Contrasting impacts of warming and browning on periphyton

Abstract

We tested interactive effects of warming (+2 degrees C) and browning on periphyton accrual and pigment composition when grown on a synthetic substrate (plastic strips) in the euphotic zone of 16 experimental ponds. We found that increased colored dissolved organic matter (cDOM) and associated nutrients alone, or in combination with warming, resulted in a substantially enhanced biomass accrual of periphyton, and a comparatively smaller increase in phytoplankton. This illustrates that periphyton is capable of using nutrients associated with cDOM, and by this may affect nutrient availability for phytoplankton. However, warming weakened the positive impact of browning on periphyton accrual, possibly by thermal compensation inferred from altered pigment composition, and/or changes in community composition. Our results illustrate multiple impacts of climate change on algal growth, which could have implications for productivity and consumer resource use, especially in shallow areas in northern lakes.

Published in

Limnology and Oceanography Letters
2023, volume: 8, number: 4, pages: 628-638
Publisher: WILEY

SLU Authors

• Myrstener, Maria

  • Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Global goals (SDG)

SDG13 Climate action

UKÄ Subject classification

Oceanography, Hydrology, Water Resources

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10317

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/121657