Global patterns and drivers of ecosystem functioning in rivers and riparian zones

Abstract

River ecosystems receive and process vast quantities of terrestrial organic carbon, the fate of which depends strongly on microbial activity. Variation in and controls of processing rates, however, are poorly characterized at the global scale. In response, we used a peer-sourced research network and a highly standardized carbon processing assay to conduct a global-scale field experiment in greater than 1000 river and riparian sites. We found that Earth’s biomes have distinct carbon processing signatures. Slow processing is evident across latitudes, whereas rapid rates are restricted to lower latitudes. Both the mean rate and variability decline with latitude, suggesting temperature constraints toward the poles and greater roles for other environmental drivers (e.g., nutrient loading) toward the equator. These results and data set the stage for unprecedented “next-generation biomonitoring” by establishing baselines to help quantify environmental impacts to the functioning of ecosystems at a global scale.

Metadata

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Tiegs, SD Costello, DM Isken, MW Woodward, G McIntyre, PB Gessner, MO Chauvet, E Griffiths, NA Flecker, AS Acuna, V Albariño, R Allen, DC Alonso, C Andino, P Arango, C Aroviita, J Barbosa, MVM Barmuta, LA Baxter, CV Bell, TDC Bellinger, B Boyero, L Brown, LE https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2420-0088 Bruder, A Bruesewitz, DA Burdon, FJ Callisto, M Canhoto, C Capps, KA Castillo, MM Clapcott, J Colas, F Colón-Gaud, C Cornut, J Crespo-Pérez, V Cross, WF Culp, JM Danger, M Dangles, O de Eyto, E Derry, AM Villanueva, VD Douglas, MM Elosegi, A Encalada, AC Entrekin, S Espinosa, R Ethaiya, D Ferreira, V Ferriol, C Flanagan, KM Fleituch, T Follstad Shah, JJ Frainer, A Friberg, N Frost, PC Garcia, EA García Lago, L García Soto, PE Ghate, S Giling, DP Gilmer, A Gonçalves, JF Gonzales, RK Graça, MAS Grace, M Grossart, H-P Guérold, FCC Gulis, V Hepp, LU Higgins, S Hishi, T Huddart, J Hudson, J Imberger, S Iñiguez-Armijos, C Iwata, T Janetski, DJ Jennings, E Kirkwood, AE Koning, AA Kosten, S Kuehn, KA Laudon, H Leavitt, PR Lemes da Silva, AL Leroux, SJ LeRoy, CJ Lisi, PJ MacKenzie, R Marcarelli, AM Masese, FO McKie, BG Oliveira Medeiros, A Meissner, K Miliša, M Mishra, S Miyake, Y Moerke, A Mombrikotb, S Mooney, R Moulton, T Muotka, T Negishi, JN Neres-Lima, V Nieminen, ML Nimptsch, J Ondruch, J Paavola, R Pardo, I Patrick, CJ Peeters, ETHM Pozo, J Pringle, C Prussian, A Quenta, E Quesada, A Reid, B Richardson, JS Rigosi, A Rincón, J Rîşnoveanu, G Robinson, CT Rodríguez-Gallego, L Royer, TV Rusak, JA Santamans, AC Selmeczy, GB Simiyu, G Skuja, A Smykla, J Sridhar, KR Sponseller, R Stoler, A Swan, CM Szlag, D Teixeira-de Mello, F Tonkin, JD Uusheimo, S Veach, AM Vilbaste, S Vought, LBM Wang, C-P Webster, JR Wilson, PB Woelfl, S Xenopoulos, MA Yates, AG Yoshimura, C Yule, CM Zhang, YX Zwart, JA
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information:	(c) 2019, The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC).
Dates:	Accepted: 29 November 2018 Published (online): 9 January 2019 Published: 2 January 2019
Institution:	The University of Leeds
Academic Units:	The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Geography (Leeds) > River Basin Processes & Management (Leeds)
Depositing User:	Symplectic Publications
Date Deposited:	11 Feb 2019 16:32
Last Modified:	11 Feb 2019 16:32
Status:	Published
Publisher:	American Association for the Advancement of Science
Identification Number:	10.1126/sciadv.aav0486
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID):	oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:142356

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Global patterns and drivers of ecosystem functioning in rivers and riparian zones

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