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Top consumer abundance influences lake methane efflux
Shawn P Devlin1, Jatta Saarenheimo1, Jari Syväranta1
1Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland.
Nature Communications
|November 5, 2015
Summary
Fish in lakes control methane release to the atmosphere. By reducing zooplankton, fish enable bacteria to consume methane, lowering emissions significantly.
Area of Science:
- Aquatic ecology
- Biogeochemical cycles
- Climate change science
Background:
- Lakes play a crucial role in global carbon cycling and atmospheric greenhouse gas regulation.
- Aquatic community structure, particularly trophic interactions, significantly influences ecosystem functions and gas exchange between lakes and the atmosphere.
- Understanding the link between trophic dynamics and methane (CH4) efflux is vital for climate change research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how a trophic cascade initiated by fish influences methane efflux from lakes.
- To determine the impact of fish predation on zooplankton and subsequent effects on microbial methane cycling.
Main Methods:
- A whole-lake experiment was conducted, dividing a fishless lake into two basins.
- Fish abundance was manipulated between the two treatment basins.
- Methane (CH4) efflux rates and microbial community composition were monitored.
Main Results:
- Fish presence led to high grazing pressure, drastically reducing zooplankton populations.
- Lowered zooplankton density resulted in increased abundance of methanotrophic bacteria.
- Methane (CH4) efflux rates were reduced approximately tenfold in the presence of fish.
Conclusions:
- Aquatic trophic interactions, specifically fish predation, significantly regulate methane biogeochemical cycling in lakes.
- Findings highlight the substantial impact of food web structure on greenhouse gas emissions from lake ecosystems.
- This research has critical implications for understanding global carbon cycling and climate change, given the prevalence of methane-emitting lakes worldwide.
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