Both physical circulation and biogeochemical characteristics are unique in the Southern Ocean (SO) region, and are fundamentally different from those of the northern hemisphere. Moreover, according to previous research, the oceanic response to the trend of the Southern Annual Mode (SAM) has profound impacts on the future oceanic uptake of carbon dioxide in the SO. In other words, the climate and circulation of the SO are strongly coupled to the overlying atmospheric variability. However, while we have understanding on the SO physical circulation and have the ability to predict the future changes of the SO climate and physical processes, the link between the SO physical processes, the air-sea carbon flux, and correlated climate variability remains unknown. Even though scientists have been studying the spatial and temporal variability of the SO carbon flux and the associated biogeochemical processes, the spatial patterns and the magnitudes of the air-sea carbon flux do not agree between models and observations. Therefore, in this study, we utilized a modified version of a general circulation model (GCM) to performed realistic simulations of the SO carbon on seasonal to interannual timescales, and focused on the crucial physical and biogeochemical processes that control the carbon flux. The spatial pattern and the seasonal cycle of the air-sea carbon dioxide flux is calculated, and is broadly consistent with the climatological observations. The variability of air-sea carbon flux is mainly controlled by the gas exchange rate and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide, which is in turn controlled by the compensating changes in temperature and dissolved inorganic carbon. We investigated the seasonal variability of dissolved inorganic carbon based on different regional processes. Furthermore, we also investigated the dynamical adjustment of the surface carbon flux in response to the different gas exchange parameterizations, and conclude that parameterization has little impact on spatially integrated carbon flux. Our simulation well captured the SO carbon cycle variability on seasonal to interannual timescales, and we will improve our model by employ a better scheme of nutrient cycle, and consider more nutrients as well as ecological processes in our future study.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-01-14T18:38:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 feliperustdecarvalho.pdf: 1379176 bytes, checksum: 9466af729223375427c4edf2872e7dd1 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-01-25T17:38:33Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 feliperustdecarvalho.pdf: 1379176 bytes, checksum: 9466af729223375427c4edf2872e7dd1 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-01-25T17:38:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 feliperustdecarvalho.pdf: 1379176 bytes, checksum: 9466af729223375427c4edf2872e7dd1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-05-26 / Ecossistemas de água doce (rios, lagos e reservatórios) desempenham um papel essencial na ciclagem de carbono nos continentes. Esses ambientes são fontes significantes de gases de efeito estufa (GEE) para a atmosfera, principalmente de gás carbônico (CO2) e metano (CH4). Apesar do aumento do número de estimativas, a dinâmica e o controle das emissões naturais de GEE em ambientes aquáticos ainda é pouco estudada, especialmente nos trópicos. O objetivo geral da dissertação foi estimar os fluxos de CO2 e CH4 em uma lagoa tropical rasa com gradiente de turbidez. O trabalho foi realizado na lagoa Sinhá Mariana (MT), uma lagoa pantaneira com a ocorrência de duas regiões hidrológicas distintas; a lagoa é ligada ao rio Mutum de águas claras, pobre em material em suspensão, e baixa turbidez e ao rio Cuiabá de águas túrbidas, que apresenta alta taxa de material em suspensão. Duas coletas foram realizadas no ambiente, caracterizando os períodos hidrológicos de águas altas e águas baixas. A variação temporal, espacial e o pulso de inundação mostraram serem fatores importantes no fluxo de CO2, que variou de -4,95 mmol m-2 d-1 a 282 mmol m-2 d-1 nos períodos amostrados e diferenças significativas foram observadas entre um período e outro, com maiores emissões no período de águas altas (142 ± 40 mmol m-2 d-1) e menores nas águas baixas (2,3 ± 11,5 mmol m-2 d-1). Além disso, os fluxos de CO2 foram significantemente m/aiores nas proximidades do rio Mutum e menores na região túrbida e intermediária da lagoa, em ambos os períodos. Diferentemente, o fluxo total de CH4, embora estimado apenas nas águas altas, registrou os maiores valores médios na região de maior turbidez da lagoa (10,9 ± 6,9 mmol m-2 d-1), seguido pela região intermediária (5,1 ± 3,9 mmol m-2 d-1) e pela região influenciada pela água clara (2,5 ± 1,4 mmol m-2 d-1). A ebulição foi o principal processo de emissão de CH4, responsável por 78% do