Biogeochemical cycles in aquatic systems
(read more about this research area)
Aquatic Biogeochemistry at INES has a special but not exclusive focus on dissolved organic carbon cycling in boreal freshwaters. Ongoing student projects span a wide range of topics, from the regulation of water chemistry through processes in the surrounding soils, to turnover of nutrients in lakes and estuaries, to plankton food web reconstructions. Past field campaigns have targeted river mouths and estuaries along the Swedish coasts with the aim of creating a better understanding of how runoff from land contributes to biological oxygen demand in the coastal areas of the Baltic Sea.
Present lab group:
- Martin Berggren (PI)
- Enass Said Al Kharusi (researcher, on leave)
- Mayra Pinheiro Dutra Rulli (PhD candidate)
- Hani Younes (PhD candidate)
- Ousayma Bakir (MSc student)
Ongoing research projects:
2019-2023 Understanding the role of freshwater respiration in the carbon cycle – a reconsideration of the pelagic respiratory quotient (PI). Funded by the Swedish Research Council VR
2018-2021 How do nutrients control the productivity of brownified freshwater and coastal ecosystems? (PI). Funded by Formas.
Publications, peer-review:
Berggren as last author = PI; Name in bold italics = main supervisor of
53. Berggren M, Salimi S, Sparkes B and Scholz M. 2024. Climate impact on dissolved organic carbon composition in a north-temperate peatland and recipient surface water. Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences, 129(6): e2023JG007807, DOI: 10.1029/2023JG007807
52. Al-Kharusi ES, Hensgens G, Abdi AM, Kutser T, Karlsson J, Tenenbaum DE and Berggren M. 2024. Drought offsets the controls on colored dissolved organic matter in lakes. Remote sensing, 16(8): Article number 1345, DOI: 10.3390/rs16081345
51. Younes H and Berggren M. 2024. Photochemical reactivity of dissolved organic carbon in subarctic lakes along a color gradient. Inland Waters, IN PRESS, DOI: 10.1080/20442041.2024.2331957
50. Jones K, Berggren M and Sjöstedt J. 2023. Seasonal variation and importance of catchment area composition for transport of bioavailable carbon to the Baltic Sea. Biogeochemistry 165(3): 265-276, DOI: 10.1007/s10533-023-01079-y
49. Berggren M, Ye L, Sponseller RA, Bergström AK, Karlsson J, Verheijen H and Hensgens G. 2023. Nutrient limitation masks the dissolved organic matter composition effects on bacterial metabolism in unproductive freshwaters. Limnology and Oceanography 68(9): 2059-2069, DOI: 10.1002/lno.12406
48. Garnier A, Östman Ö, Ask J, Bell O, Berggren M, Rulli MPD, Younes H and Huss M. 2023. Coastal darkening exacerbates eutrophication symptoms through bottom-up and top-down control modification. Limnology and Oceanography 68(3): 678-691, DOI: 10.1002/lno.12302
47. Grosbois G, Lau DCP, Berggren M, Girona MM, Goedkoop W, Messier C, Hjältén J and del Giorgio PA. 2023. Land and freshwater complex interactions in boreal forests: a neglected topic in forest management. Pages 719-745 in MM Girona, H Morin, S Gauthier and Y Bergeron, editors. Boreal Forests in the Face of Climate Change: Sustainable Management. Springer International Publishing, Cham. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-15988-6_29
46. Berggren M, Guillemette F, Bieroza M, Buffam I, Deininger A, Hawkes JA, Kothawala DN, LaBrie R, Lapierre JF, Murphy KR, Al-Kharusi ES, Rulli MPD, Hensgens G, Younes H and Wünsch UJ. 2022. Unified understanding of intrinsic and extrinsic controls of dissolved organic carbon reactivity in aquatic ecosystems. Ecology 103(9): Article No e3763, DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3763
45. Rulli MPD, Bergström AK, Sponseller RA and Berggren M. 2022. Seasonal patterns in nutrient bioavailability in boreal headwater streams. Limnology and Oceanography 67(5): 1169-1183, DOI: 10.1002/lno.12064
44. Salimi S, Berggren M, Scholz M. 2021. Response of the peatland carbon dioxide sink function to future climate change scenarios and water level management. Global Change Biology 27(20): 5154-5168, DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15753
43. Hensgens G, Lechtenfeld OJ, Guillemette F, Laudon and Berggren M. 2021. Impacts of litter decay on organic leachate composition and reactivity. Biogeochemistry 154(1): 99-117, DOI: 10.1007/s10533-021-00799-3
