Relationship between eutrophication and greenhouse gases emission in shallow freshwater lakes

In shallow lakes, there are complex relationships between lake eutrophication and greenhouse gas emissions that deserve to be studied, which are important for solving lake eutrophication, slowing down climate warming, and reducing carbon emissions. In order to explore the relationship and mechanism between eutrophication and greenhouse gases (GHGs), the net GHGs emission flux and transformation of carbon, and nitrogen in 45 shallow freshwater lakes were investigated from May to September 2022. Eutrophication facilitated potential denitrification rate (Dt) without increasing nitrous oxide (N2O) production based on the significantly positive relationship between eutrophication and Dt. This should be attributed to the shift from incomplete (N2O producing process) to complete denitrification (N2 producing process). Compared to NarG mediating nitrate (NO3−) to nitrite (NO2−), fewer eutrophication indicators showed a positive relationship with NosZ mediating N2O to N2, suggesting that more stringent conditions are required for complete denitrification, which was achieved in the lakes we investigated. Optimal reduction in net carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions occurs at high levels of primary productivity, as indicated by the V-shaped relationship between chlorophyll a (Chl a) and CO2 emissions. However, in hyper-eutrophic lakes, there is an upward trend in CO2 production. The possible explanations should include CO2 production and fixation as well as methane (CH4) oxidation. The bell-shaped relationship between the net flux of CH4 emission and Chl a could be explained that CH4 was heavily oxidized due to sufficient oxygen caused by algal bloom. This fact gave evidence for the increase of the net flux of CO2 emission in high primary productivity lakes. Therefore, the relationship and mechanism between net GHGs emission flux and eutrophication remained complex and various. [Display omitted] •Eutrophication fuelled complete denitrification.•Elevated net CO2 fluxes in hyper-eutrophic lakes.•Oxygen induced by algal bloom facilitated CH4 oxidization.•CH4 and CO2 emission flux connections cannot be ignored.