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Human activities shape global patterns of decomposition rates in rivers

Journal Article · · Science
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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA.
  2. Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.; Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC 29802, USA.
  3. Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
  4. Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
  5. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Coastal Ocean Processes Section, William & Mary, Gloucester Point, VA 23062, USA.
  6. School of the Environment, Society, and Sustainability, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
  7. Environmental Studies Program, The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA 98505, USA.
  8. Catalan Institute for Water Research; Girona, 17003, Spain.
  9. Lab. Limnology, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente; Bariloche, 8400, Argentina.
  10. Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Penn State University; University Park, 16802, USA
  11. Departamento Interdisciplinario de Sistemas Costeros y Marinos, Centro Universitario Regional del Este-Universidad de la República; Rocha, 27000, Uruguay.
  12. School of Biological Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador; Quito, 170525, Ecuador.
  13. Department of Biological Sciences, Central Washington University; Ellensburg, 98926, USA.
  14. Marine and Freshwater Solutions, Finnish Environment Institute; Oulu, 90014, Finland.
  15. Department of Biology, University of Gurupi; Paraíso do Tocantins, 77600, Brazil.
  16. Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania; Hobart, 7001, Australia.
  17. Stream Ecology Center, Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University; Pocatello, 83201, USA.
  18. Watershed Protection Department, City of Austin; Austin, 78704, USA.
  19. Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country; Leioa, 48940, Spain.
  20. Animal & Grassland Research Centre, Teagasc; Athenry, Co.; Galway, H65 R718, Ireland.
  21. School of Geography and water@leeds, University of Leeds; Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
  22. Institute of Microbiology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland; Mendrisio, 6850, Switzerland.
  23. Environmental Studies Department, Colby College; Waterville, 04901, USA.
  24. School of Science, University of Waikato; Hamilton, 3216, New Zealand.
  25. Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Belo Horizonte, 30840-430, Brazil.
  26. Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia; Paterna, E46980, Spain.
  27. Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra; Coimbra, 3000-456, Portugal.
  28. Departamento de Ciencias de la Sustentabilidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur; Villahermosa, 86280, Mexico.
  29. Laboratoire Écologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse; Toulouse, 31062, France.
  30. Freshwater Group, Cawthron Institute; Nelson, 7010, New Zealand.
  31. Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, LEHNA UMR 5023, CNRS, ENTPE; Villeurbanne, F-69622, France.
  32. Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University; Statesboro, 30458, USA.
  33. Department of Ecology, Montana State University; Bozeman, 59715, USA.
  34. Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University; Waterloo, N2L 3E5, Canada.
  35. Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Environnements Continentaux CNRS, University of Lorraine; Metz, 57000, France.
  36. CEFE, Univ Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, EPHE; Montpellier, 34000, France.
  37. Fisheries Ecosystems Advisory Services, Marine Institute; Newport, F28PF65, Ireland.
  38. Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal; Montréal, H2X1Y4, Canada.
  39. School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia; Crawley, 6009, Australia.
  40. College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Universidad San Francisco de Quito; Quito,170901, Ecuador.
  41. Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech University; Blacksburg, 24060, USA.
  42. Biogeography and Spatial Ecology Research Group, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam; Tena, 150101, Ecuador.
  43. Department of Microbiology and Ecology, University of Valencia, Burjassot, E46100, Spain.
  44. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary; Calgary, T2N 1N4, Canada.
  45. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University; Ithaca, 14853, USA.
  46. Department of Biodiversity, Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences; Kraków, 31-120, Poland.
  47. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), University of Tromsø;  Tromsø, 7485, Norway.; Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway; Tromsø, 9037, Norway.
  48. Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University; Aarhus, 8000 C, Denmark.
  49. Department of Biology, Trent University; Peterborough, K9L 0G2, Canada.
  50. Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University; Casuarina, 0909, Australia.
