Cross-ecosystem carbon flows connecting ecosystems worldwide

作者：Isabelle Gounand, Chelsea J. Little, Éric Harvey, Florian Altermatt · 发表于：Nature Communications · 年份：2018 · DOI：10.1038/s41467-018-07238-2 · 被引用次数：162 · 研究领域：Isotope Analysis in Ecology、Geology and Paleoclimatology Research、Marine and coastal ecosystems

Abstract Ecosystems are widely interconnected by spatial flows of material, but the overall importance of these flows relative to local ecosystem functioning remains unclear. Here we provide a quantitative synthesis on spatial flows of carbon connecting ecosystems worldwide. Cross-ecosystem flows range over eight orders of magnitude, bringing between 10−3and 105 gC m−2 year−1to recipient ecosystems. Magnitudes are similar to local fluxes in freshwater and benthic ecosystems, but two to three orders of magnitude lower in terrestrial systems, demonstrating different dependencies on spatial flows among ecosystem types. The strong spatial couplings also indicate that ecosystems are vulnerable to alterations of cross-ecosystem flows. Thus, a reconsideration of ecosystem functioning, including a spatial perspective, is urgently needed.