From NIMS-AQ toFrom NIMS-AQ to

an Application Examplean Application Example

CalculatingCalculating

River Metabolism:River Metabolism:

The case of a river confluenceThe case of a river confluence

River Metabolism:River Metabolism:

Primary Productivity and Community RespirationPrimary Productivity and Community Respiration

-Primary productivity (GPP): Rate of formation of organic matter from inorganic carbon by photosynthesizing organisms and represents the conversion of solar energy to reduced chemical energy.

-Respiration (R): Portion of that fixed energy is lost through autotrophic respiration

2 2 2 6 12 6 26 12 6 6CO H O photons O C H O H O

6 12 6 2 2 26 6 6C H O O CO H O energy

Then, photosynthesis stores energy, and respiration releases it for use in functions such as reproduction and basic maintenance.

Carbon dioxide (g) + water (l) + photons oxygen (g) + glucose (aq) + water (l)

Glucose + oxygen carbon dioxide + water + energy

-They help to determine ecosystem biomass (i.e. how much energy is available to support an ecosystem).

-They help to understand the trophic structure, thus to evaluate the potential for competition for food.

-They serve as indicators of river health when compared with undisturbed sites or when comparing over periods of time (e.g. changes in Net Primary Productivity can be symptomatic of stresses).

We calculate Primary Productivity and Respiration in lotic We calculate Primary Productivity and Respiration in lotic ecosystems because:ecosystems because:

Some Key terms:Some Key terms:

a hCR R R

aGPP NPP R

-While NPP is the net amount of primary production after the costs of plant respiration are included, Net Ecosystem Production (NEP), Net Community Production (NCP), or Net Daily Metabolism (NDM) is the amount of primary production after the costs of respiration by autotrophs and heterotrophs are all included.

NEP GPP CR

24NDM GPP CR

-Community Respiration is the sum of the autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration. We use it because so far it’s not possible to measure them separately.

Gross Primary Productivity, the total fixed energy, is the sum of the portion of energy stored in biomass (Net Primary Productivity) + the portion that is lost through autotrophic respiration (Ra).

(instantaneous)

(daily)

The open-system dissolved oxygen (DO) change methodThe open-system dissolved oxygen (DO) change method

3 1q p r d a M L T

2 1Q P R D A M L T

Rate of change of DO per area:

:

:

:

:

Q

P

R

D

A

Rate of GPP per area

Rate CR per area

Diffusion rate per area

GW accrual per area (usually assumed negligible)

Modified from Odum (1956)

Single-station Method:

Q or q: is the rate of DO change between two consecutive sampling times.

Metabolism

The open-system OThe open-system O22 change change

Observed diel (24 h) DO cycle

Light penetration

Rate of change of DO per hour

Community respiration

Diffusion in or out of the stream water according to water DO saturation

-Undersaturated: O2 in, -Supersaturated: O2 out,

- Gross primary productivity

River Lark (England). Source: Odum (1956)

3inq p r d a M L T

inq p r d outq p r d

inp q r d outp q r d

Calculation of river metabolism using NIMS dataCalculation of river metabolism using NIMS data

The confluence by the time of the experimentThe confluence by the time of the experiment

Calculation of river metabolism using NIMS dataCalculation of river metabolism using NIMS data

* Upstream view

Dissolved Oxygen(mg / L)

Temperature (C)

Merced River zone

Mixing zone

San Joaquin Riverzone

hour hour

Merced River Zone San Joaquin River Zone

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Units: gr/m2-min

Pink line: average community respiration (CR24)

Green line: Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

Zone 1: Merced River zone

Zone 2: Mixing zone

Zone 3: San Joaquin River zone

Future Directions:Future Directions:

-Evaluation of the effects of irrigation returns at a river reach.

- Groundwater-surface water interactions and their effect on river biota.

-Association of those distributed physicochemical parameters to Ecosystem diversity?