Dissolved Organic Carbon Export Research Articles

Predicting export of dissolved organic carbon from forested catchments in glaciated landscapes with shallow soils

This study presents a simple model of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) loading to surface waters that is applicable to headwater catchments in forested regions on glaciated landscapes. Average annual DOC export was highly variable among the 33 experimental catchments along an east‐west transect, ranging from 0.90 to 13.74 g C/m2/a. It was hypothesized that the proportion of wetlands within the catchments would explain the majority of variation in average annual DOC export. To test this hypothesis, digital terrain analysis was used to derive wetlands automatically under both open and closed forest canopies by identifying the probability of a grid cell being a depression and/or flat. Using a 10 m digital elevation model (DEM) derived from readily available sources, the proportion of wetlands explained 63% of the variance in average annual DOC export among the 33 experimental catchments. Inclusion of regional climatic indicators, including the number of growing degree days (with a base of 10°C) and the runoff coefficient, increased explanation of variance from 63% to 89%, once catchments with lakes (>5% of catchment area) adjacent to the catchment outlets were removed. This study shows that DOC export can be predicted accurately from headwater catchments in forested regions on glaciated landscapes using a simple model based on the proportion of wetlands and easily calculated climatic variables.

Controls on fluxes and export of dissolved organic carbon in grasslands with contrasting soil types

Export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from grassland ecosystems can be an important C flux which directly affects ecosystem C balance since DOC is leached from the soil to the groundwater. DOC fluxes and their controlling factors were investigated on two grassland sites with similar climatic conditions but different soil types (Vertisol vs. Arenosol) for a 2.5-year period. Parts of both grasslands were disturbed by deep ploughing during afforestation. Contrary to what was expected, ploughing did not increase DOC export but surface soil DOC concentrations decreased by 28% (Vertisol) and 14% (Arenosol). DOC flux from the soil profile was negatively influences by the clay content of the soil with seven times larger DOC export in the clay-poor Arenosol (55 kg C ha−1 a−1) than in the clay-rich Vertisol (8 kg C ha−1 a−1). At the Arenosol site, highest DOC concentrations were measured in late summer, whereas in the Vertisol there was a time lag of several months between surface and subsoil DOC with highest subsoil DOC concentrations during winter season. DOC export was not correlated with soil organic carbon stocks. Large differences in 14C concentrations of 22–40 pMC between soil organic carbon and DOC in the subsoil indicated that both C pools are largely decoupled. We conclude that DOC export at both sites is not controlled by the vegetation but by physicochemical parameters such as the adsorption capacity of soil minerals and the water balance of the ecosystem. Only in the acidic sandy Arenosol DOC export was a significant C flux of about 8% of net ecosystem production.

Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen dynamics in the Douro River estuary, Portugal

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) are metabolically important in estuaries. Their availability is influenced by organic matter inputs (internal and external) as well as by internal microbial transformations within the system. In this study, spatial and seasonal dynamics of DOC and DON were evaluated in the Douro River estuary (Portugal). Monthly surveys were performed from October 2005 to December 2006 along a salinity gradient at three different depths. DOC and DON were calculated by subtracting the respective inorganic components (dissolved inorganic carbon, DIC, and dissolved inorganic nitrogen, DIN) from total dissolved carbon (TDC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN). In the Douro River estuary, DIC exhibits a linear and positive distribution as a function of salinity, indicating an input of DIC into the estuary from coastal waters. This pattern of distribution along the salinity gradient was also observed for total particulate matter, since a decreasing trend upstream was observed. In contrast, the results showed a general nonconservative behaviour of DOC along the estuarine transect during most months. This typical deviation from conservative mixing was mainly associated with sewage DOC sources into the lower and middle estuary. On average, DON concentrations represented 52–88% of the TDN. Along the transect, relationships between DIN and DON with salinity were generally conservative, decreasing towards the mouth, highlighting the fluvial source of such nitrogen forms; however, occasional DON sewage loads were registered. Estimated global Douro River watershed exports of DOC and DON to coastal waters yielded values of 420 kg C m–2 yr–1 and 125 kg N m–2 yr–1, respectively, which are high when compared with previously predicted levels from global models of DOC and DON export.

