Shifts in Klamath River metabolism following a reservoir cyanobacterial bloom

Laurel Genzoli; Robert O. Hall

doi:10.1086/687752

Shifts in Klamath River metabolism following a reservoir cyanobacterial bloom

Laurel Genzoli, Robert O. Hall

Flathead Lake Biological Station

University of Wyoming

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

Sources of C and the location of production in rivers can influence trophic state. Despite major alterations to large rivers, data describing metabolic balance and partitioning in these rivers are sparse. We quantified ecosystem metabolism in the Lower Klamath River, USA, before and after a reservoir-derived cyanobacterial bloom. We calculated daily whole-river metabolism at 3 reaches on the Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam from May-October 2012. We measured planktonic metabolism biweekly from June to October to partition the source (planktonic or benthic) of whole-river gross primary production (GPP_Total) and ecosystem respiration (ER_Total) prior to and during the cyanobacterial bloom. Whole-river ecosystem metabolism in the Klamath River varied seasonally, with low GPP_Total and ER_Total in spring and autumn (May, June, October means = 4.4, -2.9 g O₂ m^-2 d^-1), and high GPP_Total and ER_Total during summer (July-September means = 8.0, -6.8 g O₂ m^-2 d^-1). Within sites, daily variation in ER_Total was coupled with daily variation in GPP_Total, suggesting a dominant role of autotrophs in ER_Total. Average rates of GPP_Total declined from upto downriver sites, driving parallel declines in net ecosystem production. After the bloom, planktonic production and respiration increased 2-4 × over nonbloom rates, whereas whole-river metabolism was relatively stable because of compensatory declines in benthic metabolism. Minimum daily dissolved O₂ concentration (DO) declined with increasing GPP_Total. This pattern strengthened during the bloom, showing that DO, a regulated water-quality variable, was tightly linked to C-cycling processes in the river. The bloom changed the location (planktonic vs benthic) of production and respiration in the river and decreased DO minima, but not rates of whole-river metabolism. Location of primary production had only subtle effects on ecosystem metabolism compared to seasonal changes in metabolism.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	795-809
Number of pages	15
Journal	Freshwater Science
Volume	35
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/687752
State	Published - Sep 2016

Funding

We thank the Karuk Tribe and Yurok Tribe for collecting and sharing the water-quality data used in this research. We thank Ken Fetcho and Crystal Bowman with the Yurok Tribe Environmental Program and the Karuk Department of Natural Resources for advice and assistance with field logistics. Conversations with Eli Asarian benefited this research. Annika Walters, Carl Legleiter, Hilary Madinger, Yvonne Vadeboncoeur, and 2 anonymous referees provided comments to earlier drafts of this manuscript. This research was supported by the Vern Bressler Fisheries Scholarship from the University of Wyoming and National Science Foundation grant DEB 09-21598. The Ford Family Foundation supported LG while conducting this research.

Funders	Funder number
DEB 09-21598
Wisconsin Department Natural Resources
University of Wyoming

Keywords

Algal bloom
Daily metabolism
Dissolved oxygen
Ecosystem respiration
Gross primary production
River
Water quality

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10.1086/687752

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title = "Shifts in Klamath River metabolism following a reservoir cyanobacterial bloom",

abstract = "Sources of C and the location of production in rivers can influence trophic state. Despite major alterations to large rivers, data describing metabolic balance and partitioning in these rivers are sparse. We quantified ecosystem metabolism in the Lower Klamath River, USA, before and after a reservoir-derived cyanobacterial bloom. We calculated daily whole-river metabolism at 3 reaches on the Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam from May-October 2012. We measured planktonic metabolism biweekly from June to October to partition the source (planktonic or benthic) of whole-river gross primary production (GPPTotal) and ecosystem respiration (ERTotal) prior to and during the cyanobacterial bloom. Whole-river ecosystem metabolism in the Klamath River varied seasonally, with low GPPTotal and ERTotal in spring and autumn (May, June, October means = 4.4, -2.9 g O2 m-2 d-1), and high GPPTotal and ERTotal during summer (July-September means = 8.0, -6.8 g O2 m-2 d-1). Within sites, daily variation in ERTotal was coupled with daily variation in GPPTotal, suggesting a dominant role of autotrophs in ERTotal. Average rates of GPPTotal declined from upto downriver sites, driving parallel declines in net ecosystem production. After the bloom, planktonic production and respiration increased 2-4 × over nonbloom rates, whereas whole-river metabolism was relatively stable because of compensatory declines in benthic metabolism. Minimum daily dissolved O2 concentration (DO) declined with increasing GPPTotal. This pattern strengthened during the bloom, showing that DO, a regulated water-quality variable, was tightly linked to C-cycling processes in the river. The bloom changed the location (planktonic vs benthic) of production and respiration in the river and decreased DO minima, but not rates of whole-river metabolism. Location of primary production had only subtle effects on ecosystem metabolism compared to seasonal changes in metabolism.",

keywords = "Algal bloom, Daily metabolism, Dissolved oxygen, Ecosystem respiration, Gross primary production, River, Water quality",

author = "Laurel Genzoli and Hall, \{Robert O.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 by The Society for Freshwater Science.",

year = "2016",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1086/687752",

language = "English",

volume = "35",

pages = "795--809",

journal = "Freshwater Science",

issn = "2161-9549",

publisher = "University of Chicago Press",

number = "3",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Shifts in Klamath River metabolism following a reservoir cyanobacterial bloom

