Journal article
Net CO2 Emissions From Dry Inland Waters Persist in the Presence of Vegetation
Global biogeochemical cycles, Vol.40(3), pp.1-17
03/2026
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Abstract
Many inland waters are shrinking due to shifts in climate and water diversion for human uses. As they dry out, their exposed sediments emit large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. However, current global estimates of CO2 emissions from dry inland waters are derived exclusively from bare sediment dark-chamber measurements that do not account for the colonization of desiccated areas by vegetation. To understand the impact of vegetation on CO2 emissions from dry sediments, we analyzed 164 dry inland water bodies across five climatic regions and five inland water body types (lakes, ponds, reservoirs, streams and wetlands). On average, within vegetated zones, vegetation occupied 47 ± 35% in measured biomass quadrants. Light-induced decreases in instantaneous CO2 emissions in vegetated dry sediments were lower (mean ± SD = −3.7 ± 12.9 mmol CO2 m−2 hr−1) than increases during dark conditions (14.7 ± 20.1 mmol CO2 m−2 hr−1). Diel (24-hr) CO2 emissions from dry, vegetated sediments (mean ± SD = 100 ± 261 mmol CO2 m−2 d−1) were 25% lower than in bare sediments (133 ± 245 mmol CO2 m−2 d−1). These results indicate that vegetation can partially off-set sediment respiration, although the magnitude of this effect is insufficient to switch dry beds from net sources to net sinks of carbon.
Details
- Title
- Net CO2 Emissions From Dry Inland Waters Persist in the Presence of Vegetation
- Creators
- Krati Sharma - Centre d'Estudis Avançats de BlanesSoren Brothers - University of TorontoSusana Bernal - Centre d'Estudis Avançats de BlanesNuria Catalan - Centre d'Estudis Avançats de BlanesPhilipp Keller - Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland FisheriesMatthias Koschorreck - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental ResearchSarian Kosten - Radboud University NijmegenCatherine Leigh - Griffith UniversityDaniel Von Schiller - Institut de Biologia EvolutivaAda Pastor - Universitat de GironaAitor Larranaga - University of the Basque CountryAkif Ari - Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal Univ, Dept Environm Engn, Bolu, TurkiyeAlba Camacho-santamans - Institut de Biologia EvolutivaAlistair Grinham - Queensland University of TechnologyAnna Lupon - Centre d'Estudis Avançats de BlanesAnnika Linkhorst - Federal Institute of HydrologyArturo Elosegi - University of the Basque CountryBiel Obrador - Institut de Biologia EvolutivaBradley D. Eyre - Southern Cross UniversityCarolina Trochine - National University of Río NegroClaumir Cesar Muniz - Universidade do Estado de Mato GrossoClaudia Feijoo - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasClement Duvert - Charles Darwin UniversityEnrique Moreno-ostos - Universidad de MálagaErica Garcia - Charles Darwin UniversityErnades Sobreira Oliveira - Universidade do Estado de Mato GrossoFlorencia Cuassolo - National University of Río NegroHugo Rafael Fernandez - National University of Río NegroJacob Yeo - Southern Cross UniversityJoanne Oakes - Southern Cross UniversityJose R. Paranaiba - Radboud University NijmegenJosephine Pegg - South African Institute for Aquatic BiodiversityJulieta Anselmo - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasJorge Juan Montes-perez - Universidad de MálagaLaura Van Den Heuvel - Radboud University NijmegenLishan Ran - University of Hong KongLopes Lazaro Wilkinson - Universidade do Estado de Mato GrossoLluis Gomez-gener - Institut de Biologia EvolutivaMargaret Shanafield - Flinders UniversityMaria Isabel Arce - Universidad de MurciaMelissa Cobo - Utah State UniversityMaite Arroita - University of the Basque CountryMaria De Lourdes Gultemirian - National University of Río NegroMaria Mar Sanchez-montoya - Universidad Complutense de MadridNathan Barros - Universidade Federal de Juiz de ForaNaomi Wells - Lincoln UniversityNusret Karakaya - Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal UniversityPelin Erturk Ari - Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal Univ, Dept Environm Engn, Bolu, TurkiyeQuinten Struik - Radboud University NijmegenRalf Aben - Radboud University NijmegenRyan Rimas - University of ReginaSanjeev Kumar - Physical Research LaboratorySheel Bansal - United States Geological SurveySiddhartha Sarkar - Physical Research LaboratorySofia Rodriguez-gomez - Universidad de MálagaTao Huang - Nanjing Normal UniversityTeresa Silverthorn - University of LiverpoolThibault Datry - Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'EnvironnementVeronica Diaz Villanueva - National University of Río NegroRafael Marce - Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes
- Publication Details
- Global biogeochemical cycles, Vol.40(3), pp.1-17
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union
- Number of pages
- 17
- Grant note
- DP220100918 / ARC; Australian Research Council 17306224 / Hong Kong RGC; Hong Kong Research Grants Council PID2024-161534NB-C31/MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER,UE; PID2022-140848NA-C32 / Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigacion; Spanish Government DE-SC0023084 / USGS Ecosystem Land Change Science Program and U.S Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research RYC2022-036661-I / Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities; Spanish Government 2023 FI-1 00295 / AGAUR FI ajuts EVASIONA (PID2021-122817-NB-100); RIPAMED (CNS2023-144737) / MICIU/AEI/FEDER-Next Generation
- Identifiers
- 991013370446402368
- Copyright
- © 2026 The Author(s).
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article