Stream nitrate and DOC dynamics during three spring storms across land uses in glaciated landscapes of the Midwest

Many studies have investigated nitrate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export mechanisms during storms in forested mountainous to hilly catchments. However, the number of studies across land uses in artificially drained landscapes of the Midwest remains relatively small despite the importance of nitrate and carbon losses to streams on water quality in this region. This study investigates water, nitrate, and DOC delivery (timing) to streams during storms, and the mechanisms (flowpaths) affecting nitrate and DOC flushing trajectories during three spring storms in an agricultural watershed and a mixed land use watershed in glaciated landscape of the Midwest. Hydrograph separation techniques using oxygen-18 isotopes of water and the analysis of major cation flushing trajectories were used to determine the flowpath associated with the export of nitrate and DOC in each watershed. Higher anthropogenic N inputs in the agricultural watershed are associated with higher stream nitrate concentration during storms, while DOC concentration in streams across land uses is mainly influenced by storm characteristics/discharge. In both watersheds, DOC concentration quickly increases and decreases with discharge. In the mixed land use watershed, the peak in nitrate is consistently delayed relative to the peak in DOC; however, nitrate peaks vary in relation to discharge in the agricultural watershed. The comparison of the nitrate/DOC concentration patterns to the concentration patterns of major cations during the storms studied suggests that DOC is likely exported via a combination of overland flow and preferential flow through soil macropores in both watersheds. Data suggest nitrate is exported with groundwater, either as tile-drain flow or subsurface flow to the streams. Results also indicate that the connectivity between nitrate/DOC reservoirs and the stream is an important control mechanism on the timing of delivery of nitrate and DOC to the stream in the watersheds studied. Finally, results indicate that even in agricultural watersheds where tile-drain flow is an important contributor to stream flow during storms, there is not necessarily a consistent export mechanism for all solutes. These results underscore the need for further studies investigating the relative importance of matrix flow, overland flow and macropore flow at the watershed scale in order to fully understand event scale processes controlling the transport of solutes to streams in glaciated landscapes of the Midwest under various land use conditions.

Influence of hydrology and seasonality on DOC exports from three contrasting upland catchments

Variation in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations of surface waters is a consequence of process changes in the surrounding terrestrial environment, both within annual cycles and over the longer term. Long-term records (1987–2006) of DOC concentrations at six catchments (0.44–10.0 km2) across a climatic transect in Scotland were investigated for intra-annual relationships to evaluate potential long-term seasonal patterns. The intra-annual mode of DOC export contrasted markedly between catchments and appeared dependent on their hydrological characteristics. Catchments in wetter Central Scotland with high rainfall–runoff ratios, short transit times and well-connected responsive soils show a distinct annual periodicity in DOC concentrations throughout the long-term datasets. Increased DOC concentrations occurred between June and November with correspondingly lower DOC concentrations from December to May. This appears unrelated to discharge, and is dependent mainly on higher temperatures driving biological activity, increasing decomposition of available organic matter and solubility of DOC. The drier eastern catchments have lower rainfall–runoff ratios, longer transit times and annual drying–wetting regimes linked to changing connectivity of soils. These are characterised by seasonal DOC concentration–discharge relationships with an autumnal flush of DOC. Temperature influences the availability of organic matter for DOC transport producing a high DOC concentration–discharge relationship in summer/autumn and low DOC concentration–discharge relationship in winter/spring. These two distinct modes of seasonal DOC transport have important implications for understanding changes in DOC concentrations and export brought about by climate change (temperature and precipitation) and modelling of aquatic carbon losses from soil-types under different hydrological regimes.

Algorithm development and validation for satellite‐derived distributions of DOC and CDOM in the U.S. Middle Atlantic Bight

Oceanographic cruises were conducted within the U.S. Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) to collect field measurements to develop algorithms to retrieve surface ocean colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from NASA's MODIS‐Aqua and SeaWiFS satellite sensors and to investigate the processes that influence the distributions of CDOM and DOC. In order to develop empirical algorithms for CDOM and DOC, the CDOM absorption coefficient (aCDOM) was correlated with in situ remote sensing reflectance band ratios, and DOC was then derived from aCDOM through the aCDOM to DOC relationships. Our validation analyses demonstrate successful retrieval of DOC and CDOM using MODIS and SeaWiFS with mean absolute percent differences from field measurements of 9.3 ± 7.3% for DOC, 19 ± 14% for aCDOM(355), 15.5 ± 12% for aCDOM(443), and 8.6 ± 4.9% for the CDOM spectral slope. To our knowledge, the algorithms presented here represent the first validated algorithms for satellite retrieval of aCDOM, DOC, and CDOM spectral slope in the coastal ocean. Satellite imagery demonstrates the importance of riverine/estuarine discharge from Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay to the export of CDOM and DOC to the coastal ocean. Between spring and summer, photooxidation has a significant impact on CDOM distributions resulting in a pronounced decrease in aCDOM between the midshelf and continental slope region of the MAB. The satellite‐derived DOC products demonstrate the net ecosystem production of DOC of 12 to 34 μmol C L−1 between spring and summer. The aCDOM algorithms presented here are applicable to other coastal regions and can also be used to retrieve DOC using region‐specific aCDOM to DOC relationships.

