Quantifying the effect of groundwater fauna and temperature on the ecosystem service of microbial carbon degradation

The groundwater ecosystem fulfils functions that humankind relies upon, e.g. for sustainable drinking water production. Quantification of these services is lacking so far, and thus, it is not possible to predict scenarios of e.g. future climates. Based on values from a comprehensive groundwater ecosystem study comprising four zones of varying land use and groundwater / surface water exchange, we parameterized a quantitative dynamic food web model (recharged organic carbon, microorganisms using the biodegradable fraction of this carbon, and fauna grazing on the microorganisms). With the model satisfactorily reflecting the field values, we calculated five further scenarios, three of which without fauna (mortality e.g. due to contamination, sudden peaks of temperature etc.). Two of the “fauna” and two of the “no fauna” scenarios were run with temperature elevated by 1.5°C and 3°C, respectively. The ecosystem service of carbon degradation was expressed as the difference in carbon concentration between the beginning of the simulation and the end of the simulation. In most scenarios, remaining carbon increased over time. The remaining carbon in some scenarios was up to 660 times as high in the no fauna scenarios compared to the reference case. Fauna was thus shown to fulfil a service by promoting microbial carbon degradation that may be substantial. Sustainable drinking water production is more reliable and less costly, the more active the groundwater fauna in the production area is. This model set up can serve to test other cases of varying physical and chemical variations and disturbances.