42. Hensgens G, Laudon H, Johnson MS and Berggren M. 2021. The undetected loss of aged carbon from boreal mineral soils. Scientific Reports 11: Article number 6202, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85506-w
41. Mzobe P, Yan Y, Berggren M, Pilesjö P, Olefeldt D, Lundin E, Roulet N and Persson A. 2020. Morphometric control on dissolved organic carbon in subarctic streams. Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences, 125(9): e2019JG005348, DOI: 10.1029/2019JG005348
40. Hensgens G, Laudon H, Peichl M, Aguinaga Gil I, Zhou Q and Berggren M. 2020. The role of the understory in litter DOC and nutrient leaching in boreal forests. Biogeochemistry 149(1): 87-103, DOI: 10.1007/s10533-020-00668-5
39. Al-Kharusi ES, Tenenbaum DE, Abdi AM, Kutser T, Karlsson J, Bergström AK and Berggren M. 2020. Large-scale retrieval of coloured dissolved organic matter in northern lakes using Sentinel-2 data. Remote Sensing 12(1): 157, DOI: 10.3390/rs12010157
38. Berggren M and Al-Kharusi ES. 2020. Decreasing organic carbon bioreactivity in European rivers. Freshwater Biology 65(6): 1128-1138, DOI: 10.1111/fwb.13498
37. Berggren M, Gudasz C, Guillemette F, Hensgens G, Ye L and Karlsson J. 2020. Systematic microbial production of optically active dissolved organic matter in subarctic lake water. Limnology and Oceanography 65(5): 951-961, DOI: 10.1002/lno.11362
36. Soares ARA, Lapierre JF, Selvam BP, Lindström G and Berggren M. 2019. Controls on dissolved organic carbon bioreactivity in river systems. Scientific Reports 9, Article number: 14897, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50552-y
35. Selvam BP, Lapierre JF, Soares ARA, Bastviken D, Karlsson J and Berggren M. 2019. Photo-reactivity of dissolved organic carbon in the freshwater continuum. Aquatic Sciences 81(4): 57, DOI: 10.1007/s00027-019-0653-0
34. Soares ARA and Berggren M. 2019. Indirect link between riverine dissolved organic matter and bacterioplankton respiration in a boreal estuary. Marine Environmental Research 148: 39-45, DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.04.009
33. Münzner K and Berggren M. 2019. In situ plankton community respiration measurements show low respiratory quotients in a eutrophic lake. Environmental Microbiology 21(4): 1425-1435, DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14574
32. Berggren M, Bengtson P, Soares ARA and Karlsson J. 2018. Terrestrial support of zooplankton biomass in northern rivers. Limnology and Oceanography 63(6): 2479-2492, DOI: 10.1002/lno.10954
31. Metcalfe DB, Hermans TDG, Ahlstrand J, Becker M, Berggren M et al. and Abdi AM. 2018. Patchy field sampling biases understanding of climate change impacts across the Arctic. Nature Ecology & Evolution 2(9): 1443-1448, DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0612-5
30. Mzobe P, Berggren M, Pilesjö P, Lundin E, Olefeldt D, Roulet NT and Persson A. 2018. Dissolved organic carbon in streams within a subarctic catchment analysed using a GIS/remote sensing approach. PLOS ONE 13(7): e0199608, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199608
29. Soares ARA, Kritzberg ES, Custelcean I and Berggren M. 2018. Bacterioplankton responses to increased organic carbon and nutrient loading in a boreal estuary - separate and interactive effects on growth and respiration. Microbial Ecology 76(1): 144-155, DOI: 10.1007/s00248-017-1115-7
28. Creed IF, Bergström AK, Trick CG, Grimm NB, Hessen DO, Karlsson J, Kidd KA, Kritzberg ES, McKnight DM, Freeman EC, Senar OE, Andersson A, Ask J, Berggren M, Cherif M, Giesler R, Hotchkiss ER, Kortelainen P, Palta MM, Vrede T and Weyhenmeyer GA. 2018. Global change-driven effects on dissolved organic matter composition: Implications for food webs of northern lakes. Global Change Biology 24(8): 3692-3714, DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14129
27. Berggren M, Klaus M, Selvam BP, Ström L, Laudon H, Jansson M and Karlsson J. 2018. Quality transformation of dissolved organic carbon during water transit through lakes: contrasting controls by photochemical and biological processes. Biogeosciences 15(2): 457-470, DOI: 10.5194/bg-15-457-2018
26. Ruiz-González C, Niño-García JP, Berggren M and del Giorgio PA. 2017. Contrasting dynamics and environmental controls of dispersed bacteria along a hydrologic gradient. Advances in Oceanography and Limnology, 8(2): 222-234, DOI: 10.4081/aiol.2017.7232