Influence of seasonal changes in runoff and extreme events on dissolved organic carbon trends in wetland- and upland-draining streams

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) fluxes at eight headwater basins in south-central Ontario were strongly related to seasonal streamflow, and extreme events contributed to both interannual and intercatchment variability. Six catchments with high stream DOC and greater peatland coverage exhibited a different seasonal pattern of DOC concentration compared with two catchments with low DOC and less wetland influence. In wetland-dominated catchments, DOC concentrations decreased during fall wet-up and spring melt, and because of the dominance of the spring melt period in annual budgets, variations in spring flow explained 39%–48% of the intervariability in DOC concentration. Significant increases in average DOC concentration between 1980 and 2001 at all six wetland-dominated catchments were driven by relatively high DOC concentrations in the latter years of record, consistent with low spring flow in these years, and were not translated into greater DOC export to downstream lakes. Localized rainstorms in summer and fall resulted in differences in DOC export among adjacent catchments, and a single fall storm in September 1998 was only detected at one of six catchments draining into Harp Lake but accounted for one-quarter of the annual tributary DOC load to the lake.

Effect of water table drawdown on peatland dissolved organic carbon export and dynamics

AbstractPeatlands play an important role in the global carbon cycle, and loss of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) has been shown to be important for peatland carbon budgets. The objective of this study was to determine how net production and export of DOC from a northern peatland may be affected by disturbance such as drainage and climate change.The study was conducted at a poor fen containing several pool–ridge complexes: (1) control site–no water table manipulation; (2) experimental site–monitored for one season in a natural state and then subjected to a water table drawdown for 3 years; (3) drained site–subjected to a water table drawdown 9 years prior to monitoring. The DOC concentration was measured in pore water along a microtopographic gradient at each site (hummock, lawn and hollow), in standing water in pools, and in discharge from the experimental and drained sites. The initial water table drawdown released ∼3 g of carbon per square metre in the form of DOC, providing a large pulse of DOC to downstream ecosystems. This value, however, represents only 1–9% of ecosystem respiration at this site. Seasonal losses of DOC following drainage were 8–11 g of carbon per square metre, representing ∼17% of the total carbon exchange at the experimental study site. Immediately following water table drawdown, DOC concentrations were elevated in pore water and open water pools. In subsequent seasons, DOC concentration in the pool declined, but remained higher than the control site even 11 years after water‐table drawdown. This suggests continued elevated net DOC production under lower water table conditions likely related to an increase in vegetation biomass and larger water table fluctuations at the experimental and drained sites. However, the increase in concentration was limited to initially wet microforms (lawns and hollows) reflecting differences in vegetation community changes, water table and soil subsidence along the microtopographic gradient. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada.

Links between Terrestrial Primary Production and Bacterial Production and Respiration in Lakes in a Climate Gradient in Subarctic Sweden

We compared terrestrial net primary production (NPP) and terrestrial export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) with lake water heterotrophic bacterial activity in 12 headwater lake catchments along an altitude gradient in subarctic Sweden. Modelled NPP declined strongly with altitude and annual air temperature decreases along the altitude gradient (6°C between the warmest and the coldest catchment). Estimated terrestrial DOC export to the lakes was closely correlated to NPP. Heterotrophic bacterial production (BP) and respiration (BR) were mainly based on terrestrial organic carbon and strongly correlated with the terrestrial DOC export. Excess respiration over PP of the pelagic system was similar to net emission of CO2 in the lakes. BR and CO2 emission made up considerably higher shares of the terrestrial DOC input in warm lakes than in cold lakes, implying that respiration and the degree of net heterotrophy in the lakes were dependant not only on terrestrial export of DOC, but also on characteristics in the lakes which changed along the gradient and affected the bacterial metabolization of allochthonous DOC. The study showed close links between terrestrial primary production, terrestrial DOC export and bacterial activity in lakes and how these relationships were dependant on air temperature. Increases in air temperature in high latitude unproductive systems might have considerable consequences for lake water productivity and release of CO2 to the atmosphere, which are ultimately determined by terrestrial primary production.