fluxo total. O gradiente de turbidez registrado ao longo da lagoa pareceu ter sido um fator determinante na dinâmica do fluxo tanto de CO2 quanto do CH4. Os dados deste trabalho reforçam a necessidade da amostragem espacial dos fluxos de CH4 e CO2 em lagos tropical, além de reforçar que estes fluxos podem ser controlados principalmente pela turbidez e pelo pulso de inundação (CO2). / Freshwater ecosystems (lakes, rivers and reservoirs) play an essential role in carbon cycling in the continents. These environments are significant sources of greenhouse gases (GHG), especially carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), to the atmosphere. Despite the increase in the number of estimates, the natural GHG emissions dynamics in aquatic environments is still poorly studied, especially in the tropics. The general aim of this work was to estimate the CO2 and CH4 fluxes in a shallow tropical lake with turbidity gradient. The work was conducted in the Sinhá Mariana lake (MT), a wetland lake with the occurrence of two distinct hydrological regions; the lake is connected to the Mutum river (clear water), poor in suspended material with low turbidity, and connected to the Cuiabá River (turbid waters), which features high rate of suspension material. Samples were taken for characterizing the hydrological periods of high and low water. The temporal, spatial variation and the flood pulse shoed to be important factors affecting the CO2 flux, which ranged from -4.95 mmol m-2 d-1 to 282 mmol m-2 d-1. Significant differences were observed from one period to another, with higher emissions during high waters (142 ± 40 mmol m-2 d-1) and lower in the low water (2.3 ± 11.5 mmol m-2 d-1). In addition, the CO2 flux was significantly higher near the Mutum river and lower in the turbid region, in both periods. The total CH4 flux, although estimated only in high waters, showed the highest mean rates in the higher turbidity region of the lake (10.9 ± 6.9 mmol m-2 d-1), followed by the intermediate region (5.1 ± 3.9 mmol m-2 d-1) and the area influenced by clear water (2.5 ± 1.4 mmol m-2 d-1). The ebullition flux was the main CH4 emission pathway, responsible for 78% of the total flux. The turbidity gradient observed along the lake appeared to have been a determining factor in the flux dynamics of both CO2 and CH4. This study data reinforce the need for spatial sampling of CH4 and CO2 fluxes in tropical lakes, in addition to reinforcing that these fluxes can be controlled by turbidity and by the flood pulse (CO2).

Since the 1980s, hemlock-dominated forests (Tsuga canadensis) of central New England have been increasingly infested by the invasive pest hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA, Adelges tsugae), predominantly resulting in its replacement by black birch-dominated forests (Betula lenta). To date there has been no long-term empirical analysis of HWA effects on forest carbon (C) cycling due to forest transition from hemlock to black birch. To address this question, I measured the C pools in five stand types at varying ages and stages of HWA infestation in Massachusetts and Connecticut. I also measured C fluxes in aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and soil respiration, and studied the drivers of these fluxes viz. litter production, rates of foliar decomposition, soil exoenzyme activity, temperature sensitivity of soil respiration and nitrogen (N) cycling. The mass of C stored in recovering forests was resilient to HWA infestation but the location of these stocks varied among stand types. There was a transition of C from live biomass in healthy, unaffected secondary hemlock forests to coarse woody debris (CWD) in recently girdled forests intended to simulate the effect of HWA on hemlock loss. Twenty years post-HWA infestation, however, ANPP was very high and there was a large increase in biomass-C pools in aggrading black stand types. C pools in mature, secondary black birch stand types ~135 years since pastureland abandonment were as large as those in primary hemlock stand types ~235 years of age, suggesting recovery of C storage within one century of HWA infestation. Soil respiration rates were positively correlated with inputs of hardwood leaf litter, fine root biomass and exoenzyme activity. Stand-type variations in ANPP were positively correlated with annual N requirements and N uptake from the soil. Nitrogen-use efficiency was highest in the girdled and post-HWA infestation stand types where ANPP was dominated by wood production which has a wide C:N ratio. Similar trends were found in soil respiration, but not to the same degree as that of ANPP. Collectively, my results indicate that southern New England forests C storage is highly resilient to the HWA-induced losses of hemlock, suggesting that these ecosystems will continue to be sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide.

