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Dissolved organic carbon manipulation reveals coupled cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in a nitrogen‐rich stream
Author(s) -
Oviedo-Vargas Diana,
Royer Todd V.,
Johnson Laura T.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.2013.58.4.1196
Subject(s) - cycling , autotroph , dissolved organic carbon , heterotroph , environmental chemistry , chemistry , phosphorus , ammonium , nitrogen , water column , nitrogen cycle , nitrification , nitrate , carbon fibers , nutrient cycle , carbon cycle , ecosystem , respiration , ecology , nutrient , biology , botany , bacteria , history , genetics , materials science , archaeology , organic chemistry , composite number , composite material
To investigate the coupling between carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) cycling in a human‐altered stream, we conducted a whole‐ecosystem manipulation of the labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool in a nitrate ()‐rich stream in the midwestern United States. For 6 d, we increased stream DOC by ∼ 1 mg L −1 through a continuous addition of sodium acetate. On the sixth day of the addition, ammonium () was increased by ∼ 130 µg N L −1 to examine the potential for nitrogen (N) to mediate coupled C and P cycling. Of the added DOC, 85% was retained within the treatment reach, which increased ecosystem respiration with respect to the reference reach. Alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) increased from day 1 to day 6; however, water column P uptake only increased on day 6 concurrent with the addition. Gross primary production decreased during the DOC addition relative to the reference reach, yet seemed to recover on day 6 ( addition). These results suggest that during the DOC addition, heterotrophs out‐competed autotrophs for N and that sediment‐sorbed P sustained the heterotrophic community while P uptake from the water column was dominated by autotrophs. Because APA and P uptake were stimulated by the simultaneous DOC and addition, P cycling appeared to be N limited, despite the high ambient concentration; this indicates a strong preferential uptake of over In streams, C and P cycling can be intrinsically coupled through biological mechanisms, and this coupling can be mediated by the availability of different forms of inorganic N.