Global patterns and drivers of ecosystem functioning in rivers and riparian zones
Tiegs, S. D., Costello, D. M., Isken, M. W., Woodward, G., McIntyre, P. B., Gessner, M. O., . . . Zwart, J. A. (2019). Global patterns and drivers of ecosystem functioning in rivers and riparian zones. Science Advances, 5 (1), eaav0486. doi:10.1126/sciadv.aav0486
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Science AdvancesAuthors
Date
2019Discipline
Akvaattiset tieteetCopyright
© 2019 The Authors.
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.
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