<p>Soil organic carbon (OC) is one of the most important terrestrial carbon pools and plays a major role in climate regulation, water quality, provisional services, and numerous other ecosystem functions. The conversion of natural vegetation and the supporting soil to intensively managed agricultural systems put soil at risk for loss due to erosion and enhanced microbial degradation with loss rates increased by orders of magnitude above the pre-managed system. The process has negatively impacted agricultural productivity on hillslopes by diminishing soil health, as well as the quality of stream water and coastal aquatic environments, and it is an important but as of yet poorly quantified factor in the region’s terrestrial C budgets. There have been substantial debates on the role of erosional and depositional processes on the landscape as a control on exchange of C between the land surface and the atmosphere. A central aspect of the debate stems from the limited data regarding the fate of soil erosion-induced transport of OC through stages of detachment and splash, transport and redistribution, deposition and burial. The overarching purpose of this thesis is to evaluate how dynamic patterns of soil OC erosion due to intensive agricultural management influences soil aggregate strength, the chemical nature of mobilized organic particles, and connectivity and sourcing between hillslope and streams. Using both simulated and natural, short-term, event-based erosive rainfall processes, with a multiproxy geochemical approach, we attempt to develop a comprehensive understanding of how upland watershed mechanistic controls soil movement and associated chemical alterations to the material exported through dissected segments from hillslope to the fluvial network. </p> <p>Our results demonstrate that erosive processes on hillslope connects between terrestrial sources to receiving potential deposition settings, actively ‘filter’ soil aggregates and particles and associated OC at each erosional stage (i.e., detachment and transport downhill/downstream), with distinct geochemistry in low relief and poorly drained agricultural systems, like the CCW. Complex interactions among tillage intensity, tillage practice-induced, oriented surface roughness, and storm-induced hydrological connectivity, that potentially impact the fate of these transported OC upon decomposition, deposition and burial, and have important implications for predicting landscape level heterogeneity in surface and buried soil chemistry upon mobilization and burial, as well as the dynamics of sourcing and transformation of material exported to inland water systems.</p>

No description available.

Master of Science / Department of Agronomy / Jay Ham / The exchange of water, carbon, and energy between grasslands and the atmosphere is an important biogeochemical pathway affecting ecosystem productivity and sustainability. The eddy covariance (EC) technique directly measures this mass and energy exchange. However, questions remain regarding the accuracy of EC-derived H[subscript]2O and CO[subscript]2 fluxes in landscapes with irregular topography and variable vegetation. These concerns stem from the "energy balance (EB) closure problem" (i.e., measured energy in does not equal measured energy out). My main objectives were to examine EB closure at two topographical positions within an annually burned tallgrass prairie watershed and to examine the effect of landscape position and woody encroachment on carbon and water exchanges. In tallgrass prairie, 14 km south of Manhattan, KS, USA, EC towers were deployed at three sites in 2007 and 2008. One upland and lowland tower were within an annually burned watershed dominated by C[subscript]4 grasses. Another lowland tower was deployed in a separate quadrennial-burned watershed where significant woody vegetation occupied the tower's sampling area. All towers measured EB components (net radiation, R[subscript]n; soil heat flux, G; sensible heat flux, H; and latent heat flux, [lambda]E). In the annually burned watershed, landscape position had little effect on G, H, and R[subscript]n with differences [less than] 2% between sites. However lowland [lambda]E was 8% higher, owing to larger plant biomass/leaf area and greater soil moisture. Energy balance closure (i.e., [[lambda]E + H] / [R[subscript]n - G]) was 0.87 and 0.90 at the upland and lowland sites, respectively. A nearby large-aperture