A connection to deep groundwater alters ecosystem carbon fluxes and budgets: Example from a Costa Rican rainforest
Abstract
Field studies of watershed carbon fluxes and budgets are critical for understanding the carbon cycle, but the role of deep regional groundwater is poorly known and field examples are lacking. Here we show that discharge of regional groundwater into a lowland Costa Rican rainforest has a major influence on ecosystem carbon fluxes. Furthermore, this influence is observable through chemical, isotopic, and flux signals in groundwater, surface water, and air. Not addressing the influence of regional groundwater in the field measurement program and data analysis would give a misleading impression of the overall carbon source or sink status of the rainforest. In quantifying a carbon budget with the traditional "small watershed" mass-balance approach, it would be critical at this site and likely many others to consider watershed inputs or losses associated with exchange between the ecosystem and the deeper hydrogeological system on which it sits.
- Authors:
-
- North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)
- North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States); U.S. Geological Survey, Raleigh, NC (United States).
- Florida Intl Univ., Miami, FL (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1344543
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0006703
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 40; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; carbon cycle; groundwater; tropical rainforest
Citation Formats
Genereux, David P., Nagy, Laura A., Osburn, Christopher L., and Oberbauer, Steven F. A connection to deep groundwater alters ecosystem carbon fluxes and budgets: Example from a Costa Rican rainforest. United States: N. p., 2013.
Web. doi:10.1002/grl.50423.
Genereux, David P., Nagy, Laura A., Osburn, Christopher L., & Oberbauer, Steven F. A connection to deep groundwater alters ecosystem carbon fluxes and budgets: Example from a Costa Rican rainforest. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/grl.50423
Genereux, David P., Nagy, Laura A., Osburn, Christopher L., and Oberbauer, Steven F. Tue .
"A connection to deep groundwater alters ecosystem carbon fluxes and budgets: Example from a Costa Rican rainforest". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/grl.50423. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1344543.
@article{osti_1344543,
title = {A connection to deep groundwater alters ecosystem carbon fluxes and budgets: Example from a Costa Rican rainforest},
author = {Genereux, David P. and Nagy, Laura A. and Osburn, Christopher L. and Oberbauer, Steven F.},
abstractNote = {Field studies of watershed carbon fluxes and budgets are critical for understanding the carbon cycle, but the role of deep regional groundwater is poorly known and field examples are lacking. Here we show that discharge of regional groundwater into a lowland Costa Rican rainforest has a major influence on ecosystem carbon fluxes. Furthermore, this influence is observable through chemical, isotopic, and flux signals in groundwater, surface water, and air. Not addressing the influence of regional groundwater in the field measurement program and data analysis would give a misleading impression of the overall carbon source or sink status of the rainforest. In quantifying a carbon budget with the traditional "small watershed" mass-balance approach, it would be critical at this site and likely many others to consider watershed inputs or losses associated with exchange between the ecosystem and the deeper hydrogeological system on which it sits.},
doi = {10.1002/grl.50423},
journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
number = 10,
volume = 40,
place = {United States},
year = {2013},
month = {5}
}
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