A new method to estimate global freshwater phytoplankton carbon fixation using satellite remote sensing: initial results

Figures & data

Figure 1. Conceptual flow chart of DIM approach used to estimate phytoplankton carbon fixation from lakes. Cylinders represent input data, rectangles are algorithms/calculations, and ovals are data outputs

Table 1. Data used to generate the latitude vs. light utilization index model. The reference for each lake study and the continent is shown on the table

Lake name	In situ source	Continent
Lake Huron	Fahnenstiel unpublished	North America
Lake Michigan	Fahnenstiel et al. 2016	North America
Lake Superior	Fahnenstiel unpublished	North America
Lake Tangayika	Hecky et al. 1978, 1981	Africa
Kinneret Lake	Berman et al. 1995	Asia
Lake Tangayika	Stenuite et al. 2007	Africa
Lake Ontario	Millard et al. 1996	North America
Lake Malawi	Guildford et al. 2007	Africa
Char Lake	Klaff and Welch 1974	North America
GTH 112	Whalen et al. 2006	North America
GTH 114	Whalen et al. 2006	North America
Lake Chad	Lemoalle 1981	Africa
Tissawewa	Amarasinghe and Vijverberg2002	Asia
Parakrama Samudra	Dokulil, Silva, and Bauer 1983	Asia
Green Lake	Fee et al. 1992	North America
Orange Lake	Fee et al. 1992	North America
Linge Lake	Fee et al. 1992	North America
Musclow Lake	Fee et al. 1992	North America
Sydney Lake	Fee et al. 1992	North America
Trout Lake	Fee et al. 1992	North America
Lake Nipigon	Fee et al. 1992	North America
Lake Superior	Fee et al. 1992	North America
Naivasha Lake	Melack 1979	Africa
Oloidien Lake	Melack 1979	Africa
Winam Gulf	Melack 1979	Africa
Lake Malawi	Patterson, Hecky, and Fee 2000	Africa
Lake Superior	Dobson, Gilbertson, and Sly 1974	North America
Canyon Ferry Lake	Wright 1959	North America
Lake Minnetonka	Megard 1972, 1974	North America
Gaynor Lake	Winner 1972	North America
Haydens Lake	Winner 1972	North America
Allens Lake	Winner 1972	North America
Pass Lake	Winner 1972	North America
Black Lake	Winner 1972	North America
Lake Michigan	Rousar 1973	North America
Washington Lake	Edmondson 1979	North America
Bluehill Lake	Kereskes 1974, 1975	North America
Clear Lake	Schindler and Comita 1972	North America
Sammamish Lake	Welch et al. 1977	North America
John H. Kerr Reservoir	Weiss and Moore 1977	North America
Severson Lake	Schindler and Comita 1972	North America
Tuttle Creek Reservoir	Marzolf and Osborne 1972	North America
Shagawa Lake	Megard 1972, 1974	North America
Lake Tahoe	Goldman 1977	North America
Loch Leven	Bindloss 1974	Europe
Vombsjob Lake	Gelin 1971	Europe
Joseph Lake	Michalski et al. 1973	North America
Rosseau, Skeleton Lakes	Michalski et al. 1973	North America
Muskoka, Dudley, Gravenhurst Lakes	Michalski et al. 1973	North America

Table 2. Independent data used to validate the DIM model. The mean values for in situ observations and DIM retrievals are shown on the table

Lake name	Time period	Production		DIM		In situ source
Lake Michigan	March to November 2009	273	171		Fahnenstiel unpublished
Lake Erie	June to September 2002	1266	723		Porta, Fitzpatrick, and Haffner 2005
Lake Erie	June to October 2003	249	664		Porta, Fitzpatrick, and Haffner 2005
Kivu	June to October 2002	461	928		Darchambeau, Sarmento, and Descy 2014
Kivu	January to June 2003	784	931		Darchambeau, Sarmento, and Descy 2014
Ziway	January to December 2005	1060	1732		Tilahun and Algren 2010
Awasaa	January to December 2006	3160	1309		Tilahun and Ahlgren 2010
Chamo	January to December 2007	1590	1681		Tilahun and Ahlgren 2010
	Mean	1105	1017

Table 3. Ranges of the light utilization index (ψ), photic zone integrated chlorophyll, water column primary production, irradiance, and the number of lakes for each three degree latitude bin used in the model to estimate ψ from latitude

Latitude (°) bin	ψ	Chlorophyll	Production	Irradiance	Number of lakes
0–3	0.31–1.21	18.3–98.7	1156–2625	37.3–88.3	3
3–6	0.74–1.22	21.3–31.9	584–1034	28.2–32.7	1
6–9	0.51–1.17	11.5–122.0	423–3136	26.0–46.8	2
12–15	0.42–0.93	6.3–25.8	466–1455	1––41.5	2
3033	0.14–0.76	125–1920	70–3125	33.1–39.4	1
36–39	0.31–0.45	11.6–28.9	108–359	34.5–35.2	1
39–42	0.13–0.69	1.0–37.7	1.4–1106	36.7–47.3	7
42–45	0.03–1.37	2.3–123.0	4.3–1888	13.9–51.0	4
45–48	0.04–0.85	1.0–51.8	3.6–1157	10.8–49.9	13
48–51	0.08–0.49	0.9–2.4	3.4–400	29.6–36.6	4
51–54	0.25–0.31	1.6 –5.9	175–425	33.4–34.6	5
54–57	0.22–0.53	40–96	633–1039	22.9–27.2	2
66–69	0.27–0.65	2.0–3.5	77–103	26.9–26.9	2
72–75	0.05–1.30	1.5–5.8	3.5–33	1.6–57.5	1

Figure 2. Relationship of light utilization index (ψ) and latitude for global freshwater lakes during the growing season bin averaged by 3°. The decreasing linear relationship between latitude and ψ was significant (p value = 0.001, R² = 0.57)

Figure 3. Mean growing season areal carbon fixation (mg C m⁻² day⁻¹) in freshwater lakes aggregated by freshwater ecoregions of the world (Abell et al. 2008)

Figure 4. Areal carbon fixation (mg C m⁻² day⁻¹) aggregated by freshwater ecoregions of the world vs. latitude for northern (y = −13.479 x + 1279.3, R² = 0.45, p < 0.001, N = 217 and southern hemispheres (y = −14.781 x + 1227.1, R² = 0.26, p = 0.046, N = 16)

Figure 5. Mean continental growing season areal carbon fixation (mg C m⁻² day⁻¹)

Figure 6. Log–log plots of individual lake area and areal carbon fixation for all 80,000 lakes grouped by hemisphere (northern (a), southern (b))

Figure 7. Total continental growing season carbon fixation (Tg C day⁻¹)

Figure 8. Total carbon fixation (Tg C day⁻¹) from freshwater lakes aggregated by freshwater ecoregions of the world (Abell et al. 2008)

Figure 9. Log–log plots of total lake surface area and total carbon fixation for lakes aggregated by freshwater ecoregions of the world. Data points are coloured by groups (Red: N 0°–30°, Yellow: N 30°–60°, Green: N > 60°, Blue: S 0– 30°, Purple: S 30°–60°)

Figure 10. Log-log plots of individual lake area and total carbon fixation for all 80,000 lakes grouped by hemisphere (northern (a), southern (b))

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