Spatial Distribution of Organic and Inorganic Carbon in Sediments of Tai Lake, China

Abstract

The sediment in lakes is the pools of material and energy, and the composition and content of organic and inorganic carbon in sediments constrain carbon cycling. This paper conducts research of spatial distribution of organic and inorganic carbon contents in sediments of Tai lake in China based on the data of geochemical survey in the early 2000s. Results show that the organic, inorganic carbon contents in surface sediments (0-20 cm) of the lake are 5.76±4.38, 1.42±1.40 g kg-1 and those in deep sediments (160-180 cm) are 2.30±1.39, 2.30±1.39 g kg-1, respectively. The organic carbon content in deep sediments is close to that in surface sediments, but inorganic carbon content is 1.62 times of that in surface sediments. The ranges and coefficients of variation of carbon contents in deep sediments show lower spatial variability due to limited human activity. This work provides valuable information regarding accurate distribution of organic and inorganic carbon in the surface and deep sediments of Tai lake, which may be useful to evaluate intrinsic pollution in the lake.