title: Aquatic methane dynamics in a human-impacted river-floodplain of the Danube.
abstract: River-floodplain systems are characterized by changing hydrological connectivity and variability of resources delivered to floodplain water bodies. Although the importance of hydrological events has been recognized, the effect of flooding on CH4concentrations and emissions from European, human-impacted river-floodplains is largely unknown. This study evaluates aquatic concentrations and emissions of CH4from a highly modified, yet partly restored river-floodplain system of the Danube near Vienna (Austria). We covered a broad range of hydrological conditions, including a 1-yr flood event in 2012 and a 100-yr flood in 2013. Our findings demonstrate that river-floodplain waters were supersaturated with CH4, hence always serving as a source of CH4to the atmosphere. Hydrologically isolated habitats in general have higher concentrations and produce higher fluxes despite lower physically defined velocities. During surface connection, however, CH4is exported from the floodplain to the river, suggesting that the main channel serves as an "exhaust pipe" for the floodplain. This mechanism was especially important during the 100-yr flood, when a clear pulse of CH4was flushed from the floodplain with surface floodwaters. Our results emphasize the importance of floods differing in magnitude for methane evasion from river-floodplains; 34% more CH4was emitted from the entire system during the year with the 100-yr flood compared to a hydrologically "normal" year. Compared to the main river channel, semiisolated floodplain waters were particularly strong sources of CH4. Our findings also imply that the predicted increased frequency of extreme flooding events will have significant consequences for methane emission from river-floodplain systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Limnology and Bio-Oceanography, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Anna Katarzyna
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Sieczko
authors.affiliation: Department of Limnology and Bio-Oceanography, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Demeter
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecohydrology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Gabriel Andreas
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.affiliation: Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tritthart
authors.affiliation: WasserCluster Lunz GmbH, Dr. Carl Kupelwieser Promenade 5, Lunz am See, Austria; University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Preiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Limnology and Bio-Oceanography, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mayr
authors.affiliation: Department of Limnology and Bio-Oceanography, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meisterl
authors.affiliation: Department of Limnology and Bio-Oceanography, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peduzzi