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Ancient and methane-derived carbon subsidizes contemporary food webs

Author

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  • Amanda G. DelVecchia

    (Flathead Lake Biological Station
    Present address: Allegheny College, Department of Biology, B300 Steffee Hall, 520 North Main St., Meadville, Pennsylvania 16335, USA)

  • Jack A. Stanford

    (Flathead Lake Biological Station
    Present address: 36 Tuckaway Road, Twisp, Washington 98856, USA)

  • Xiaomei Xu

    (University of California Irvine, Earth System Science, 2222 Croul Hall)

Abstract

While most global productivity is driven by modern photosynthesis, river ecosystems are supplied by locally fixed and imported carbon that spans a range of ages. Alluvial aquifers of gravel-bedded river floodplains present a conundrum: despite no possibility for photosynthesis in groundwater and extreme paucity of labile organic carbon, they support diverse and abundant large-bodied consumers (stoneflies, Insecta: Plecoptera). Here we show that up to a majority of the biomass carbon composition of these top consumers in four floodplain aquifers of Montana and Washington is methane-derived. The methane carbon ranges in age from modern to up to >50,000 years old and is mostly derived from biogenic sources, although a thermogenic contribution could not be excluded. We document one of the most expansive ecosystems to contain site-wide macroinvertebrate biomass comprised of methane-derived carbon and thereby advance contemporary understanding of basal resources supporting riverine productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Amanda G. DelVecchia & Jack A. Stanford & Xiaomei Xu, 2016. "Ancient and methane-derived carbon subsidizes contemporary food webs," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms13163
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13163
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