AU - Genzoli, Laurel

AU - Hall, Robert O.

PY - 2016/9

Y1 - 2016/9

N2 - Sources of C and the location of production in rivers can influence trophic state. Despite major alterations to large rivers, data describing metabolic balance and partitioning in these rivers are sparse. We quantified ecosystem metabolism in the Lower Klamath River, USA, before and after a reservoir-derived cyanobacterial bloom. We calculated daily whole-river metabolism at 3 reaches on the Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam from May-October 2012. We measured planktonic metabolism biweekly from June to October to partition the source (planktonic or benthic) of whole-river gross primary production (GPPTotal) and ecosystem respiration (ERTotal) prior to and during the cyanobacterial bloom. Whole-river ecosystem metabolism in the Klamath River varied seasonally, with low GPPTotal and ERTotal in spring and autumn (May, June, October means = 4.4, -2.9 g O2 m-2 d-1), and high GPPTotal and ERTotal during summer (July-September means = 8.0, -6.8 g O2 m-2 d-1). Within sites, daily variation in ERTotal was coupled with daily variation in GPPTotal, suggesting a dominant role of autotrophs in ERTotal. Average rates of GPPTotal declined from upto downriver sites, driving parallel declines in net ecosystem production. After the bloom, planktonic production and respiration increased 2-4 × over nonbloom rates, whereas whole-river metabolism was relatively stable because of compensatory declines in benthic metabolism. Minimum daily dissolved O2 concentration (DO) declined with increasing GPPTotal. This pattern strengthened during the bloom, showing that DO, a regulated water-quality variable, was tightly linked to C-cycling processes in the river. The bloom changed the location (planktonic vs benthic) of production and respiration in the river and decreased DO minima, but not rates of whole-river metabolism. Location of primary production had only subtle effects on ecosystem metabolism compared to seasonal changes in metabolism.

AB - Sources of C and the location of production in rivers can influence trophic state. Despite major alterations to large rivers, data describing metabolic balance and partitioning in these rivers are sparse. We quantified ecosystem metabolism in the Lower Klamath River, USA, before and after a reservoir-derived cyanobacterial bloom. We calculated daily whole-river metabolism at 3 reaches on the Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam from May-October 2012. We measured planktonic metabolism biweekly from June to October to partition the source (planktonic or benthic) of whole-river gross primary production (GPPTotal) and ecosystem respiration (ERTotal) prior to and during the cyanobacterial bloom. Whole-river ecosystem metabolism in the Klamath River varied seasonally, with low GPPTotal and ERTotal in spring and autumn (May, June, October means = 4.4, -2.9 g O2 m-2 d-1), and high GPPTotal and ERTotal during summer (July-September means = 8.0, -6.8 g O2 m-2 d-1). Within sites, daily variation in ERTotal was coupled with daily variation in GPPTotal, suggesting a dominant role of autotrophs in ERTotal. Average rates of GPPTotal declined from upto downriver sites, driving parallel declines in net ecosystem production. After the bloom, planktonic production and respiration increased 2-4 × over nonbloom rates, whereas whole-river metabolism was relatively stable because of compensatory declines in benthic metabolism. Minimum daily dissolved O2 concentration (DO) declined with increasing GPPTotal. This pattern strengthened during the bloom, showing that DO, a regulated water-quality variable, was tightly linked to C-cycling processes in the river. The bloom changed the location (planktonic vs benthic) of production and respiration in the river and decreased DO minima, but not rates of whole-river metabolism. Location of primary production had only subtle effects on ecosystem metabolism compared to seasonal changes in metabolism.

KW - Algal bloom

KW - Daily metabolism

KW - Dissolved oxygen

KW - Ecosystem respiration

KW - Gross primary production

KW - River

KW - Water quality

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84986189968

U2 - 10.1086/687752

DO - 10.1086/687752

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84986189968

SN - 2161-9549

VL - 35

SP - 795

EP - 809

JO - Freshwater Science

JF - Freshwater Science

IS - 3

ER -

Shifts in Klamath River metabolism following a reservoir cyanobacterial bloom

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