Extreme summer storm elicits shifts in biogeochemistry, primary productivity, and plankton community structure in a large‐scale lake enclosure experiment
Abstract Climate change increases the magnitude and frequency of extreme weather events. This includes severe summer storms altering lake physical structure, biodiversity and ecosystem processes. However, insights into lake responses to extreme storms and the underlying mechanisms primarily rest on unreplicated and observational case studies, without separating effects of physical forcing from secondary drivers such as external nutrient and dissolved organic matter inputs. In a large‐scale replicated experiment conducted in a unique enclosure facility mimicking realistic environmental conditions, we tested how storm‐induced mixing entails changes in lake ecosystems. Consequences include altered phytoplankton composition, nutrient, oxygen and carbon dynamics, with potential negative feedbacks on climate through organic matter sequestration. These experimental results are reflected in a minimal dynamical model and are also supported by observations made during a natural severe storm. An important practical implication is that efforts to abate lake eutrophication needs to accommodate the projected increases in extreme weather situations.
Authors
- Darren P. Giling (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9843-4362)
- Hans‐Peter Grossart (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9141-0325)
- Stella A. Berger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8835-545X)
- Takeshi Miki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2452-8681)
- Géza Balázs Selmeczy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6386-2738)
- Jörg Sareyka
- Georgiy Kirillin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7337-3586)
- Thomas Hornick (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0280-9260)
- Mark O. Gessner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2516-7416)
- Jens C. Nejstgaard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1236-0647)
- Judit Padisák (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8285-2896)
- Michael T. Monaghan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6200-2376)
- Peter Kasprzak
- Christof Engelhardt
Institutions
- Ryukoku University (JP)
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (AU)
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (DE)
- University of Pannonia (HU)
- Charles Sturt University (AU)
- University of Potsdam (DE)
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (DE)
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (DE)
- Berlin Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (DE)
- Albury Wodonga Health (AU)
- Technische Universität Berlin (DE)
- Technical University of Munich (DE)
- Freie Universität Berlin (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Limnology and Oceanography Letters
- Published
- 2025-10-21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.70058
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.86
Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
- Leibniz-Gemeinschaft