scintillometer provided good validation of EC-derived H in 2007. Data suggested that underestimates of [lambda]E may have accounted for the closure problem; sample calculations showed that increasing [lambda]E by 17% would have resulted in near prefect closure. Data from this study suggests that EB closure does not strongly correlate with topographical position; however these data raise questions regarding accuracy of the [lambda]E term. Mass exchange analysis shows that the prairie carbon cycle is highly dependent on burning. The lowland and upland annually burned sites saw carbon gains of 281 to 444 g C m[superscript]-[superscript]2 yr[superscript]-[superscript]1 before burning with the shrub lowland showing the least (e.g. 159 and 172 g C m[superscript]-[superscript]2 yr[superscript]-[superscript]1). After the prescribed burn, the upland and lowland sites remained slight carbon sinks (68 to 191 g C m[superscript]-[superscript]2 yr[superscript]-[superscript]1), whereas the unburned shrub site was a carbon sink in 2007 (159 g C m[superscript]-[superscript]2 yr[superscript]-[superscript]1, because no carbon loss was incurred via burning) and a large carbon source in 2008 when it was burned the following year (336 g C m[superscript]-[superscript]2 yr[superscript]-[superscript]1 loss). Evapotranspiration (ET) was highest at the shrub lowland where greater soil moisture and abundance of deep-rooted C[subscript]3 shrub vegetation allowed greater uptake and loss of water.

In the terrestrial biosphere forests have a significant role as a carbon sink. Under recent climate change, it is increasingly important to detect seasonal change or ‘phenology’ that can influence the global carbon cycle. Monitoring canopies using camera systems has offered an inexpensive means to quantify the phenological changes. However, the reliability is not well known. In order to examine the usefulness of cameras to observe forest phenology, we analysed canopy images taken in two deciduous forests in Japan and England and investigate which colour index is best for tracking forest phenology and predict carbon uptake by trees. A camera test using model leaves under controlled conditions has also carried out to examine sensitivity of colour indices for discriminating leaf colours. The main findings of the present study are: 1) Time courses of colour indices derived from images taken in deciduous forests showed typical patterns throughout the growing season. Although cameras are not calibrated instrument, analysis of images allowed detecting the timings of phenological events such as leaf onset and leaf fall; 2) The strength of the green channel (or chromatic coordinate of green) was useful to observe leaf expansion as well as damage by spring late frost. However, the results of the camera test using model leaves suggested that this index was not sufficiently sensitive to detect leaf senescence. Amongst colour indices, Hue was the most robust metric for different cameras, different atmospheric conditions and different distances. The test also revealed Hue was useful to track nitrogen status of leaves; 3) Modelling results using a light use efficiency model for GPP showed a strong relationship between GPP and Hue, which was stronger than the relationships using alternative traditional indices.

O aumento da concentração do dióxido de carbono (CO2) na atmosfera vem causando o aquecimento global e a acidificação dos oceanos (AO), os quais cada vez mais são reconhecidos como importantes condutores de mudanças em sistemas biológicos. A AO tem o potencial de alterar de inúmeras maneiras a dinâmica biogeoquímica do carbono orgânico no oceano, levando a uma mudança na qualidade da matéria orgânica (MO) disponível para os organismos marinhos. Até agora, sabe-se muito pouco sobre como os sedimentos, os organismos que nele vivem e os processos que nele ocorrem vão reagir a mudanças na acidez da água do mar. Na costa brasileira, em especial, o estudo sobre os efeitos das mudanças climáticas nos processos bênticos ainda é incipiente. O presente estudo propôs uma investigação experimental com o intuito de seguir a incorporação do carbono orgânico e seu destino através da comunidade bêntica marinha após a chegada de alimento fresco, em condições atuais e de baixo pH. Nossos resultados indicaram que quando há chegada de MO fresca, a comunidade bêntica presente nos primeiros centímetros do sedimento responde de maneira rápida, incorporando