Superlinear scaling of riverine biogeochemical function with watershed size.

ABSTRACT: River networks regulate carbon and nutrient exchange between continents, atmosphere, and oceans. However, contributions of riverine processing are poorly constrained at continental scales. Scaling relationships of cumulative biogeochemical function with watershed size (allometric scaling) provide an approach for quantifying the contributions of fluvial networks in the Earth system. Here we show that allometric scaling of cumulative riverine function with watershed area ranges from linear to superlinear, with scaling exponents constrained by network shape, hydrological conditions, and biogeochemical process rates. Allometric scaling is superlinear for processes that are largely independent of substrate concentration (e.g., gross primary production) due to superlinear scaling of river networ

SUBMITTER: Wollheim WM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8907334 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature