Canadian Forest Service Publications
Chemical and microbial diversity covary in fresh water to influence ecosystem functioning. 2019. Tanentzap, A.J.; Fitch, A.; Orland, C.; Emilson, E.J.S.; Yakimovich, K.M.; Osterholz, H.; Dittmar, T. PNAS 116(49): 24689-24695.
Year: 2019
Issued by: Great Lakes Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 39997
Language: English
Availability: PDF (request by e-mail)
Available from the Journal's Web site. †
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1904896116
† This site may require a fee
Plain Language Summary
In this study we use exceptionally high-resolution mass spectrometry to identify molecular diversity in freshwater ecosystems, and relate this to biodiversity and ecosystem function. We found that both chemodiversity and genes associated with organic matter decomposition increased as more forest litterfall accumulated in experimental lake sediments. Chemical and microbial diversity were also positively correlated, with an apparent strong pathway from chemical to microbial diversity. This suggests that forest-derived litterfall promotes chemical diversity and biodiversity in freshwaters, and supports ecosystem function. Also interestingly, we find that increases in chemodiversity ultimately increased greenhouse gas production from lake sediments by an average of 1.5- to 3.0-times. This work is helping to build the theoretical background and understanding of chemical and biological diversity that is required to support development of a new indicator for use in aquatic ecosystems, as part of my contribution to work package 1.1 of the CE program. However, this study also has relevance to the climate change program (greenhouse gas linkages), and relevancy to understanding the impacts of forest management that affect forest inputs into streams and lakes (SFM program).
