Cite this paper:
ZHANG Huan, YU Xiubo, WANG Yuyu, XU Jun. The importance of terrestrial carbon in supporting molluscs in the wetlands of Poyang Lake[J]. Journal of Oceanology and Limnology, 2017, 35(4): 825-832

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

ZHANG Huan1,4, YU Xiubo1, WANG Yuyu2, XU Jun3
1 Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
2 College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China;
3 Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China;
4 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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.
Key words:    allochthonous|Carex spp.|molluscs|floodplain wetland|stable isotope analysis|Poyang Lake   
Received: 2016-01-18   Revised: 2016-03-09
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Articles by YU Xiubo
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