Link between DOC in near surface peat and stream water in an upland catchment

Hydrologic transport of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from peat soils may differ to organo-mineral soils in how they responded to changes in flow, because of differences in soil profile and hydrology. In well-drained organo-mineral soils, low flow is through the lower mineral layer where DOC is absorbed and high flow is through the upper organic layer where DOC is produced. DOC concentrations in streams draining organo-mineral soils typically increase with flow. In saturated peat soils, both high and low flows are through an organic layer where DOC is produced. Therefore, DOC in stream water draining peat may not increase in response to changes in flow as there is no switch in flow path between a mineral and organic layer. To verify this, we conducted a high-resolution monitoring study of soil and stream water at an upland peat catchment in northern England. Our data showed a strong positive correlation between DOC concentrations at − 1 and − 5 cm depth and stream water, and weaker correlations between concentrations at − 20 to − 50 cm depth and stream water. Although near surface organic material appears to be the key source of stream water DOC in both peat and organo-mineral soils, we observed a negative correlation between stream flow and DOC concentrations instead of a positive correlation as DOC released from organic layers during low and high flow was diluted by rainfall. The differences in DOC transport processes between peat and organo-mineral soils have different implications for our understanding of long-term changes in DOC exports. While increased rainfall may cause an increase in DOC flux from peat due to an increase in water volume, it may cause a decrease in concentrations. This response is contrary to expected changes in DOC exports from organo-mineral soils, where increase rainfall is likely to result in an increase in flux and concentration.

Terrestrial export of highly bioavailable carbon from small boreal catchments in spring floods

Summary1. We assessed the terrestrial export of organic carbon, which effectively supported aquatic bacterial production (BP), from small boreal catchments during spring flood. We analysed stream runoff from nine small catchments with different proportions of peat mires and coniferous forests by monitoring the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) flux in combination with conducting bacterial bioassays.2. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that BP during 7‐day‐dark bioassays (BP7; μg C L−1day−1) was explained by both the quantity and quality (low‐molecular weight fractions) of the DOC. BP7 can be used as a measure of export of terrestrial organic carbon that is highly bioavailable.3. Total export of DOC during spring flood from the different catchments ranged from 20 to 27 kg ha−1 and was negatively correlated to forest cover (%). However, the export of BP7 carbon was positively correlated to forest cover and varied from about 0.1 kg ha−1 in mire‐dominated streams to about 0.2 kg ha−1 in forest‐dominated streams.4. The high bioavailability of forest carbon suggests that forests are the main contributors of BP‐supporting carbon in boreal streams although mires have higher area‐specific export of DOC.

Export of Dissolved Organic Carbon from a Ponded Freshwater Marsh Receiving Diverted Mississippi River Water

A series of diversion projects has been implemented to reintroduce Mississippi River water into Louisiana's coastal wetlands in order to reduce wetland loss. The export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was measured in a 3,700-ha ponded freshwater marsh that receives diverted Mississippi River water. Results show that highly organic marsh soil and plant material are a source of DOC. DOC, on average, was 3 mg/l greater in outlet water as compared to the concentration in river water entering the wetland. DOC in water leaving the marsh was higher in summer months, with a concentration up to 18 mg/l. Based on a discharge of 1,000 ft/sec (28.3 m/sec), it was estimated that the equivalent of 7,335 kg/day of DOC would be exported from the marsh into Lake Cataouatche, located in the northern portion of the Louisiana Barataria Basin estuary. Results suggest that river diversion would likely increase the export of DOC from the marsh as compared to normal transport associated with rainfall and tidal exchange.

