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Research on the carbon isotopic composition of organic matter from Lake Chenghai and Caohai Lake sediments

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Abstract

The carbon isotopic composition of organic matter from lake sediments has been extensively used to infer variations in productivity. In this paper, based on the study of the contents and δ13C values of organic matter in different types of lakes, it has been found that δ13C values of organic matter have different responses to lake productivity in different lakes. As to the lakes dominated by aqutic macrophytes such as Lake Caohai, organic matter becomes enriched in 13C with increasing productivity. As to the lakes dominated by aquatic algae such as Lake Chenghai, δ13C values of organic matter decrease with increasing productivity, and the degradation of aquatic algae is the main factor leading to the decrease of δ13C values of organic matter with increasing productivity. Therefore, we should be cautious to use the carbon isotopic composition of organic matter to deduce lake productivity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550002, China

    Zhengjie Zhu, Jing’an Chen & Yan Zeng

  2. Chongqing Key Laboratory of Exogenic Minerallization and Mine Environment, Chongqing Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, Chongqing, 400042, China

    Zhengjie Zhu, Hang Li & Shicong Ren

  3. Chongqing Research Center of State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, Chongqing, 400042, China

    Zhengjie Zhu

  4. Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Yan Zeng

  5. College of Urban Planning and Environment Science, Xuchang University, Xuchang, 461000, China

    Hui Yan

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  1. Zhengjie Zhu
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  2. Jing’an Chen
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  3. Yan Zeng
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  4. Hang Li
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  5. Hui Yan
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  6. Shicong Ren
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Correspondence to Jing’an Chen.

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Zhu, Z., Chen, J., Zeng, Y. et al. Research on the carbon isotopic composition of organic matter from Lake Chenghai and Caohai Lake sediments. Chin. J. Geochem. 30, 107–113 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-011-0491-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-011-0491-9

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