In situ plankton community respiration measurements show low respiratory quotients in a eutrophic lake
Planktonic community respiration is an important carbon cycling process, typically quantified by converting measured values of dissolved oxygen consumption rates into carbondioxide production rates using a respiratory quotient of 1 (RQ = carbondioxide per oxygen by moles). However, the true variability in planktonic RQs between different aquatic ecosystems is poorly understood. We conducted in sit