The Ratio between Primary Production Values of Lake and Terrestrial Ecosystems

At low latitudes (i.e., in the equatorial zone), the primary production of lake ecosystems is comparable with the plant production in their water catchment areas. In contrast, at high latitudes, the primary production of lake ecosystems is less than the primary terrestrial production approximately by two orders of magnitude. This paper addresses the reason behind the different reactions of the terrestrial and lake ecosystems to external factors determined by the geographical zone. Computational experiments show that in accordance with van't Hoff's rule, at high latitudes featuring low temperatures and higher humidity, the plant matter decomposition rates in lake basins are lower in comparison with low latitudes. The lower decomposition rates slow down the release and outflow into the water of nutrients essential for the organic matter production by aquatic autotrophs.