Linking molecular and optical properties of dissolved organic matter across a soil-water interface on Akimiski Island (Nunavut, Canada)

Abstract

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a crucial role in terrestrial and aquatic carbon and biogeochemical cycles; however, molecular transformations between aquatic and terrestrial systems remain poorly understood due to the complexity and heterogeneity of DOM. In this study, we investigated the molecular diversity of aquatic DOM and adjacent soil derived water extractable organic matter (WEOM) from seven locations on Akimiski Island, Nunavut using a combination of absorbance spectroscopy and Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). Assigned elemental formula and Van Krevelen compositional analysis reveal compositional similarities in river, inland ponds and coastal pool sites for aquatic DOM and WEOM. More aromatic, oxygenated polyphenolic carbon rich molecules were found in aquatic DOM whereas WEOM was abundant in highly unsaturated aliphatic material. A total of 276 phenolic, unsaturated aliphatic, and vascular plant-derived polyphenolic molecules were identified as being conserved between WEOM and aquatic DOM at one river and two inland pond locations suggesting similar CHO sources from adjacent soils. Moreover, contributions of polyphenolic compounds in aquatic DOM and WEOM were greater at inland ponds than coastal pools, congruent with a greater aromaticity at inland sites. Our results highlight the similarities and differences in WEOM to aquatic DOM composition and how they range across surrounding watersheds that provide insight into the biogeochemical dynamics across a Canadian subarctic terrestrial-aquatic-continuum.