Greenhouse gas emissions from streams at North Temperate Lakes LTER 2012

Aquatic ecosystems can be important components of landscape carbon budgets. In lake-rich landscapes, streams may be important sources of greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4) to the atmosphere in addition to lakes, but their source strength is poorly documented. The processes which control gas concentrations and emissions in these interconnected landscapes of lakes, streams and groundwater have not been adequately addressed. In this paper we use multiple datasets that vary in their spatial and temporal extent to investigate the carbon gas source strength of streams in a lake-rich landscape and to determine the roles of lakes and groundwater. We show that streams emit roughly the same mass of CO2 as regional lakes, and that stream CH4 emissions are an important component of the regional greenhouse gas balance.