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Greenhouse Gas Fluxes of a Shallow Lake in South-Central North Dakota, USA

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Abstract

Greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes of aquatic ecosystems in the northern Great Plains of the U.S. represent a significant data gap. Consequently, a 3-year study was conducted in south-central North Dakota, USA, to provide an initial estimate of GHG fluxes from a large, shallow lake. Mean GHG fluxes were 0.02 g carbon dioxide (CO2) m−2 h−1, 0.0009 g methane (CH4) m−2 h−1, and 0.0005 mg nitrous oxide (N2O) m−2 h−1. Fluxes of CO2 and CH4 displayed temporal and spatial variability which is characteristic of aquatic ecosystems, while fluxes of N2O were consistently low throughout the study. Comparisons between results of this study and published values suggest that mean daily fluxes of CO2, CH4, and N2O from Long Lake were low, particularly when compared to the well-studied prairie pothole wetlands of the region. Similarly, cumulative seasonal CH4 fluxes, which ranged from 2.68–7.58 g CH4 m−2, were relatively low compared to other wetland systems of North America. The observed variability among aquatic ecosystems underscores the need for further research.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this project was provided by the U.S. Geological Survey Climate and Land Use Change R&D Program. We gratefully thank the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff at Long Lake NWR, with special thanks to M. Rabenberg and C. Jacobsen for their assistance with this study, and Wesley Newton for statistical support. We also thank Robert Striegl and two anonymous reviewers for their insight and helpful comments on this manuscript. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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  1. U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 8711 37th Street Southeast, Jamestown, ND, 58401, USA

    Brian A. Tangen, Raymond G. Finocchiaro, Robert A. Gleason & Charles F. Dahl

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  1. Brian A. Tangen
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Correspondence to Brian A. Tangen.

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Tangen, B.A., Finocchiaro, R.G., Gleason, R.A. et al. Greenhouse Gas Fluxes of a Shallow Lake in South-Central North Dakota, USA. Wetlands 36, 779–787 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-016-0782-3

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