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Late Holocene changes in the humic state of a boreal lake and their associations with organic matter transport and climate dynamics

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Abstract

An important factor in the ontogeny of boreal lakes is the development of their humic state through terrigenous input of organic matter (carbon) that affects strongly the functioning and structure of these ecosystems. The long-term dynamics and role of humic substances for these systems in relation to climate are not clear. In this study, a boreal lake from southern Finland was investigated using paleolimnological methods, including diatom, chironomid and geochemical analyses, for Late Holocene changes in the humic state. The aim was to examine the relationship between sediment biogeochemistry and climate variation. Consistent trends were found in diatom-inferred total lake-water organic carbon (TOC) and in the ratio of humic/oligohumic chironomids. Sediment geochemistry provided further evidence for the limnological development of the lake and related long-term climate trends in the region. The results indicated three distinct phases with differing humic state; the beginning of the record at ca. 4,500 cal year BP was characterized by extremely humic conditions coinciding with warm and dry climatic conditions, a meso-oligohumic period between ca. 3,000–500 cal year BP with increasing allochthonous organic matter transport and cooler and wetter climate, and recent period with polyhumic (TOC >10 mg L−1) lake status and warming climate. This study shows that instead of straightforward linear development, boreal lakes evolve through dynamic humic stages related to climate and lake-catchment coupling processes. As the changes in the humic state are ultimately climate-driven, the ongoing climate change probably has a major influence on boreal lakes through direct and indirect effects on organic carbon transport, utilization and accumulation.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Doctoral Program in Geosciences of University of Helsinki and projects LASSE (City of Helsinki Environment Centre, Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki ry, University of Helsinki Alumni Association Fund—Ympäristön ystävät -fund), ILMAVEIVI (Academy of Finland, Grant #250343), EGGER (Kone Foundation), and VIOLET (Academy of Finland, Grant #265507). We thank Katja Pellikka from the City of Helsinki Environment Centre for her help with the fieldwork and further collaboration. We are grateful for the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive criticism that helped to improve the quality of the manuscript.

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  1. Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Marttiina V. Rantala & Tomi P. Luoto

  2. Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Liisa Nevalainen

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  1. Marttiina V. Rantala
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Correspondence to Marttiina V. Rantala.

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Rantala, M.V., Luoto, T.P. & Nevalainen, L. Late Holocene changes in the humic state of a boreal lake and their associations with organic matter transport and climate dynamics. Biogeochemistry 123, 63–82 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-014-0053-4

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