esse material. Na biomassa bacteriana, após 2 dias de experimento, altos valores de incorporação (7283,04 &#956;g13C.m-2) foram detectados. Entre os grupos da macrofauna, poliquetas apresentaram a maior incorporação do traçador e, em 4 dias de experimento, os principais agentes na incorporação do traçador foram Prionospio steenstrupi (51291,9 &#956;g13C.m-2, 0-4 cm), Leodice rubra (20971,5 &#956;g13C.m-2, 0-4 cm) e Poecilochaetus perequensis (6171,8 e 7263,2 &#956;g13C.m-2, em 0-4 e 4-10 cm, respectivamente), além do molusco bivalve Eurytellina nitens (10600,4 &#956;g13C.m-2, 0-4 cm). Quando submetidos a condições de AO, o poliqueta Leitoscoloplos sp. (2,02 &#956;g13C.m-2) e o antozoário Edwarsia sp. (0,16 &#956;g13C.m-2) se destacaram na incorporação do traçador em baixo pH (7,3). Em contrapartida, o molusco Dosinia concentrica (2,77 &#956;g13C.m-2) e o poliqueta Poecilochaetus perequenses (2,68 &#956;g13C.m-2) foram importantes agentes do processamento do carbono orgânico marcado nos primeiros centímetros do sedimento no controle (pH 8,1). Nas comunidades bacterianas, não houve diferenças de incorporação na biomassa entre o controle e o tratamento (6298,7 e 6562,2 &#956;g13C.m-2, respectivamente). Assim, nosso estudo mostrou que eventos episódicos de chegada de alimento fresco vindos de processos que intensificam a produção primária adjacente (i.e., intrusão da ACAS e ressuspensão de sedimentos) nessa região meso-oligotrófica parecem ser essenciais não somente para a manutenção e sobrevivência da comunidade bêntica, mas também para a ciclagem de carbono nesses ambientes relativamente pobres em alimentos. Além disso, em condições de mudanças climáticas, a incorporação e o fluxo do carbono orgânico de parte da macrofauna bêntica pode ser potencialmente afetada pela AO. / Increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere is causing global warming and ocean acidification (OA) which are increasingly recognized as important drivers of changes in biological systems. The OA has the potential to change in various ways the biogeochemical dynamics of organic carbon in the ocean, leading to a change in the quality of the organic matter (OM) available to marine organisms. So far, very little is known about how the sediments, the organisms that live in it and the processes that occur in it will respond to changes in the acidity of seawater. In the Brazilian coast, in particular, the study on the effects of climate change on benthic processes is still incipient. The present study was an experimental investigation in order to follow the incorporation of organic carbon and its destination over the marine benthic community after the arrival of fresh food, in current conditions and low pH. Our results indicated that when there is arrival of fresh OM, benthic community present in the first few centimeters of sediment responds quickly incorporating this material. In bacterial biomass, after 2 days of experiment, high incorporation values (7283.04 &#956;g13C.m-2) were detected. Among the macrofaunal groups, polychaetes had the highest incorporation of the tracer, and after 4 days of experiment, the key players in the incorporation of the tracer were Prionospio steenstrupi (51291.9 &#956;g13C.m-2, 0-4 cm), Leodice rubra (20971.5 &#956;g13C.m-2, 0-4 cm) and Poecilochaetus perequensis (6171.8 and 7263.2 &#956;g13C.m-2, 0-4 and 4-10 cm, respectively), besides the mollusk bivalve Eurytellina nitens (10600.4 &#956;g13C.m-2, 0-4 cm). Under conditions of OA, the polychaete Leitoscoloplos sp. (2.02 &#956;g13C.m-2) and anthozoa Edwarsia sp. (0.16 &#956;g13C.m-2) stood out in the incorporation of the tracer at low pH (7.3). In contrast, the mollusk Dosinia concentrica (2.77 &#956;g13C.m-2) and the polychaete Poecilochaetus perequenses (2.68 &#956;g13C.m-2) were important agents of processing organic carbon in the first centimeters of sediment in control (pH 8.1). Our results showed that episodic events of fresh food arrival, coming from processes that enhance the primary production (i.e., intrusion of SACW and resuspension of sediment) in this meso-oligotrophic region, appears to be essential not only for the maintenance and survival of benthic community, but also to carbon cycling in these relatively food poor environments. Furthermore, in conditions of climate change, the incorporation and the flow of the organic carbon by part of benthic macrofaunal can be potentially affected by OA.

