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Science 11 July 1997:
Vol. 277. no. 5323, pp. 248 - 251
DOI: 10.1126/science.277.5323.248
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Reports

Influence of Food Web Structure on Carbon Exchange Between Lakes and the Atmosphere

Daniel E. Schindler, * Stephen R. Carpenter, dagger Jonathan J. Cole, James F. Kitchell, Michael L. Pace

Top predators and nutrient loading in lakes were manipulated to assess the influence of food web structure on carbon flux between lakes and the atmosphere. Nutrient enrichment increased primary production, causing lakes to become net sinks for atmospheric carbon (Catm). Changes in top predators caused shifts in grazers. At identical nutrient loading, Catm invasion was greater to a lake with low grazing than to one with high grazing. Carbon stable-isotope distributions corroborated the drawdown of lake carbon dioxide and traced Catm transfer from algae to top predators. Thus, top predators altered ecosystem carbon fixation and linkages to the atmosphere.

D. E. Schindler, S. R. Carpenter, J. F. Kitchell, Center for Limnology, 680 North Park Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
J. J. Cole and M. L. Pace, Institute for Ecosystem Studies, Cary Arboretum, Millbrook, NY 12545, USA.
*   Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. E-mail: deschind{at}u.washington.edu

dagger    To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: srcarpen{at}facstaff.wisc.edu

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)