Warmer Streams Drain River Food Webs, Increase Carbon
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- Northern Arizona University researchers found that warmer water speeds up microbial metabolism, increasing carbon release as CO2.
- Microbes in heated streams convert more organic carbon to atmospheric CO2, cutting the carbon pool for higher trophic levels.
- Aquatic food webs lose carbon, threatening food supplies for macroinvertebrates and fish.
- Ecosphere published the study, highlighting a climate‑change mechanism that reshapes freshwater ecosystems.
Why it matters: Warmer streams increase CO2 release, reducing carbon for fish in western US rivers.
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