25. Selvam BP, Lapierre JF, Guillemette F, Voigt C, Lamprecht RE, Biasi C, Christensen TR, Martikainen PJ and Berggren M. 2017. Degradation potentials of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from thawed permafrost peat. Scientific Reports 7: Article number 45811, DOI: 10.1038/srep45811
24. Soares ARA, Bergström AK, Sponseller RA, Moberg JM, Giesler R, Kritzberg ES, Jansson M and Berggren M. 2017. New insights on resource stoichiometry: assessing availability of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus to bacterioplankton. Biogeosciences 14(6): 1527-1539, DOI: 10.5194/bg-14-1527-2017
23. Tanentzap AJ, Kielstra BW, Wilkinson GM, Berggren M, Craig N, del Giorgio PA, Grey J, Gunn JM, Jones SE, Karlsson J, Solomon CT and Pace ML. 2017. Terrestrial support of lake food webs: synthesis reveals controls over cross-ecosystem resource use. Science Advances, 3(3): e1601765, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1601765
22. Allesson L, Ström L and Berggren M. 2016. Impact of photochemical processing of DOC on the bacterioplankton respiratory quotient in aquatic ecosystems, Geophysical Research Letters, 43(14): 7538-7545, DOI: 10.1002/2016GL069621
21. Selvam BP, Laudon H, Guillemette F and Berggren M. 2016. Influence of soil frost on the character and degradability of dissolved organic carbon in boreal forest soils, Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences, 121(3): 829-840, DOI: 10.1002/2015JG003228
20. Berggren M and del Giorgio PA. 2015. Distinct patterns of microbial metabolism associated to riverine dissolved organic carbon of different source and quality. Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences, 120(6): 989-999, DOI: 10.1002/2015JG002963
19. Berggren M, Sponseller RA, Soares ARA and Bergström A-K. 2015. Toward an ecologically meaningful view of resource stoichiometry in DOM-dominated aquatic systems. Journal of Plankton Research 37(3): 489-499, 10.1093/plankt/fbv018
18. Berggren M, Bergström A-K and Karlsson J. 2015. Intraspecific autochthonous and allochthonous resource use by zooplankton in a humic lake during the transitions between winter, summer and fall. PLOS ONE 10(3): e0120575, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120575
17. Stubbins A, Lapierre J-F, Berggren M, Prairie YT, Dittmar T and del Giorgio PA. 2014. What’s in an EEM? Molecular signatures associated with dissolved organic fluorescence in boreal Canada. Environmental Science and Technology 48(18): 10598-10606. DOI: 10.1021/es502086e
16. Berggren M, Ziegler SE, St-Gelais NF, Beisner BE and del Giorgio PA. 2014. Contrasting patterns of allochthony among three major groups of crustacean zooplankton in boreal and temperate lakes. Ecology 95(7): 1947-1959. DOI: 10.1890/13-0615.1
15. Karlsson J, Berggren M, Ask J, Byström P, Jonsson A, Laudon H and Jansson M. 2014. Response to Comment: Terrestrial support of pelagic consumers in unproductive lakes — Uncertainty and potential in assessments using stable isotopes. Limnology and Oceanography 59(5): 1800-1803. DOI: 10.4319/lo.2014.59.5.1800
14. Lapierre J-F, Guillemette F, Berggren M and del Giorgio PA. 2013. Increases in terrestrially derived carbon stimulate organic carbon processing and CO2 emissions in boreal aquatic ecosystems. Nature communications 4: 2972. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3972
13. Berggren M, Lapierre J-F and del Giorgio PA. 2012. Magnitude and regulation of bacterioplankton respiratory quotient across freshwater environmental gradients. ISME Journal 6(5): 984-993. DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2011.157
12. Jansson M, Berggren M, Laudon H and Jonsson A. 2012. Bioavailable phosphorus in humic headwater streams in boreal Sweden. Limnology and Oceanography 57(4): 1161-1170. DOI: 10.4319/lo.2012.57.4.1161
11. Karlsson J, Berggren M, Ask J, Byström P, Jonsson A, Laudon H and Jansson M. 2012. Terrestrial organic matter support of lake food webs: Evidence from lake metabolism and stable hydrogen isotopes of consumers. Limnology and Oceanography 57(4): 1042-1048. DOI: 10.4319/lo.2012.57.4.1042
10. Laudon, H, Berggren M, Ågren A, Buffam I, Bishop K, Grabs T, Jansson M and Köhler S. 2011. Patterns and dynamics of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) in boreal streams: The role of processes, connectivity and scaling. Ecosystems 14: 880-893. DOI: 10.1007/s10021-011-9452-8
