1st International Conference of Soil and Agriculture:
TOWARDS SOIL SUSTAINABILITY
11–13 June 2024 • Lublin–Nałęczów, Poland

https://doi.org/10.24326/ICSA1.PP.08
Published online: 4 October 2024

The overlooked carbon cache: organic carbon storage
in small floodplain lake sediments under humid continental climate changes
Joanna Gmitrowicz-Iwan*, Sebastian Kuśmierz, Sławomir Ligęza, Jacek Pranagal

Institute of Soil Science, Environmental Engineering and Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Leszczyńskiego 7, 20-069 Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author:

Abstract
Small floodplain lakes due to their size have been omitted in the estimates of C sequestration or effects of climate change. The quantity of easily soluble C fractions (humic and fulvic acids) in sediments of investigated lakes was low, thus indicating a relatively stable immobilisation of organic carbon compounds and a small impact of sediments on water quality. However, the analysis of satellite images showed that in years 2017–2020 the surface of lakes within 100 km long part of the temperate climate zone river decreased by 31%. Large water bodies shrank and divided, increasing the number of smaller lakes and ponds, which indicates their growing role in the environment. Our research shows that studies reporting a slight impact of climate change on C sequestration should additionally take into account an intense reduction of lake surface, which leads to disappearance of many water bodies – without lakes C sequestration will be largely limited.

Keywords: total organic carbon, fulvic acids, humic acids, small lakes, CO₂ emission

How to cite
Gmitrowicz-Iwan J., Kuśmierz S., Ligęza S., Pranagal J., 2024. The overlooked carbon cache: organic carbon storage in small floodplain lake sediments under humid continental climate changes. 1st International Conference of Soil and Agriculture: Towards Soil Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICSA1.PP.08