Open AccessMethane fluxes from the littoral zone of hypereutrophic Taihu Lake, China
Author(s) -
Wang Hongjun,
Lu Jinwei,
Wang Weidong,
Yang Longyuan,
Yin Chengqing
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2005jd006864
Subject(s) - littoral zone , macrophyte , pelagic zone , environmental science , flux (metallurgy) , methane , eutrophication , atmospheric sciences , hydrology (agriculture) , oceanography , geology , nutrient , ecology , chemistry , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , biology
Methane (CH 4 ) fluxes were measured in hypereutrophic Meiliang Bay of Taihu Lake with static chambers for 1 year. The results showed that the macrophyte‐covered infralittoral zones were the “hotspots” of CH 4 emission in water systems. There were large temporal variations for CH 4 fluxes, ranging from −1.7 to 131 mg CH 4 m −2 h −1 , in the macrophyte‐covered littoral zone. The highest CH 4 emissions occurred during the period of the summer algal bloom. The amount of CH 4 flux from June to September accounted for about 50–90% of the annual fluxes. CH 4 fluxes from the bare infralittoral zone (−0.2∼4.2 mg CH 4 m −2 h −1 ) were low and close to those in the pelagic zone. The difference in CH 4 fluxes between macrophyte‐covered and bare infralittoral zones indicated that vegetation in the inundated area played an essential role in CH 4 production. In the infralittoral zone, the redox condition (DO, Eh), temperature, and primary production controlled CH 4 fluxes; these variables explained 47% of flux variation, whereas such influences were not detected in the pelagic zone.