@article{AttermeyerGrossartFluryetal.2017, author = {Attermeyer, Katrin and Grossart, Hans-Peter and Flury, Sabine and Premke, Katrin}, title = {Bacterial processes and biogeochemical changes in the water body of kettle holes - mainly driven by autochthonous organic matter?}, series = {Aquatic sciences : research across boundaries}, volume = {79}, journal = {Aquatic sciences : research across boundaries}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Basel}, issn = {1015-1621}, doi = {10.1007/s00027-017-0528-1}, pages = {675 -- 687}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Kettle holes are small inland waters formed from glacially-created depressions often situated in agricultural landscapes. Due to their high perimeter-to-area ratio facilitating a high aquatic-terrestrial coupling, kettle holes can accumulate high concentrations of organic carbon and nutrients, fueling microbial activities and turnover rates. Thus, they represent hotspots of carbon turnover in the landscape, but their bacterial activities and controlling factors have not been well investigated. Therefore, we aimed to assess the relative importance of various environmental factors on bacterial and biogeochemical processes in the water column of kettle holes and to disentangle their variations. In the water body of ten kettle holes in north-eastern Germany, we measured several physico-chemical and biological parameters such as carbon quantity and quality, as well as bacterial protein production (BP) and community respiration (CR) in spring, early summer and autumn 2014. Particulate organic matter served as an indicator of autochthonous production and represented an important parameter to explain variations in BP and CR. This notion is supported by qualitative absorbance indices of dissolved molecules in water samples and C: N ratios of the sediments, which demonstrate high fractions of autochthonous organic matter (OM) in the studied kettle holes. In contrast, dissolved chemical parameters were less important for bacterial activities although they revealed strong differences throughout the growing season. Pelagic bacterial activities and dynamics might thus be regulated by autochthonous OM in kettle holes implying a control of important biogeochemical processes by internal primary production rather than facilitated exchange with the terrestrial surrounding due to a high perimeter-to-area ratio.}, language = {en} } @article{LischeidKalettkaHollaenderetal.2018, author = {Lischeid, Gunnar and Kalettka, Thomas and Holl{\"a}nder, Matthias and Steidl, J{\"o}rg and Merz, Christoph and Dannowski, Ralf and Hohenbrink, Tobias Ludwig and Lehr, Christian and Onandia, Gabriela and Reverey, Florian and P{\"a}tzig, Marlene}, title = {Natural ponds in an agricultural landscape}, series = {Limnologica : ecology and management of inland waters}, volume = {68}, journal = {Limnologica : ecology and management of inland waters}, publisher = {Elsevier GMBH}, address = {M{\"u}nchen}, issn = {0075-9511}, doi = {10.1016/j.limno.2017.01.003}, pages = {5 -- 16}, year = {2018}, abstract = {The pleistocenic landscape in North Europe, North Asia and North America is spotted with thousands of natural ponds called kettle holes. They are biological and biogeochemical hotspots. Due to small size, small perimeter and shallow depth biological and biogeochemical processes in kettle holes are closely linked to the dynamics and the emissions of the terrestrial environment. On the other hand, their intriguing high spatial and temporal variability makes a sound understanding of the terrestrial-aquatic link very difficult. It is presumed that intensive agricultural land use during the last decades has resulted in a ubiquitous high nutrient load. However, the water quality encountered at single sites highly depends on internal biogeochemical processes and thus can differ substantially even between adjacent sites. This study aimed at elucidating the interplay between external drivers and internal processes based on a thorough analysis of a comprehensive kettle hole water quality data set. To study the role of external drivers, effects of land use in the adjacent terrestrial environment, effects of vegetation at the interface between terrestrial and aquatic systems, and that of kettle hole morphology on water quality was investigated. None of these drivers was prone to strong with-in year variability. Thus temporal variability of spatial patterns could point to the role of internal biogeochemical processes. To that end, the temporal stability of the respective spatial patterns was studied as well for various solutes. All of these analyses were performed for a set of different variables. Different results for different solutes were then used as a source of information about the respective driving processes. In the Quillow catchment in the Uckermark region, about 100 km north of Berlin, Germany, 62 kettle holes have been regularly sampled since 2013. Kettle hole catchments were determined based on a groundwater level map of the uppermost aquifer. The catchments were not clearly related to topography. Spatial patterns of kettle hole water concentration of (earth) alkaline metals and chloride were fairly stable, presumably reflecting solute concentration of the uppermost aquifer. In contrast, spatial patterns of nutrients and redox-sensitive solutes within the kettle holes were hardly correlated between different sampling campaigns. Correspondingly, effects of season, hydrogeomorphic kettle hole type, shore vegetation or land use in the respective catchments were significant but explained only a minor portion of the total variance. It is concluded that internal processes mask effects of the terrestrial environment. There is some evidence that denitrification and phosphorus release from the sediment during frequent periods of hypoxia might play a major role. The latter seems to boost primary production occasionally. These processes do not follow a clear seasonal pattern and are still not well understood.}, language = {en} }