O aumento da concentração do dióxido de carbono (CO2) na atmosfera vem causando o aquecimento global e a acidificação dos oceanos (AO), os quais cada vez mais são reconhecidos como importantes condutores de mudanças em sistemas biológicos. A AO tem o potencial de alterar de inúmeras maneiras a dinâmica biogeoquímica do carbono orgânico no oceano, levando a uma mudança na qualidade da matéria orgânica (MO) disponível para os organismos marinhos. Até agora, sabe-se muito pouco sobre como os sedimentos, os organismos que nele vivem e os processos que nele ocorrem vão reagir a mudanças na acidez da água do mar. Na costa brasileira, em especial, o estudo sobre os efeitos das mudanças climáticas nos processos bênticos ainda é incipiente. O presente estudo propôs uma investigação experimental com o intuito de seguir a incorporação do carbono orgânico e seu destino através da comunidade bêntica marinha após a chegada de alimento fresco, em condições atuais e de baixo pH. Nossos resultados indicaram que quando há chegada de MO fresca, a comunidade bêntica presente nos primeiros centímetros do sedimento responde de maneira rápida, incorporando esse material. Na biomassa bacteriana, após 2 dias de experimento, altos valores de incorporação (7283,04 &#956;g13C.m-2) foram detectados. Entre os grupos da macrofauna, poliquetas apresentaram a maior incorporação do traçador e, em 4 dias de experimento, os principais agentes na incorporação do traçador foram Prionospio steenstrupi (51291,9 &#956;g13C.m-2, 0-4 cm), Leodice rubra (20971,5 &#956;g13C.m-2, 0-4 cm) e Poecilochaetus perequensis (6171,8 e 7263,2 &#956;g13C.m-2, em 0-4 e 4-10 cm, respectivamente), além do molusco bivalve Eurytellina nitens (10600,4 &#956;g13C.m-2, 0-4 cm). Quando submetidos a condições de AO, o poliqueta Leitoscoloplos sp. (2,02 &#956;g13C.m-2) e o antozoário Edwarsia sp. (0,16 &#956;g13C.m-2) se destacaram na incorporação do traçador em baixo pH (7,3). Em contrapartida, o molusco Dosinia concentrica (2,77 &#956;g13C.m-2) e o poliqueta Poecilochaetus perequenses (2,68 &#956;g13C.m-2) foram importantes agentes do processamento do carbono orgânico marcado nos primeiros centímetros do sedimento no controle (pH 8,1). Nas comunidades bacterianas, não houve diferenças de incorporação na biomassa entre o controle e o tratamento (6298,7 e 6562,2 &#956;g13C.m-2, respectivamente). Assim, nosso estudo mostrou que eventos episódicos de chegada de alimento fresco vindos de processos que intensificam a produção primária adjacente (i.e., intrusão da ACAS e ressuspensão de sedimentos) nessa região meso-oligotrófica parecem ser essenciais não somente para a manutenção e sobrevivência da comunidade bêntica, mas também para a ciclagem de carbono nesses ambientes relativamente pobres em alimentos. Além disso, em condições de mudanças climáticas, a incorporação e o fluxo do carbono orgânico de parte da macrofauna bêntica pode ser potencialmente afetada pela AO. / Increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere is causing global warming and ocean acidification (OA) which are increasingly recognized as important drivers of changes in biological systems. The OA has the potential to change in various ways the biogeochemical dynamics of organic carbon in the ocean, leading to a change in the quality of the organic matter (OM) available to marine organisms. So far, very little is known about how the sediments, the organisms that live in it and the processes that occur in it will respond to changes in the acidity of seawater. In the Brazilian coast, in particular, the study on the effects of climate change on benthic processes is still incipient. The present study was an experimental investigation in order to follow the incorporation of organic carbon and its destination over the marine benthic community after the arrival of fresh food, in current conditions and low pH. Our results indicated that when there is arrival of fresh OM, benthic community present in the first few centimeters of sediment responds quickly incorporating this material. In bacterial biomass, after 2 days of experiment, high incorporation values (7283.04 &#956;g13C.m-2) were detected. Among the macrofaunal groups, polychaetes had the highest incorporation