Riverine C, N, Si and P Transport to the Coastal Ocean: An Overview

Peterson, David H.; Hager, Stephen W.; Schemel, Laurence E.; Cayan, Daniel R.

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-52452-3_11

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Riverine inputs directly influence the I I ratio of autochthonous to allochthonous sources in SFB through 2 mechanisms column, confine zp to a narrow zone, and therefore suppress autotrophic production by limiting light availability for photosynthesis. As a consequence, spatlal gradients of P,,, mirror the distributions of river-derived suspended sediments within individual estuaries (Cloern 1987), and much of the difference in P,, among some estuaries is attributable to differences in their mean optical depth or turbidity (Peterson et al 1988). Secondly, river flow provides an external source of organic carbon and for some estuaries, such as North SFB, fluvial input is the single largest source of organic carbon.…”

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confidence: 96%

“…Secondly, river flow provides an external source of organic carbon and for some estuaries, such as North SFB, fluvial input is the single largest source of organic carbon. The ratio of autochthonous to allochthonous sources is therefore a simple index of the watershed influence on estuarine metabolism, as mediated through riverine inflow (Peterson et al 1988). In fact this ratio may be a useful basis for com-parison among estuaries that, on a global scale, exhibit a wide range of influence by external sources.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Organic carbon sources and sinks in San Francisco Bay: variability induced by river flow

Jassby¹,

Cloern²,

Powell³

1993

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

112

110

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Sources and sinks of organic carbon for San Francisco Bay (Cahfornia, USA) were estimated for 1980. Sources for the southern reach were dominated by phytoplankton and benthic microalgal production. River loading of organic matter was an additional important factor in the northern reach. Tidal marsh export and point sources played a secondary role. Autochthonous production in San Francisco Bay appears to be less than the mean for temperate-zone estuaries, primarily because turbidity h i t s microalgal production and the development of seagrass beds Exchange between the Bay and Pacific Ocean plays an unknown but potentially important role in the organic carbon balance. lnterannual variability in the organic carbon supply was assessed for Suisun Bay, a northern reach subembayment that provides habitat for important fish species (delta smelt Hypomesus transpacificus and larval striped bass Morone saxatdus). The total supply fluctuated by an order of magnitude; depending on the year, either autochthonous sources (phytoplankton production) or allochthonous sources (rivenne loading) could be dominant. The primary cause of the year-to-year change was vanability of freshwater inflows from the Sacrament0 and San Joaquin rivers, and its magnitude was much larger than long-term changes arising from marsh destruction and point source decreases. Although interannual variability of the total organic carbon supply could not be assessed for the southern reach, year-to-year changes in phytoplankton production were much smaller than in Suisun Bay, reflecting a relative lack of river influence.

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mentioning

confidence: 96%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Organic carbon sources and sinks in San Francisco Bay: variability induced by river flow

Jassby¹,

Cloern²,

Powell³

1993

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

112

110

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Hence estuaries are usually considered to be highly productive areas and in some cases they significantly add to coastal enrichment (Peterson et al ., 1988) . The average phytoplankton production in estuaries was estimated to be about 190 gC m-2 yrt (Boynton et al, 1982 ;Smith & Hollibaugh, 1993), which is much higher than the average of 41 gC SEA M -2 yr-1 that is modeled in the Westerschelde.…”

Section: Autotrophic Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon flows in the Westerschelde estuary (The Netherlands) evaluated by means of an ecosystem model (MOSES)

Soetaert

Herman

1995

Hydrobiologia

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The autotrophic production and heterotrophic consumption of organic matter in the Westerschelde, a highly turbid and eutrophic estuary in the Southwest Netherlands is examined by means of a dynamic simulation model . The model describes the ecologically relevant processes in thirteen spatial compartments and adequately fits most observed data.Three autotrophic processes are included in the model . Net pelagic photosynthetic production is relatively low (average 41 gC m -2 yr -1 ) and three spatial compartments near the turbidity maximum zone are respiratory sinks of phytoplankton biomass . According to the model, net phytobenthic primary production is more important than pelagic primary production in the upstream half of the Westerschelde. On the scale of the entire estuary, benthic primary production amounts to about 60% of pelagic primary production . Water-column nitrification, which is very important in the nitrogen cycle, is most pronounced near the turbidity zone where it accounts for the major autotrophic fixation of carbon (up to 27 g C m -2 yr -' ) . Viewed on the scale of the total estuary, however, the process is not very important .Less than 20% of total organic carbon input to the estuary is primary produced, the remainder is imported from waste discharges and from the river .The degree of heterotrophy of the Westerschelde estuary proved to be one of the highest yet reported . On average 380 g carbon per square metre is net lost per year (range 200-1200 gC m -2 yr -1 ) . The yearly community respiration (bacterial mineralization, respiration of higher trophic levels and sedimentation) is 4 to 35 times (estuarine mean of 6) higher than the net production . This degree of heterotrophy is highest near the turbidity maximum and generally decreases from the freshwater to the seaward boundary. About 75% of all carbon losses can be ascribed to pelagic heterotrophic processes ; the sediment is only locally important .Mineralisation rates are highest in the turbidity region, but as only a fraction of total carbon resides here, less than 20% of all organic carbon is lost in this part of the estuary . This result is in contradiction with a previous budget of the estuary, based on data of the early seventies, where more than 80% of all carbon was estimated to be lost in the turbidity zone . Part of this discrepancy is probably caused by changes that have occurred in the estuary since that time .Due to the high heterotrophic activity, nearly all imported and in situ produced carbon is lost in the estuary itself and the Westerschelde is an insignificant source of organic matter to the coastal zone .The model estuary acts as a trap for reactive organic matter, both from the land, from the sea or in situ produced . Internal cycling, mainly in the water column, results in the removal of most of the carbon while the more refractory part is exported to the sea . 247

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Predicting the Responses of the Coastal Zone to Global Change

Holligan¹,

Reiners²

1992

Advances in Ecological Research

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Riverine C, N, Si and P Transport to the Coastal Ocean: An Overview

Cited by 4 publications

References 14 publications

Organic carbon sources and sinks in San Francisco Bay: variability induced by river flow

Organic carbon sources and sinks in San Francisco Bay: variability induced by river flow

Carbon flows in the Westerschelde estuary (The Netherlands) evaluated by means of an ecosystem model (MOSES)

Predicting the Responses of the Coastal Zone to Global Change

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