Circumventing kinetics in biogeochemical modeling.

ABSTRACT: Microbial metabolism drives biogeochemical fluxes in virtually every ecosystem. Modeling these fluxes is challenged by the incredible diversity of microorganisms, whose kinetic parameters are largely unknown. In poorly mixed systems, such as stagnant water columns or sediments, however, long-term bulk microbial metabolism may become limited by physical transport rates of substrates across space. Here we mathematically show that under these conditions, biogeochemical fluxes are largely predictable based on the system's transport properties, chemical boundary conditions, and the stoichiometry of metabolic pathways, regardless of the precise kinetics of the resident microorganisms. We formalize these considerations into a predictive modeling framework and demonstrate its use for the Cariaco B

SUBMITTER: Louca S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6561284 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature