Karina Apolinarska

Discrepancies between the stable isotope compositions of water, macrophyte carbonates and organics, and mollusc shells in the littoral zone of a charophyte-dominated lake (Lake Lednica, Poland)

The aim of this study was to better understand the relations between carbon and oxygen stable isotope values of ambient water, mollusc shells, macrophytes and their carbonate encrustations, commonly used in palaeolimnological studies. Water, molluscs and macrophytes were sampled from the littoral zone in Lake Lednica, NW Poland. The influence of carbon species assimilated during photosynthesis and the net intensity of photosynthesis resulting from the size of charophyte species and the density of their stands were postulated to be the most important factors causing the species-specific δ13C values of charophyte thalli and encrustations. It was suggested that photosynthetic activity of charophytes affected not only the δ13C values of charophyte encrustations but also mollusc shells by changing δ13C values of DIC within charophyte stands. In addition, incorporation of metabolic carbon into the shell was proposed as the main cause of both the 13C depletion of mollusc shells relative to δ13C values of DIC and the species-specific δ13C values of shells. Mollusc shells were precipitated at the isotope equilibrium or close to the equilibrium with δ18O values of lake water. Charophyte encrustations were found to be 18O depleted due to the kinetic isotope effects during intense photosynthesis and thus fast precipitation of the calcite.

Sharp differences in the δ13C values of organic matter and carbonate encrustations but not in ambient water DIC between two morphologically distinct charophytes

The stable carbon isotope composition of the carbonate encrustations (δ13CCARB), organic matter (δ13CORG) and the dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13CDIC) in the ambient lake waters were analysed for two common but morphologically different and, thus, representing different growth forms of Chara species. We hypothesized that the relationships between δ13CCARB, δ13CORG and δ13CDIC are species specific and related to the different growth forms of the studied charophytes. For each species (Chara tomentosa and Chara globularis), 10 individuals and water samples from above the macrophytes were collected in five lakes at three sites per lake in mid-summer. Opposing shifts were found between δ13CCARB and δ13CDIC values with 13C enrichment in C. tomentosa and 13C depletion in C. globularis. In addition, C. globularis exhibited more negative values of δ13CORG than C. tomentosa, even under similar conditions. The δ13CCARB and δ13CORG values were positively correlated in both species, but δ13CCARB and δ13CDIC as well as δ13CORG and δ13CDIC were positively correlated in C. tomentosa only. The differences found result from the different proportions between 13C and 12C in DIC used as a CO2 source for photosynthesis, which is linked to the different growth forms represented by the two studied charophytes and, thus, are species specific as we hypothesized.

Oxygen stable isotope composition of carbonate encrustations of two modern, widely distributed, morphologically different charophyte species

Oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) stable isotope analyses are among the standard methods applied in the studies of past environment, including climate. In lacustrine sediments, δ18O and δ13C values can be measured in various carbonates including charophyte encrustations. Application of the stable isotope record of lacustrine carbonates requires knowledge about the possibilities and limitations of the method. Thus, this study presents the oxygen stable isotope composition of carbonate encrustations precipitated by modern charophytes (δ18OCARB) and of ambient waters (δ18OWATER). The study objects were widely distributed and morphologically different charophyte species, large and branchy Chara tomentosa L. and small and slender Chara globularis Thuill. Each species was studied in five lakes located in western Poland, at three sites per lake. The study demonstrated that δ18OCARB values were similar for the two charophyte species and were lake-dependent. δ18OCARB and δ18OWATER relationships were also similar for the studied charophytes with carbonate encrustations 18O-depleted compared to ambient waters. The shift of mean δ18O values between C. tomentosa and C. globularis encrustations and ambient waters, 2‰ and 3.2‰, respectively, was evidenced in all studied lakes which may indicate potential applicability of δ18OCARB of the two species in paleolimnological studies.