Fig. 3

Comparison of local fluxes versus cross-ecosystem spatial inflows of carbon. Local fluxes within (green), and cross-ecosystem flows to (pink), specific ecosystem types (a–h). Panel titles give the ecosystem type (Oc. = Ocean). Local fluxes depicted are gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration, decomposition flux, and secondary production (in aquatic ecosystems only). Cross-ecosystem flows are clumped into imported material of four origins: primary producers, invertebrates, vertebrates, and organic carbon (particulate and dissolved: POC-DOC). No spatial flow of carbon to pelagic ocean ecosystems with areal units was found. Circles give values in gC m⁻² year⁻¹ on a log scale, and n the number of data points. Boxplots give median (white line), 25 and 75% percentiles (box), and range (whiskers). Whiskers and three null values of GPP in streams are omitted due to log scale. Note that fluxes of GPP, measured locally, may not be independent from cross-ecosystem flows, which might contribute to local production