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Dark carbon fixation: an important process in lake sediments.

Ana Lúcia Santoro1, David Bastviken, Cristian Gudasz

  • 1Department of Ecology, Institute of Biology, University Federal of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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|June 19, 2013
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Summary

Chemoautotrophic bacteria perform dark carbon fixation, a significant process in lake sediments. This non-photosynthetic carbon fixation contributes substantially to bacterial biomass, particularly in low-organic environments.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Geochemistry
  • Limnology

Background:

  • Dark carbon fixation by chemoautotrophic bacteria is crucial near redox boundaries.
  • Its significance in lake systems remains understudied despite high potential in sediments.
  • Understanding this process is key to comprehending aquatic carbon cycling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare dark carbon fixation rates in lake sediments across different geographical regions.
  • To quantify the contribution of chemoautotrophy to overall bacterial production in lakes.
  • To assess the influence of environmental factors, like organic matter content, on dark carbon fixation.

Main Methods:

  • Collected sediment samples from four Swedish boreal and seven tropical Brazilian lakes.
  • Measured rates of dark carbon fixation using isotopic tracers.
  • Assessed bacterial production and oxygen consumption concurrently.
  • Analyzed the relationship between fixation rates and sediment organic matter content.

Main Results:

  • Observed high variability in dark carbon fixation and bacterial production rates across lakes.
  • Dark carbon fixation constituted up to 80% of total heterotrophic bacterial production in some sediments.
  • Non-photosynthetic carbon fixation was a substantial contributor to bacterial biomass production.

Conclusions:

  • Dark carbon fixation is a significant process in lake sediment ecosystems.
  • Chemoautotrophy plays a substantial role in bacterial biomass production, especially in oligotrophic conditions.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the global impact of dark carbon fixation in aquatic environments.