Dark LaDy

The Dark LaDy consortium takes a holistic approach to advance our understanding of the complex impacts of browning. The boreal zone is especially prone to browning, and due to anthropogenic pressures, the lakes have turned increasingly brown. Browning is mainly caused by terrestrial dissolved organic matter (DOM) and iron leaching from the catchment. The impacts of DOM in lake ecosystems can be complex depending on the quantity and quality of terrestrial loading. We study the effects of browning on the biodiversity and functioning of lake food webs. Given the importance of lakes as sources of drinking water, recreation, and human nutrition and their impact on the global carbon cycle, it is essential to understand how browning impacts ecosystem functioning, transfer of essential biomolecules and elements across ecosystem levels.

2025

2029