From Carbon Sinks to Carbon Sources: A Regime Shift Induced by the Desiccation of Floodplain Lakes

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dc.contributor.authorGmitrowicz-Iwan, Joanna
dc.contributor.authorFuta, Barbara
dc.contributor.authorPoręba, Ludwika
dc.contributor.authorKawałko, Dorota
dc.date.accessioned2025-12-16T07:21:12Z
dc.date.available2025-12-16T07:21:12Z
dc.date.issued2025-12-12
dc.description.abstractClimate-driven hydrological changes are transforming river valleys, particularly floodplain lakes (FLs). Increasingly prolonged droughts and reduced flooding are causing the desiccation of oxbow and floodplain lakes, leading to the conversion of aquatic sediments into soils. This study investigates both the quantity and quality of carbon in these environments by analysing submerged sediments and sediments transformed into soils in small FLs of the Middle Vistula Valley (central Poland). Samples from eight FLs, representing both submerged and desiccated zones, were analysed for total organic carbon (TOC), humic substances (HSs), fulvic acids (FAs), humic acids (HAs), and carbonates (CaCO3). The TOC content averaged about 40 g kg−1 in both sediments and soils, indicating considerable carbon storage. However, the proportion of FA and HA was low (3–4 g kg−1, or 12–15% of TOC), suggesting a low degree of humification and a predominance of labile, easily degradable organic compounds susceptible to microbial mineralization and CO2 emission. CaCO3 content was also low (<1%), implying minimal potential for carbonate-derived CO2 release. These findings confirm that drying FLs represent transitional systems and may shift from carbon sinks to carbon sources under ongoing climatic change. They also emphasize the need for more focused research on these, until now, underestimated ecosystems.
dc.description.sponsorshipSome of the field and laboratory data used in this study were collected as part of a broader research project funded by the National Science Centre, Poland under the Miniatura 6 program. Project title “Climate change and the transformation of non-toxic sediments into toxic soils” (2022/06/X/ST10/00506).
dc.identifier.citationGmitrowicz-Iwan, J.; Futa, B.; Poręba, L.; Kawałko, D. From Carbon Sinks to Carbon Sources: A Regime Shift Induced by the Desic-cation of Floodplain Lakes. Water 2025, 17, 3527. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/w17243527
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/w17243527
dc.identifier.issn2073-4441
dc.identifier.urihttps://bc.iung.pl/handle/123456789/4633
dc.identifier.urihttps://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/17/24/3527
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherMDPI
dc.subjectoxbow lakes
dc.subjectfulvic acids
dc.subjecthumic substances
dc.subjectcarbonates
dc.subjectshallow lakes
dc.subjectsmall water bodies
dc.titleFrom Carbon Sinks to Carbon Sources: A Regime Shift Induced by the Desiccation of Floodplain Lakes
dc.typeArticle
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