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The importance of terrestrial carbon in supporting molluscs in the wetlands of Poyang Lake

  • Ecology
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Abstract

Allochthonous organic matter plays an important role in nutrient cycling and energy mobilization in freshwater ecosystems. However, the subsidies of this carbon source in floodplain ecosystems have not yet well understood. We used a Bayesian mixing model and stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) of primary food resources and dominant molluscs species, to estimate the relative importance of allochthonous carbon sources for consumers in a representative sub-lake of Poyang Lake during a prolonged dry season. Our study inferred that terrestrial-derived carbon from Carex spp. could be the primary contributor to snails and mussels in Dahuchi Lake. The mean percentage of allochthonous food resources accounted for 35%–50% of the C incorporated by these consumers. Seston was another important energy sources for benthic consumers. However, during the winter and low water-level period, benthic algae and submerged vegetation contributed less carbon to benthic consumers. Our data highlighted the importance of terrestrial organic carbon to benthic consumers in the wetlands of Poyang Lake during the prolonged dry period. Further, our results provided a perspective that linkages between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems might be facilitated by wintering geese via their droppings.

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Acknowledgement

We thank the Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve Agency for allowing us access to sites located in Dahuchi Lake and a permit to collect samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Huan Zhang  (张欢) & Xiubo Yu  (于秀波)

  2. College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China

    Yuyu Wang  (王玉玉)

  3. Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Jun Xu  (徐军)

  4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Huan Zhang  (张欢)

Authors
  1. Huan Zhang  (张欢)
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  2. Xiubo Yu  (于秀波)
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  3. Yuyu Wang  (王玉玉)
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  4. Jun Xu  (徐军)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiubo Yu  (于秀波).

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41471088, 41301077)

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Zhang, H., Yu, X., Wang, Y. et al. The importance of terrestrial carbon in supporting molluscs in the wetlands of Poyang Lake. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 35, 825–832 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-017-6014-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-017-6014-8

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