Energy flow in an arctic aquatic ecosystem

Technical Report · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6887503· OSTI ID:6887503

Schell, D M

Natural isotope abundances to trace major pathways of energy flow to consumers in Imnavait Creek and the tundra ecosystem of the R4D watershed with comparative work in the coastal tundra. Our overall goals are to a determine if carbon is accumulating in upland and coastal tundra; determine the role of eroded peat carbon in the aquatic ecosystem; and to determine the distribution of carbon and nitrogen isotopes in the tundra-pond ecosystem to establish the feasibility of using natural differences as tracers. Past work on fishes, birds, and the prey species of insects and aquatic crustaceans has shown that peat carbon is very important in the energy supply supporting the food webs over the course of the year. Obligate freshwater fishes from the coastal lakes and Colville River have been shown to contain up to 60 percent peat carbon at the end of the winter season. In contrast, migratory shorebirds and passerines contained much smaller radiocarbon abundances in summer, indicating a major shift to recent in situ primary production in pond and stream ecosystems in summer months. For the past two years, we have narrowed our focus to the processes supplying carbon to the beaded stream system at MS-117 and have concentrated on determining the transfer and accumulation rates of carbon in the watershed.

• Research Organization: Alaska Univ., Fairbanks, AK (United States). Inst. of Northern Engineering
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG06-84ER60265
• OSTI ID: 6887503
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/60265-4; ON: DE93010983
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
ENERGY BUDGETS
ARCTIC REGIONS
ALASKA
CARBON 13
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
COASTAL REGIONS
DEER
ISOTOPE RATIO
MOSSES
NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY
TUNDRA
ANIMALS
BRYOPHYTA
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON ISOTOPES
CRYOSPHERE
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ECOSYSTEMS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LIGHT NUCLEI
MAMMALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
PLANTS
POLAR REGIONS
RADIOACTIVITY
RUMINANTS
STABLE ISOTOPES
USA
VERTEBRATES
540310* - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- (1990-)
540210 - Environment
Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (1990-)