Tidal marshes as a source of optically and chemically distinctive colored dissolved organic matter in the Chesapeake Bay

The role of tidal marshes as a source of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) for adjacent estuarine waters was studied in the Rhode River subestuary of the Chesapeake Bay. Water in a tidal creek draining brackish, high‐elevation marshes was sampled every hour during several semidiurnal tidal cycles in order to examine the tidal exchange of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Water leaving the marsh during ebbing tide was consistently enriched in DOC compared to water entering the marsh during flooding tide. There was a net DOC export from the marsh to the estuary during seasons of both low and high marsh plant biomass. Optical analysis demonstrated that, in addition to contributing to the carbon budgets, the marsh had a strong influence on the estuary’s CDOM dynamics. Marsh‐exported CDOM had optical properties that were consistently and markedly different from those of CDOM in the adjacent estuary. Specifically, marsh CDOM had: (1) considerably stronger absorption, (2) larger DOC‐specific absorption, (3) lower exponential spectral slope, (4) larger fluorescence signal, (5) lower fluorescence per unit absorbance, and (6) higher fluorescence at wavelengths >400 nm. These optical characteristics are indicative of relatively complex, high‐molecular‐weight, aromatic‐rich DOM, and this was confirmed by results of molecular‐weight‐distribution analysis. Our findings illustrate the importance of tidal marshes as sources of optically and chemically distinctive dissolved organic compounds, and their influence on CDOM dynamics, DOC budgets, and, thus, photochemical and biogeochemical processes, in adjacent estuarine ecosystems.

Examination of the potential relationship between droughts, sulphate and dissolved organic carbon at a wetland‐draining stream

AbstractRising dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations observed at a number of sites in the northern hemisphere over recent decades are the subject of much debate, and recent reports suggest a link between DOC patterns in surface waters and changes in sulphate (SO4) related to droughts or deposition. In order to investigate the potential influence of changes in SO4 concentration on DOC patterns in south‐central Ontario, we used long‐term (1980–2001) stream monitoring data from a wetland‐dominated catchment (Plastic Lake‐1 subcatchment, PC1) that has been the focus of intensive investigations of both SO4 and DOC dynamics. Annual average volume‐weighted DOC concentration increased significantly between 1980 and 2001, whereas SO4 concentration declined, but the decrease was not significant due to large increases in SO4 that occurred during drought years. There was no relationship between SO4 and DOC in annual data series; however, seasonal analyses indicated significant negative correlations between SO4 and DOC concentrations in spring (March–April–May), summer (June–July–August) and fall (September–October–November). In spring, DOC concentration was negatively correlated with flow whereas SO4 concentrations increased with flow, and their opposing relationships with discharge explain the negative correlation between SO4 and DOC in this season. In summer and fall, low SO4 concentrations occur during periods of low flow as a result of microbial SO4 reduction, whereas correspondingly high DOC concentrations in the summer and fall can be attributed to optimal conditions (i.e. stagnant flow, warm temperatures) for DOC production in the wetland. Increases in SO4 (and acidity) following droughts were not associated with declines in DOC; instead the primary impact of droughts on DOC was to limit DOC export due to diminished stream flow. Rather than an acidification effect, we suggest that negative relationships between SO4 and DOC were either directly (spring) or indirectly (summer/fall) caused by underlying relationships with hydrology.

Long-term trends in dissolved organic carbon concentration: a cautionary note

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) plays an important role in surface water chemistry and ecology and trends in DOC concentration have been also associated with shifts in terrestrial carbon pools. Numerous studies have reported long-term trends in DOC concentration; however, some studies consider changes in average measured DOC whereas other compute discharge weighted concentrations. Because of differences in reporting methods and variable record lengths it is difficult to compare results among studies and make regional generalizations. Furthermore, changes in stream discharge may impact long-term trends in DOC concentration and the potentially subtle effect of shifts in stream flow may be missed if only measured DOC concentrations are considered. In this study we compare trends in volume-weighted vs. average measured DOC concentration between 1980 and 2001 at seven headwater streams in south-central Ontario, Canada that vary in wetland coverage and DOC (22-year mean vol. wt.) from 3.4 to 10.6 mg l−1. On average, annual measured DOC concentrations were 13–34% higher than volume-weighted values, but differences of up to 290% occurred in certain years. Estimates of DOC flux were correspondingly higher using measured concentration values. Both measured and volume-weighted DOC concentrations increased significantly between 1980 and 2001, but slopes were larger in measured data (0.04–0.35 mg l−1 year−1 compared with 0.05–0.15 mg l−1 year−1) and proportional increases at the most wetland-influenced sites ranged from 32 to 43% in volume-weighted DOC and from 52 to 75% in measured DOC. In contrast, DOC flux did not change with time when estimated using either method, because of the predominant influence of stream flow on DOC export. Our results indicate that changes in stream flow have an important impact on trends in DOC concentration, and extrapolation of trend results from one region to another should be made cautiously and consider methodological and reporting differences among sites.

