Daytime deposition and nighttime dissolution of calcium carbonate controlled by submerged plants in a karst spring-fed pool: insights from high time-resolution monitoring of physico-chemistry of water |
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Authors: | Zaihua Liu Xiangling Liu Changjun Liao |
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Institution: | (1) The State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 550002 Guiyang, China;(2) Karst Dynamics Laboratory, Ministry of Land and Resources, 541004 Guilin, China |
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Abstract: | Water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and specific conductivity (spc) were measured in a time interval of 15 min in
a karst spring and the spring-fed pool with flourishing submerged plants in Guilin, SW China under dry weather for periods
of 2 days. Measurements allowed calculation of calcium and bicarbonate concentrations (Ca2+] and HCO3
−]), and thus CO2 partial pressure (
) and saturation index of calcite (SIc). Results show that there were not any diurnal variations in the physico-chemical parameters
of the water for the spring. However, during daytime periods, pool water decreased to far less than the spring water in a few hours, pH and SIc increased to greater than the spring, and Ca2+] and HCO3
−] decreased to less than the spring. During nighttime periods, pool water returned to or even increased to greater than the spring, pH and SIc decreased to less than the spring, and Ca2+] and HCO3
−] increased to greater than the spring. The decrease in Ca2+] and HCO3
−] to less than the spring during daytime periods implies daytime deposition of calcium carbonate, while the increase in Ca2+] and HCO3
−] to greater than the spring during nighttime periods implies nighttime dissolution of calcium carbonate. The direction of
the observed changes depended essentially on the illumination, indicating that daytime photosynthetic and nighttime respiratory
activities in the pool aquatic plant ecosystem, which were further evidenced by the increase and decrease in DO during daytime
and nighttime periods respectively, were the main processes involved. The large variations of the components of the carbonate
system imply considerable changes of the capacities of CO2 and O2 in water. The finding has implications for water sampling strategy in slow-flowing karst streams and other similar environments
with stagnant water bodies such as estuaries, lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands, where aquatic plant ecosystem may flourish. |
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Keywords: | Deposition and dissolution of calcium carbonate Submerged plants Diurnal Physico-chemistry of water Karst spring-fed pool Guilin China |
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