Influence of thermal stratification on seasonal net ecosystem production and dissolved inorganic carbon in a shallow subtropical lake

Abstract

Plain Language Summary Vertical distribution of dissolved inorganic C (DIC) is one of the most important factors for understanding C emission from lakes. Thermal stratification is expected to be the critical physical process controlling the vertical distribution of DIC. To clarify the relationship between DIC and thermal stratification, we investigated vertical profiles of DIC and the strength of stratification in a subtropical shallow lake (Yuan-Yang Lake [YYL]) using field observations from 2004 to 2017. Our study is the first to apply a three-dimensional hydrological model to clarify the mechanism controlling the vertical profile of DIC as part of an estimate of net ecosystem production in a lake. LIN ET AL.