Lake metabolism represents a lake's balance between carbon fixation (gross primary production) and biological carbon oxidation (ecosystem respiration). Whole-lake metabolism includes the carbon fixation and oxidation from all organism within the lake, from bacteria to fishes, and is typically estimated by measuring changes in dissolved oxygen or carbon dioxide throughout the day.
Ecosystem respiration in excess of gross primary production indicates the lake receives organic material from the surrounding catchment, such as through stream or groundwater inflows or litterfall. Lake metabolism often controls the carbon dioxide emissions from or influx to lakes, but it does not account for all carbon dioxide dynamics since inputs of inorganic carbon from the surrounding catchment also influence carbon dioxide within lakes.