Recent changes in nitrate and dissolved organic carbon export from the upper Kuparuk River, North Slope, Alaska

Export of nitrate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the upper Kuparuk River between the late 1970s and early 2000s was evaluated using long‐term ecological research (LTER) data in combination with solute flux and catchment hydrology models. The USGS Load Estimator (LOADEST) was used to calculate June–August export from 1978 forward. LOADEST was then coupled with a catchment‐based land surface model (CLSM) to estimate total annual export from 1991 to 2001. Simulations using the LOADEST/CLSM combination indicate that annual nitrate export from the upper Kuparuk River increased by ∼5 fold and annual DOC export decreased by about one half from 1991 to 2001. The decrease in DOC export was focused in May and was primarily attributed to a decrease in river discharge. In contrast, increased nitrate export was evident from May to September and was primarily attributed to increased nitrate concentrations. Increased nitrate concentrations are evident across a wide range of discharge conditions, indicating that higher values do not simply reflect lower discharge in recent years but a significant shift to higher concentration per unit discharge. Nitrate concentrations remained elevated after 2001. However, extraordinarily low discharge during June 2004 and June–August 2005 outweighed the influence of higher concentrations in determining export during these years. The mechanism responsible for the recent increase in nitrate concentrations is uncertain but may relate to changes in soils and vegetation associated with regional warming. While changes in nitrate and DOC export from arctic rivers reflect changes in terrestrial ecosystems, they also have significant implications for Arctic Ocean ecosystems.

Dissolved organic carbon trends resulting from changes in atmospheric deposition chemistry

Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain recent, widespread increases in concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the surface waters of glaciated landscapes across eastern North America and northern and central Europe. Some invoke anthropogenic forcing through mechanisms related to climate change, nitrogen deposition or changes in land use, and by implication suggest that current concentrations and fluxes are without precedent. All of these hypotheses imply that DOC levels will continue to rise, with unpredictable consequences for the global carbon cycle. Alternatively, it has been proposed that DOC concentrations are returning toward pre-industrial levels as a result of a gradual decline in the sulphate content of atmospheric deposition. Here we show, through the assessment of time series data from 522 remote lakes and streams in North America and northern Europe, that rising trends in DOC between 1990 and 2004 can be concisely explained by a simple model based solely on changes in deposition chemistry and catchment acid-sensitivity. We demonstrate that DOC concentrations have increased in proportion to the rates at which atmospherically deposited anthropogenic sulphur and sea salt have declined. We conclude that acid deposition to these ecosystems has been partially buffered by changes in organic acidity and that the rise in DOC is integral to recovery from acidification. Over recent decades, deposition-driven increases in organic matter solubility may have increased the export of DOC to the oceans, a potentially important component of regional carbon balances. The increase in DOC concentrations in these regions appears unrelated to other climatic factors.

Landscape scale controls on the vascular plant component of dissolved organic carbon across a freshwater delta

Lignin phenol concentrations and compositions were determined on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) extracts (XAD resins) within the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta (the Delta), the tidal freshwater portion of the San Francisco Bay Estuary, located in central California, USA. Fourteen stations were sampled, including the following habitats and land-use types: wetland, riverine, channelized waterway, open water, and island drains. Stations were sampled approximately seasonally from December, 1999 through May, 2001. DOC concentrations ranged from 1.3 mg L −1 within the Sacramento River to 39.9 mg L −1 at the outfall from an island drain (median 3.0 mg L −1), while lignin concentrations ranged from 3.0 μg L −1 within the Sacramento River to 111 μg L −1 at the outfall from an island drain (median 11.6 μg L −1). Both DOC and lignin concentrations varied significantly among habitat/land-use types and among sampling stations. Carbon-normalized lignin yields ranged from 0.07 mg (100 mg OC) −1 at an island drain to 0.84 mg (100 mg OC) −1 for a wetland (median 0.36 mg (100 mg OC) −1), and also varied significantly among habitat/land-use types. A simple mass balance model indicated that the Delta acted as a source of lignin during late autumn through spring (10–83% increase) and a sink for lignin during summer and autumn (13–39% decrease). Endmember mixing models using S:V and C:V signatures of landscape scale features indicated strong temporal variation in sources of DOC export from the Delta, with riverine source signatures responsible for 50% of DOC in summer and winter, wetland signatures responsible for 40% of DOC in summer, winter, and late autumn, and island drains responsible for 40% of exported DOC in late autumn. A significant negative correlation was observed between carbon-normalized lignin yields and DOC bioavailability in two of the 14 sampling stations. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to describe organic vascular plant DOC sources at the level of localized landscape features, and is also the first to indicate a significant negative correlation between lignin and DOC bioavailability within environmental samples. Based upon observed trends: (1) Delta features exhibit significant spatial variability in organic chemical composition, and (2) localized Delta features appear to exert strong controls on terrigenous DOC as it passes through the Delta and is exported into the Pacific Ocean.

