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Factors regulating epilithic biofilm carbon cycling and release with nutrient enrichment in headwater streams

Stream biofilm carbon cycling

  • Global Change and River Ecosystems
  • Chapter
Global Change and River Ecosystems—Implications for Structure, Function and Ecosystem Services

Part of the book series: Developments in Hydrobiology 215 ((DIHY,volume 215))

Abstract

This study uses the results from in situ 13C-labeling experiments conducted in six streams representing a gradient in nutrient enrichment to explore how nutrient availability, stoichiometry, and the composition of active biofilm phototrophs may regulate C cycling in epilithic biofilms. Carbon cycling was tracked through epilithic biofilm communities by assessing net primary production (NPP) and 13C-labeling of biofilm phospholipids fatty acids (PLFA), and stream water dissolved organic carbon (DOC) within light and dark enclosure incubations. We used generalized linear models coupled with an information-theoretic approach for model selection to assess which factors most influenced C exchange within and DOC release from these biofilms. The ratio of new C incorporated into heterotrophic bacterial PLFA ia15:0 to total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) indicated that greatest algal–bacterial exchange occurred in the two most nutrient-poor streams. Further, this ratio was best predicted by newC18:3ω3/PUFA suggesting increased relative activity of some algae relates to reduced algal–bacterial C exchange within these biofilms. Net release of DOC represented 2–45% of NPP with greatest release of DOC having occurred in the two most nutrient-rich streams. Further, the model selection indicated that newC18:3ω3/PLFA was the only highly plausible explanatory factor for net DOC release, while a combination of NPP and newC18:3ω3/PLFA was a strong predictor of the quantity of new C released as DOC. The results presented here indicate factors regulating or correlating with the activity of green algae in these biofilms regulated the exchange of C within and DOC release from these biofilms. This suggests increased algal exudation and greater biofilm development with nutrient enrichment may increase DOC release but reduce bacterial use of autochthonous C within these biofilms.

Guest editors: R. J. Stevenson, S. Sabater / Global Change and River Ecosystems – Implications for Structure, Function and Ecosystem Services

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 4063 Alexander Murray Building, A1B 3X5, NL, St. John’s, Canada

    Susan E. Ziegler

  2. Environmental Dynamics Program, University of Arkansas, 113 Ozark Hall, 72701, AR, Fayetteville, USA

    David R. Lyon

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  1. Susan E. Ziegler
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  2. David R. Lyon
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Correspondence to Susan E. Ziegler .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Water Sciences, Department of Zoology, University of Michigan, East Lansing, USA

    R. Jan Stevenson

  2. Institute of Aquatic Ecology at the University of Girona, Girona, Spain

    Sergi Sabater

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Ziegler, S.E., Lyon, D.R. (2010). Factors regulating epilithic biofilm carbon cycling and release with nutrient enrichment in headwater streams. In: Stevenson, R.J., Sabater, S. (eds) Global Change and River Ecosystems—Implications for Structure, Function and Ecosystem Services. Developments in Hydrobiology 215, vol 215. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0608-8_6

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