Isotope Constraints on the Aquatic Carbon Budget: Langat Watershed, Malaysia

Abstract

Langat River drains a tropical watershed in the southwest of the Malaysian Peninsula. The watershed is heavily urbanized in its downstream portion. Water samples were collected from May 2010 to December 2011, at three localities along the main stem river, 1 location at its Semenyih tributary and from an upstream groundwater source. Concentration and δ13C data of riverine DIC and DOC indicate the dominance of C3 plant-derived material as the primary source of carbon, with δ13CDIC values enriched in 13C relative to that of the C3 source. This enrichment is likely due to CO2 outgassing, as calculated concentrations of riverine CO2 are significantly higher than ambient atmospheric values, with methanogenic activity a theoretically possible contributing factor, particularly at the upstream location. The Langat River therefore acts as a net source of CO2, with a total sub-basin flux of 19.7 × 103 t C year−1. This is comparable to the sum of riverine DOC, DIC and POC loss rates from the sub-basin, calculated as 24.5 × 103 t C year−1, and highlights the significance of CO2 evasion from water bodies to the atmosphere for balancing the budget of the terrestrial carbon cycle. The DIC and DOC concentration and δ13C data also suggests that in the more urbanized downriver areas, much of the organic carbon input may be anthropogenicaly derived due to ubiquity of sewage treatment plants and landfill sites. Such human-induced perturbations to riverine carbon cycling should be taken into account in future studies of urbanized watersheds.