanne Pearson, Emma J. Swann, George E. A. Leng, Melanie J. Jones, Vivienne J. Bailey, Joseph J. Huang, Xianyu Whiteford, Erika Anthropocene climate warming enhances autochthonous carbon cycling in an upland Arctic lake, Disko Island, West Greenland |
author_facet |
Stevenson, Mark A. McGowan, Suzanne Pearson, Emma J. Swann, George E. A. Leng, Melanie J. Jones, Vivienne J. Bailey, Joseph J. Huang, Xianyu Whiteford, Erika |
author_sort |
Stevenson, Mark A. |
title |
Anthropocene climate warming enhances autochthonous carbon cycling in an upland Arctic lake, Disko Island, West Greenland |
title_short |
Anthropocene climate warming enhances autochthonous carbon cycling in an upland Arctic lake, Disko Island, West Greenland |
title_full |
Anthropocene climate warming enhances autochthonous carbon cycling in an upland Arctic lake, Disko Island, West Greenland |
title_fullStr |
Anthropocene climate warming enhances autochthonous carbon cycling in an upland Arctic lake, Disko Island, West Greenland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Anthropocene climate warming enhances autochthonous carbon cycling in an upland Arctic lake, Disko Island, West Greenland |
title_sort |
anthropocene climate warming enhances autochthonous carbon cycling in an upland arctic lake, disko island, west greenland |
publisher |
European Geosciences Union |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530082/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530082/1/bg-18-2465-2021.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2465-2021 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-130.826,-130.826,57.231,57.231) |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Lake Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Lake Greenland |
genre |
Arctic Arctic glacier Greenland Ice permafrost |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic glacier Greenland Ice permafrost |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530082/1/bg-18-2465-2021.pdf Stevenson, Mark A.; McGowan, Suzanne; Pearson, Emma J.; Swann, George E. A.; Leng, Melanie J. orcid:0000-0003-1115-5166 Jones, Vivienne J.; Bailey, Joseph J.; Huang, Xianyu; Whiteford, Erika. 2021 Anthropocene climate warming enhances autochthonous carbon cycling in an upland Arctic lake, Disko Island, West Greenland. Biogeosciences, 18 (8). 2465-2485. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2465-2021 <https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2465-2021> |
op_rights |
cc_by_4 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2465-2021 |
container_title |
Biogeosciences |
container_volume |
18 |
container_issue |
8 |
container_start_page |
2465 |
op_container_end_page |
2485 |
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1766301130058366976 |