Dry conditions disrupt terrestrial-aquatic linkages in northern catchments.

ABSTRACT: Aquatic ecosystems depend on terrestrial organic matter (tOM) to regulate many functions, such as food web production and water quality, but an increasing frequency and intensity of drought across northern ecosystems is threatening to disrupt this important connection. Dry conditions reduce tOM export and can also oxidize wetland soils and release stored contaminants into stream flow after rainfall. Here, we test whether these disruptions to terrestrial-aquatic linkages occur during mild summer drought and whether this affects biota across 43 littoral zone sites in 11 lakes. We use copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) as representative contaminants, and measure abundances of Hyalella azteca, a widespread indicator of ecosystem condition and food web production. We found that tOM concentrations were

SUBMITTER: Szkokan-Emilson EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6849552 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature