IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v613y2023i7944d10.1038_s41586-022-05500-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

River ecosystem metabolism and carbon biogeochemistry in a changing world

Author

Listed:
  • Tom J. Battin

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL))

  • Ronny Lauerwald

    (Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR ECOSYS)

  • Emily S. Bernhardt

    (Duke University)

  • Enrico Bertuzzo

    (Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia)

  • Lluís Gómez Gener

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

  • Robert O. Hall

    (University of Montana)

  • Erin R. Hotchkiss

    (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)

  • Taylor Maavara

    (University of Leeds)

  • Tamlin M. Pavelsky

    (University of North Carolina)

  • Lishan Ran

    (The University of Hong Kong
    The University of Hong Kong)

  • Peter Raymond

    (Yale University)

  • Judith A. Rosentreter

    (Yale University
    Southern Cross University)

  • Pierre Regnier

    (Université Libre de Bruxelles)

Abstract

River networks represent the largest biogeochemical nexus between the continents, ocean and atmosphere. Our current understanding of the role of rivers in the global carbon cycle remains limited, which makes it difficult to predict how global change may alter the timing and spatial distribution of riverine carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions. Here we review the state of river ecosystem metabolism research and synthesize the current best available estimates of river ecosystem metabolism. We quantify the organic and inorganic carbon flux from land to global rivers and show that their net ecosystem production and carbon dioxide emissions shift the organic to inorganic carbon balance en route from land to the coastal ocean. Furthermore, we discuss how global change may affect river ecosystem metabolism and related carbon fluxes and identify research directions that can help to develop better predictions of the effects of global change on riverine ecosystem processes. We argue that a global river observing system will play a key role in understanding river networks and their future evolution in the context of the global carbon budget.

Suggested Citation

  • Tom J. Battin & Ronny Lauerwald & Emily S. Bernhardt & Enrico Bertuzzo & Lluís Gómez Gener & Robert O. Hall & Erin R. Hotchkiss & Taylor Maavara & Tamlin M. Pavelsky & Lishan Ran & Peter Raymond & Jud, 2023. "River ecosystem metabolism and carbon biogeochemistry in a changing world," Nature, Nature, vol. 613(7944), pages 449-459, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:613:y:2023:i:7944:d:10.1038_s41586-022-05500-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05500-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05500-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41586-022-05500-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hayes, D.S. & Bruno, M.C. & Alp, M. & Boavida, I. & Batalla, R.J. & Bejarano, M.D. & Noack, M. & Vanzo, D. & Casas-Mulet, R. & Vericat, D. & Carolli, M. & Tonolla, D. & Halleraker, J.H. & Gosselin, M., 2023. "100 key questions to guide hydropeaking research and policy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:613:y:2023:i:7944:d:10.1038_s41586-022-05500-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.