Linking Food Webs and Biogeochemical Processes in Wetlands: Insights From Sulfur Isotopes
Abstract
To better understand the transfer of nutrients into prairie wetland food webs we have investigated the cycling of S (via S isotope systematics and geochemistry) in a prairie wetland landscape by characterizing sources (ground water, interstitial water, surface water) and processes in a small catchment comprised of four wetlands in eastern South Dakota. We focused on S to derive process information that is not generally available from carbon isotopes alone. The wetlands chosen for study spanned a considerable range in SO4 concentration (0.1-13.6 mM), which corresponded with landscape position. Ground water δ34SSO4 values remained relatively constant (mean = -13.2 per mil) through time. However, δ34SSO4 values of wetland surface waters ranged from -2.9 to -30.0 per mil (CDT) and were negatively correlated with SO4 concentrations (p<0.05). The isotopic variability of surface water SO4 resulted from mixing with re-oxidized sulfides associated with recently flushed wetland soils. The δ34S signatures of wetland primary (Gastropoda: Stagnicola elodes) and secondary (Odonata: Anax sp.) consumers were significantly related to surface water δ34SSO4 values (p<0.05) suggesting that food web components were responding to changes in the isotopic composition of the S source. Both primary and secondary consumer δ34S signatures differed between wetlands (ANOVA, p<0.05). These data illustrate the complexity of S cycling in prairie wetlands and the influence of wetland hydrologic and biogeochemical processes on prairie wetland food webs. Additionally, this work has demonstrated that sulfur isotopes can provide unique source and process information that cannot be derived from traditional carbon and nitrogen isotope studies.
- Publication:
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AGU Spring Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 2005
- Bibcode:
- 2005AGUSM.H44A..03S
- Keywords:
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- 1040 Isotopic composition/chemistry;
- 1806 Chemistry of fresh water;
- 1871 Surface water quality;
- 1890 Wetlands;
- 4805 Biogeochemical cycles (1615)