Dissolved organic carbon export from a cutover and restored peatland

AbstractHigh demand for horticultural peat has increased peatland drainage and peat extraction in Canada. The hydrology and carbon cycling of these cutover peatlands is greatly altered, necessitating active restoration efforts to permit the regeneration of Sphagnum mosses and the re‐establishment of natural peatland function. The effect of peatland extraction and restoration on the export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was examined for three successive seasons (May to October, 1999 to 2001) at two different sites (cutover and restored) in eastern Québec. A shift towards higher DOC concentrations was observed following peatland extraction (maximum: 182·6 mg L−1) and concentrations remained high post‐restoration (maximum: 191·0 mg L−1). The cutover site exported more DOC than the restored site in all three study seasons. The highest exports occurred during the wettest year (1999), with cutover and restored site export of 10·3 and 4·8 g m−2, respectively. In 2000, 8·5 g C m−2 was released from the cutover site, while the restored site released less than half that amount (3·4 g C m−2). In 2001, the restored site released about the same amount of DOC as in the previous year (3·5 g C m−2), while the cutover site load dropped to 6·2 g C m−2. Both sites were net exporters of DOC in all years. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Dissolved nutrient balance and net ecosystem metabolism in a Mediterranean-climate coastal lagoon: San Diego Bay

The temporal and spatial variability of dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP), nitrogen (DIN), carbon (DIC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were studied in order to determine the net ecosystem metabolism (NEM) of San Diego Bay (SDB), a Mediterranean-climate lagoon. A series of four sampling campaigns were carried out during the rainy (January 2000) and the dry (August 2000 and May and September 2001) seasons. During the dry season, temperature, salinity and DIP, DIC and DOC concentrations increased from oceanic values in the outer bay to higher values at the innermost end of the bay. DIP, DIC and DOC concentrations showed a clear offset from conservative mixing implying production of these dissolved materials inside the bay. During the rainy season, DIP and DOC increased to the head, whereas salinity decreased toward the mouth due to land runoff and river discharges. The distributions of DIP and DOC also showed a deviation from conservative mixing in this season, implying a net addition of these dissolved materials during estuarine mixing within the bay. Mass balance calculations showed that SDB consistently exported DIP (2.8–9.8 × 10 3 mol P d −1), DIC (263–352 × 10 3 mol C d −1) and DOC (198–1233 × 10 3 mol C d −1), whereas DIN (5.5–18.2 × 10 3 mol N d −1) was exported in all samplings except in May 2001 when it was imported (8.6 × 10 3 mol N d −1). The DIP, DIC and DOC export rates along with the strong relationship between DIP, DIC or DOC and salinity suggest that intense tidal mixing plays an important role in controlling their distributions and that SDB is a source of nutrients and DOC to the Southern California Bight. Furthermore, NEM ranged from −8.1 ± 1.8 mmol C m −2 d −1 in September to −13.5 ± 5.8 mmol C m −2 d −1 in January, highlighting the heterotrophic character of SDB. In order to explain the net heterotrophy of this system, we postulate that phytoplankton-derived particulate organic matter, stimulated by upwelling processes in the adjacent coastal waters, is transported into the bay, retained and then remineralized within the system. Our results were compared with those reported for the heterotrophic hypersaline coastal lagoons located in the semi-arid coast of California–Baja California, and with those autotrophic hypersaline systems found in the semi-arid areas of Australia. We point out that the balance between autotrophy and heterotrophy in inverse estuaries is dependent on net external inputs of either inorganic nutrients or organic matter as it has been indicated for positive estuaries.