9. Berggren M, Laudon H, Jonsson A and Jansson M. 2010. Nutrient constraints on metabolism affect the temperature regulation of aquatic bacterial growth efficiency. Microbial Ecology 60(4): 894-902. DOI: 10.1007/s00248-010-9751-1
8. Berggren M, Ström L, Laudon H, Karlsson J, Giesler R, Bergström A-K and Jansson M. 2010. Lake secondary production fueled by rapid transfer of low molecular weight organic carbon from terrestrial sources to aquatic consumers. Ecology Letters 13(7): 870-880. DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01483.x
7. Berggren M, Laudon H, Haei M, Ström L and Jansson M. 2010. Efficient aquatic bacterial metabolism of dissolved low molecular weight compounds from terrestrial sources. ISME Journal 4(3): 408-416. DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2009.120
6. Berggren M Laudon H and Jansson M. 2010. Bacterial utilization of imported organic material in three small nested humic lakes. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 30(9): 1393-1396. DOI: 10.1080/03680770.2009.11902339
5. Berggren M, Laudon H and Jansson M. 2009. Aging of allochthonous organic carbon regulates bacterial production in unproductive boreal lakes. Limnology and Oceanography 54(4): 1333-1342. DOI: 10.4319/lo.2009.54.4.1333
4. Berggren M, Laudon H and Jansson M. 2009. Hydrological control of organic carbon support for bacterial growth in boreal headwater streams. Microbial Ecology 57(1): 170-178. DOI: 10.1007/s00248-008-9423-6
3. Ågren A, Buffam I, Berggren M, Bishop K, Jansson M and Laudon H. 2008. Dissolved organic carbon characteristics in boreal streams in a forest- wetland gradient during the transition between winter and summer. Journal of Geophysical Research 113: Article No G03031. DOI: 10.1029/2007JG000674
2. Ågren A, Berggren M, Laudon H and Jansson M. 2008. Terrestrial export of highly bioavailable carbon from small boreal catchments in spring floods. Freshwater Biology 53(5): 964-972. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.2008.01955.x
1. Berggren M, Laudon H and Jansson M. 2007. Landscape regulation of bacterial growth efficiency in boreal freshwaters. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 21: Art. No. GB4002. DOI: 10.1029/2006GB002844
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Lab alumns:
Bradley Sparkes, Master 2022-2023, PhD student at SLU Uppsala
Geert Hensgens, PhD 2015-2020, postdoctoral researcher Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Linlin Ye, 6-month guest researcher 2018, Associate Professor, Nantong University
Ana Raquel Alves Soares, PhD 2013-2017, Water quality engineer
Karla Münzner, Master 2015-2016, lab technician 2016-2017, PhD Uppsala University 2022, now post doc at IGB, Berlin
Balathandayuthabani Panneer Selvam, PhD 2012-2016, CEO for B&B Organic, Rare and Pure Specialities, India
Carlos Gustavo Arellano Caicedo, Master 2014-2015, postdoctoral researcher at Lund University, Sweden
Lina Allesson, Master 2014-2015, PhD from Oslo Univ 2022, currently at County Board of Blekinge
Julia Jakobsson, Bachelor 2013, lab technician 2014-2015. PhD Student at University of Auckland, New Zealand
Sohidul Islam, Master 2013-2014, researcher at Trent University, Canada
For a list of recently supervised theses, click here (MSc/BSc) or here (PhD).
Finished projects:
2015-2017 An empirical framework for large-scale modeling of dissolved organic carbon fluxes across soils and water (PI). Funded by Formas.
2013-2016 Environmental constraints on the input of reactive organic carbon to the Baltic Sea (PI). Co-funded by CEC and the Formas strong research environment "Managing multiple stressors in the Baltic Sea".
2012-2015 Terrestrial export of labile dissolved organic carbon in a changing environment (PI). Faculty-funded PhD.
2010-2011 Aquatic greenhouse gas emissions mediated by microbial use of allochthonous organic carbon of varying source and quality (VR Post Doc)
Courses given/Coordinated:
GISN15 - Research Methodology (web-based distance course)
NGEM01 - Physical Geography and Ecosystem Analysis: Master´s Degree Project
Also teaching on:
NGEA04 - Ecosystem Analysis
NGEN17 - Global Ecosystem Dynamics
NGEN14 - Greenhouse Gases and the Carbon Cycle
NGEA22 - Hydrology