of the tracer, and after 4 days of experiment, the key players in the incorporation of the tracer were Prionospio steenstrupi (51291.9 &#956;g13C.m-2, 0-4 cm), Leodice rubra (20971.5 &#956;g13C.m-2, 0-4 cm) and Poecilochaetus perequensis (6171.8 and 7263.2 &#956;g13C.m-2, 0-4 and 4-10 cm, respectively), besides the mollusk bivalve Eurytellina nitens (10600.4 &#956;g13C.m-2, 0-4 cm). Under conditions of OA, the polychaete Leitoscoloplos sp. (2.02 &#956;g13C.m-2) and anthozoa Edwarsia sp. (0.16 &#956;g13C.m-2) stood out in the incorporation of the tracer at low pH (7.3). In contrast, the mollusk Dosinia concentrica (2.77 &#956;g13C.m-2) and the polychaete Poecilochaetus perequenses (2.68 &#956;g13C.m-2) were important agents of processing organic carbon in the first centimeters of sediment in control (pH 8.1). Our results showed that episodic events of fresh food arrival, coming from processes that enhance the primary production (i.e., intrusion of SACW and resuspension of sediment) in this meso-oligotrophic region, appears to be essential not only for the maintenance and survival of benthic community, but also to carbon cycling in these relatively food poor environments. Furthermore, in conditions of climate change, the incorporation and the flow of the organic carbon by part of benthic macrofaunal can be potentially affected by OA.

En bientôt quarante ans de recherche, de nombreuses connaissances ont été acquises sur la géologie des champs hydrothermaux, la chimie des fluides qui en réchappent et l’écologie des communautés qui les habitent. Celles-ci s’organisent en assemblages denses, distribués le long de la zone de dilution du fluide hydrothermal dans l’eau de mer, et dominés visuellement par une poignée d’espèces. La forte variabilité spatio-temporelle du fluide hydrothermal a une forte influence sur la distribution des communautés. Cependant, les mécanismes à l’origine de la réponse de la faune à cette variabilité sont peu compris. Pour cela, une approche modélisatrice est présentée. Les données collectées pendant plus de 20 ans sur l’édifice Tour Eiffel, sur le champ hydrothermal Lucky Strike (ride médio-Atlantique) ont été intégrées afin d’en extraire les composantes principales. L’étude intégrative des biomasses sur l’édifice montre que celles-ci sont largement dominées par la modiole Bathymodiolus azoricus. Ce bivalve est susceptible d’avoir une influence importante sur le fonctionnement de l’écosystème, et fait donc l’objet d’un premier modèle. La recherche de données pour le contraindre ont mené à mesurer des taux métaboliques in situ. Une fois le modèle paramétré, le modèle a fourni des estimations de flux encore inconnu. La simulation d’interruption du flux hydrothermal a fourni des indices sur la réponse de la modiole à la variabilité de son environnement. / In nearly forty years of research, significant insights have been gained on vent field geology, on the chemistry of emitted fluid and on the ecology of the communities inhabiting hydrothermal ecosystems. The fauna forms dense assemblages, distributed along the hydrothermal fluid/sea water mixing gradient, and visually dominated only by a few species. The high spatio-temporal variability of the hydrothermal fluid has a strong influence on species distribution. However, the mechanisms determining the species response to this variability is still poorly understood. In order to investigate this issue, a modelling approach is presented. Data collected for more than 20 years on the Eiffel Tower edifice, on the Lucky Strike vent filed (Mid-Atlantic Ridge) were integrated in order to identify meaningful elements for our problem. An integrative study of the faunal biomasses on the edifice showed that these are dominated by the mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus. This bivalve is likely to have a significant influence on the ecosystem functioning and is thus the object of a first model. The search for data to constrain it led to the measurement of in situ metabolic rates. Once parametrized, the model provided quantitative estimates of unknown fluxes. The simulation of hydrothermal flow interruption provided some insights on the mussel biomass response to its environment variability.