  51. Department of Ecology and Animal Biology, University of Vigo; Vigo, 36310, Spain.
  52. Escuela de Biología, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala; Ciudad de Guatemala, 01012, Guatemala.
  53. Department of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology (TU Berlin); Berlin, 10587, Germany.; Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB); Stechlin, 16775, Germany.
  54. Center for Bioinformatics, NITTE Deemed to be University; Mangaluru,575018, India.
  55. Centre for Applied Water Science, Institute for Applied Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra; Canberra, 2617, Australia.; Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries; Stechlin, 16775, Germany.
  56. Environmental Sustainability & Health Institute, Technological University Dublin; Dublin, DO7 H6K8, Ireland.
  57. Department of Ecology, University of Brasília; Brasilia, 70910-900, Brazil.
  58. Unidad de Ecología Acuática of the Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés; La Paz, La Paz, Bolivia.
  59. School of Chemistry, Monash University; Clayton, 3800, Australia.
  60. Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Oak Ridge, 37831, USA.
  61. Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB); Stechlin, 16775, Germany.; Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam University; Potsdam, 14469, Germany.
  62. Department of Biology, Coastal Carolina University; Conway, 29528, USA.
  63. Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont; Burlington, 05405, USA.
  64. Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul; Três Lagoas, 79613-000, Brazil.
  65. Experimental Lakes Area, International Institute for Sustainable Development; Winnipeg, R3B 0T4, Canada.
  66. Kyushu University Forest, Kyushu University; Sasaguri Fukuoka, 8112415, Japan.
  67. Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London; London, SW7 2AZ, England.
  68. Unaffiliated; Juneau, 99801, USA.
  69. School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne; Burnley, 3121, Australia.
  70. Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja; Loja, 1101608, Ecuador.
  71. Decision and Information Sciences, Oakland University; Rochester, 48309, USA.
  72. Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi; Kofu, 400-8510, Japan.
  73. Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Indiana, 15705, USA.
  74. Faculty of Science, Ontario Tech University; Oshawa, L1G 0C5, Canada.
  75. Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno; Reno, 89557, USA.
  76. Department of Ecology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University; Nijmegen, 6525AJ, the Netherlands.
  77. School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi; Hattiesburg, 39406, USA.
  78. Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Umeå, 901 83, Sweden.
  79. Institute of Environmental Change and Society, University of Regina; Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S0A2, Canada.
  80. Department of Ecology and Zoology, Federal University of Santa Catarina; Florianópolis, 88040-900, Brazil.
  81. Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland; St. John's, A1C5S7, Canada.
  82. Fish Science, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; Mill Creek, 98012, USA.
  83. US Forest Service; Hilo, 96720, USA.
  84. Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University; Houghton, 49931, USA.
  85. Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, University of Eldoret; Eldoret, 30100, Kenya.
  86. Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University; Ithaca, 14853, USA.
  87. Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, 75007, Sweden.
  88. Enviromental Microbiology Laboratory, Biology Institute; Bahia, 40170115, Brazil.
  89. Freshwater and Marine Solutions Unit, Finnish Environment Institute, Syke; Jyväskylä, 40500, Finland.
  90. Department of Biology, University of Zagreb; Zagreb, 10000, Croatia.
  91. Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University; Singapore, 639798, Singapore.
  92. Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University; Matsuyama, 790-8577, Japan.
  93. Center for Freshwater Research and Education, Lake Superior State University; Sault Sainte Marie, 49783, USA.
  94. Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Madison, 53706, USA.
  95. Department of Ecology, University of the State of Rio de Janeiro; Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Brazil.
  96. Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu; Oulu, 90014, Finland.
  97. Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University; Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan.
  98. Departamento de Ecologia, IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro; Rio de Janeiro, 20550-900, Brazil.
  99. Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä; Jyväskylä, FI-40014, Finland.
  100. Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnologicas, Universidad Austral de Chile; Valdivia, 5090000, Chile.
