Community Respiration Rates : Quantifying the Activity of the Electron Transport System (ETS)

Summary

Abstract: 

An important part of the McMurdo Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) is monitoring of spatial and temporal patterns, and processes that control net primary production (carbon dynamics) in perennial ice-covered lakes. One of the primary losses of carbon fixed by phytoplankton is through respiration, directly by the phytoplankton themselves and secondarily through the metabolic contributions of heterotrophic organisms such as bacterioplankton and protozoa. The coupling of low metabolic activity and supersaturated gases in the water column prohibits a direct measurement of respiration. Therefore, we measure the respiratory electron transport system (ETS) activity which drives oxidative phosphorylation, and hence oxygen consumption in all aerobic organisms (Packard 1985). This data set addresses this core area of research and estimates a community-wide respiration rate at specific depths in McMurdo Dry Valley lakes (Hoare, Fryxell and Bonney).

Date Range: 

October 31, 1993 to December 30, 2001
Data Citation
Priscu, J.C. 2014. Community Respiration Rates : Quantifying the Activity of the Electron Transport System (ETS). Environmental Data Initiative. DOI: 10.6073/pasta/023422cfe0208d4dcabef450f15c7511. Dataset accessed 18 March 2024.
Dataset(s)

Variables (click to expand): 

DATASET_CODE
  • Label:
  • Definition: Code to ID the data table
  • Type: Nominal
  • Missing values: None specified
LIMNO_RUN
  • Label:
  • Definition: Code for lake's sampling location and date
  • Type: Nominal
  • Missing values: None specified
LOCATION NAME
  • Label:
  • Definition: Name of lake where measurement was made
  • Type: Nominal
  • Missing values: None specified
LOCATION CODE
  • Label:
  • Definition: Code for site where measurement was made
  • Type: Nominal
  • Missing values: None specified
DATE_TIME
  • Label:
  • Definition: Date on which sample was gathered
  • Type: Date/time
  • Date format: mm/dd/yyyy
  • Missing values: None specified
DEPTH (m)
  • Label:
  • Definition: Distance below ice from which sample was drawn
  • Type: Physical quantity
  • Unit: meter
  • Maximum: 25
  • Minimum: 1
  • Precision: 1
  • Missing values:
    • Required entry = None given
ETS (umol O2/L*hr)
  • Label: ETS (micromols of oxygen per liter per hour)
  • Definition: Community Respiration Rate quantified by the Electron Transport System
  • Type: Physical quantity
  • Unit: microMolsPerliterPerhour
  • Maximum: 1
  • Minimum: 0
  • Precision: 0.001
  • Missing values:
    • Null = None given
ETS COMMENTS
  • Label:
  • Definition: Helpful hints about the sample
  • Type: Nominal
  • Missing values: None specified
RESPIRATION (umol O2/L*hr)
  • Label: RESPIRATION (micromols of oxygen per liter per hour)
  • Definition: Community Respiration Rate quantified by the Electron Transport System
  • Type: Physical quantity
  • Unit: microMolsPerliterPerhour
  • Maximum: 1
  • Minimum: 0
  • Precision: 0.001
  • Missing values:
    • Null = None given
RESPIRATION COMMENTS
  • Label:
  • Definition: Helpful hints about the sample
  • Type: Nominal
  • Missing values: None specified
FILE NAME
  • Label:
  • Definition: Name of file in which data was submitted
  • Type: Nominal
  • Missing values: None specified
DEPTH MASL
  • Label:
  • Definition: Depth referred to the Sea level. Distance below Mean Average Sea water level reference from which sample was drawn
  • Type: Physical quantity
  • Unit: meter
  • Maximum: Not specified
  • Minimum: Not specified
  • Precision: 1
  • Missing values: None specified

File: 

Short name: 

limnets

Dataset ID: 

43
People

Principal Investigator(s): 

Contact: 

Associated Personnel: 

Data Manager