Abstract
AbstractThe export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from catchments is considered as an important energy flux through streams and a major connection between terrestrial and aquatic systems. However, the impact that predicted hydrological changes due to glacier retreat and reduction in snow cover changes will have on DOC export from high‐mountain streams remains unclear. In this study, we measured daily runoff and DOC yield during 1 year in Alpine streams draining catchments with different levels of glacier coverage. DOC yield showed a varied response to runoff across the catchments and varied seasonally as a function of the degree of glaciation and vegetation cover. Using space‐for‐time substitution, our results indicate that the controls on DOC yield from Alpine catchments change from chemostasis to transport limitation as glaciers shrink.
Highlights
Mountain glaciers are shrinking worldwide owing to global warming
Using space‐for‐time substitution, our results indicate that the controls on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) yield from Alpine catchments change from chemostasis to transport limitation as glaciers shrink
We argue that ice melt as a common source of water and DOC underlies the quasi‐ chemostasis of the DOC yield in glacier‐fed streams
Summary
Mountain glaciers are shrinking worldwide owing to global warming. As glaciers shrink, runoff generated from ice melt initially increases until a peak is reached, beyond which it diminishes until the ice mass has disappeared (Huss & Hock, 2018). Glacier runoff carries sediments and solutes, including inorganic nutrients and organic carbon, and its change is anticipated to affect the biogeochemistry of glacier‐fed streams (Milner et al, 2017). Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is a significant component of the land‐to‐ocean carbon flux (Regnier et al, 2013) and constitutes a large source of energy to stream ecosystem metabolism (Battin et al, 2009). Mountain glaciers can release significant amounts of organic carbon to downstream ecosystems (Hood et al, 2015; Li et al, 2018), where it can even partially sustain stream food webs (Fellman et al, 2015)
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