  101. Departent of Geography, Masaryk University Brno; Czechia, 60300, Czech Republic.
  102. Oulanka research station, University of Oulu; Kuusamo, 93900, Finland.; Water, Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Oulu; Oulu, 90014, Finland.
  103. Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University; Wageningen, 6708 PB, the Netherlands.
  104. Trout Unlimited Alaska; Anchorage, 9951, USA.
  105. Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (Centro CIEP); Coyhaique, 5950000, Chile.
  106. Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, The University of British Columbia; Vancouver, V6T1Z4, Canada.
  107. Department of Ecology, The University of Adelaide; Adelaide, 5000, Australia.
  108. Department of Biology, Universidad del Zulia; Maracaibo, 4002, Venezuela.
  109. Department of Systems Ecology and Sustainability, University of Bucharest; Bucharest, 050095, Romania.
  110. Department of Aquatic Ecology, EAWAG; Duebendorf, 8600, Switzerland.; Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich; Zurich, 8293, Switzerland.
  111. School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University; Bloomington, 47405, USA.
  112. Department of Biology, Queen's University; Kingston, K7L 3N6, Canada.
  113. PE Limnoecology Research Group, HUN-REN; Veszprém, 8200, Hungary.; Research Group of Limnology, Center for Natural Science, University of Pannonia; Veszprém, 8200, Hungary.
  114. Institute of Biology, University of Latvia; Riga, LV-1004, Latvia.
  115. Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University; Umeå, 90736, Sweden.
  116. Department of Biosciences, Mangalore University; Mangalore, 574199, India.
  117. Department of Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Troy, 12180, USA.
  118. Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Baltimore, 21250, USA.
  119. Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, UDELAR; Maldonado, CP 20000, Uruguay.
  120. School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury; Christchurch, 8014, New Zealand.; Te Pūnaha Matatini Centre of Research Excellence, University of Canterbury; Christchurch, 8014, New Zealand.
  121. Nature Solutions, Finnish Environment Centre; Helsinki, 00790, Finland.
  122. Integrative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio; San Antonio, 78249, USA.
  123. Chair of Hydrobiology and Fisheries, Estonian University of Life Sciences; Tartu, 51006, Estonia.
  124. EA-International; Horby, 24293, Sweden.
  125. Silviculture, Taiwan Forest Research Institute; Taipei, 100, Taiwan.
  126. Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech University; Blacksburg, Virginia, 24060, USA.
  127. Department of Biology, East Stroudsburg University; East Stroudsburg, 18301, USA.
  128. Department of Biology, University of Waterloo; Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Canada.
  129. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology; Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan.
  130. School of Science Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast; Sippy Downs, 4556, Australia.
  131. Research Center of Cultural Landscape Protection and Ecological Restoration, School of Architecture, Soochow University; Suzhou, 215006, China.
  132. Water Mission Area, U.S. Geological Survey; San Francisco, 94116, USA.
+ Show Author Affiliations
Rivers and streams contribute to global carbon cycling by decomposing immense quantities of terrestrial plant matter. However, decomposition rates are highly variable and large-scale patterns and drivers of this process remain poorly understood. Using a cellulose-based assay to reflect the primary constituent of plant detritus, we generated a predictive model (81% variance explained) for cellulose decomposition rates across 514 globally distributed streams. A large number of variables were important for predicting decomposition, highlighting the complexity of this process at the global scale. Predicted cellulose decomposition rates, when combined with genus-level litter quality attributes, explain published leaf litter decomposition rates with high accuracy (70% variance explained). Finally, our global map provides estimates of rates across vast understudied areas of Earth and reveals rapid decomposition across continental-scale areas dominated by human activities.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
Contributing Organization:
CELLDEX Consortium
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725; EM0005228
OSTI ID:
2455066
Journal Information:
Science, Journal Name: Science Journal Issue: 6701 Vol. 384; ISSN 0036-8075
Publisher:
AAASCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Figures / Tables (4)

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES