Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) Concentrations and Quality for Watershed Compartments in a Forested Mid-Atlantic Watershed, USA

Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) Concentrations and Quality for Watershed Compartments in a Forested Mid-Atlantic Watershed, USA PDF Author: Nina Finger
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Soils
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
While the importance of dissolved organic matter (DOM) constituents is well recognized we know very little about how these constituents vary across watershed compartments, influence the transport of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON), and determine the mobility and bioavailability of DOM. We explore the concentrations and quality of DOM for ten watershed sources in a 12 ha forested catchment over a two-year period. DOM was evaluated for throughfall, litter leachate, soil water, shallow and deep groundwater, groundwater discharged from seeps, stream water and water in the hyporheic zone. Soil water samples included both free flowing soil water (using zero tension lysimeters) as well as soil pore water (using tension lysimeters). DOM quality was characterized using a suite of indices derived from UV-visible absorbance and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) modeling of fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs). DOM quality displayed a pronounced trend in watershed compartments especially as a function of soil depth. The humic, aromatic, and high molecular weight constituents of DOM decreased with soil depth while there was a concomitant percent increase in the protein-like DOM moieties. Principal component analyses (PCA) revealed that the differences in surficial watershed compartments were dictated by humic components while differences in groundwater sources were dictated by % total proteins. The increase in % total proteins with increasing soil depth indicated that in groundwater a greater fraction of DOM may be bioavailable compared to DOM in litter leachate and soil water. We did not find any conclusive evidence for C or N enrichment in any particular DOM quality pools. In addition, DOM quality displayed pronounced spatial differences. DOM in wetland groundwater was more aromatic and humic than that at the riparian location. This study also suggested that some spectrofluorometric indices (e.g. the humification index, HIX) may be preferable over others (e.g. specific UV absorbance, SUVA) for characterizing DOM quality.

Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) Concentrations and Quality for Watershed Compartments in a Forested Mid-Atlantic Watershed, USA

Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) Concentrations and Quality for Watershed Compartments in a Forested Mid-Atlantic Watershed, USA PDF Author: Nina Finger
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Soils
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
While the importance of dissolved organic matter (DOM) constituents is well recognized we know very little about how these constituents vary across watershed compartments, influence the transport of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON), and determine the mobility and bioavailability of DOM. We explore the concentrations and quality of DOM for ten watershed sources in a 12 ha forested catchment over a two-year period. DOM was evaluated for throughfall, litter leachate, soil water, shallow and deep groundwater, groundwater discharged from seeps, stream water and water in the hyporheic zone. Soil water samples included both free flowing soil water (using zero tension lysimeters) as well as soil pore water (using tension lysimeters). DOM quality was characterized using a suite of indices derived from UV-visible absorbance and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) modeling of fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs). DOM quality displayed a pronounced trend in watershed compartments especially as a function of soil depth. The humic, aromatic, and high molecular weight constituents of DOM decreased with soil depth while there was a concomitant percent increase in the protein-like DOM moieties. Principal component analyses (PCA) revealed that the differences in surficial watershed compartments were dictated by humic components while differences in groundwater sources were dictated by % total proteins. The increase in % total proteins with increasing soil depth indicated that in groundwater a greater fraction of DOM may be bioavailable compared to DOM in litter leachate and soil water. We did not find any conclusive evidence for C or N enrichment in any particular DOM quality pools. In addition, DOM quality displayed pronounced spatial differences. DOM in wetland groundwater was more aromatic and humic than that at the riparian location. This study also suggested that some spectrofluorometric indices (e.g. the humification index, HIX) may be preferable over others (e.g. specific UV absorbance, SUVA) for characterizing DOM quality.

Quantity and Composition of Stream Dissolved Organic Matter in the Watershed of Conesus Lake, New York

Quantity and Composition of Stream Dissolved Organic Matter in the Watershed of Conesus Lake, New York PDF Author: Morgan Bida
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Water
Languages : en
Pages : 116

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Book Description
"The watershed of Conesus Lake, New York is drained by more than 18 unique streams and several smaller tributaries and has multiple land uses, varying from highly agricultural to primarily wooded, making the lake an ideal study site for analysis of the effects of land use on various water quality parameters. Previous water quality and watershed-health studies at Conesus Lake have focused on the delivery of inorganic nutrients to the lake. We know much less, however, about the effects of watershed land use on the quantity and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) exported to the lake. We sought to determine how stream DOM quantity and composition varied with space and time within the watershed during 2011. The concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and inorganic and organic nitrogen and phosphorus were measured seasonally in 7 streams, with a more detailed analysis of water chemistry in 12 streams during the growing season. The composition of DOM entering Conesus Lake was assessed with a suite of optical indices and with fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), a chemometric technique for the decomposition of characteristic fluorescence peaks. A 4-component PARAFAC model showed one allochthonous, humic-like component (C1), one semi-labile component with allochthonous and/or autochthonous origin (C2), and two autochthonous, protein-like components (C3 & C4). We showed seasonality in the composition and quantity of DOM that is consistent with abiotic seasonal controls and principal components analyses (PCA) suggest that agriculturally-dominated streams are associated with increased nitrate and phosphate, a greater proportion of protein-like PARAFAC components (C3 & C4), and that the DOM tends to be less humified. These results imply that a) seasonal controls on DOM govern the abundance of protein-like DOM and can alter the quantity of bulk DOM, b) agricultural land use may augment autochthonous production in a stream, particularly in the spring and summer, thus creating a more labile pool of DOM that is exported to the lake, and c) stream order can alter DOM quantity and composition, possibly through instream processing and variations in light availability."--Abstract.

Dissolved Organic Matter in Wetland Soils and Streams of Southeast Alaska

Dissolved Organic Matter in Wetland Soils and Streams of Southeast Alaska PDF Author: Jason B. Fellman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Stream chemistry
Languages : en
Pages : 318

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Book Description
"Dissolved organic matter (DOM) transported from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems is an important source of C, N and energy for the metabolism of aquatic heterotrophic bacteria. I examined the concentration and chemical quality of DOM exported from coastal temperate watersheds in southeast Alaska to determine if wetland soils are an important source of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) to aquatic ecosystems. I addressed this question through a combination of high resolution temporal and spatial field measurements in three watersheds near Juneau, Alaska by using a replicated experimental design that characterized DOM export from three different soil types (bog, forested wetland and upland forest) within each of the watersheds. PARAFAC modeling of fluorescence excitation-emission spectroscopy and BDOC incubations were used to evaluate the chemical quality and lability of DOM. Overall, my findings show that wetland soils contribute substantial biodegradable DOM to streams and the response in BDOC delivery to streams changes seasonally, with soil type, and during episodic events such as stormflows. In particular, the chemical quality of DOM in streamwater and soil solution was similar during the spring runoff and fall wet season, as demonstrated by the similar contribution of protein-like fluorescence in soil solution and in streams. These findings indicate a tight coupling between wetland DOM source pools and streams is responsible for the export of BDOC from terrestrial ecosystems. Thus, seasonal changes in soil-stream linkages can have a major influence on watershed biogeochemistry with important implications for stream metabolism and the delivery of labile DOM to coastal ecosystems. Soil DOM additions in small streams draining the three soil types showed that DOM leached from watershed soils is readily used as a substrate by stream heterotrophs and at the same time modified in composition by the selective degradation of the proteinaceous fraction of DOM. These findings indicate terrestrial DOM inputs to streams are an important source of C to support stream heterotrophic production. Thus, the production of protein-rich, labile DOM and subsequent loss in stream runoff has the potential to be an important loss of C and N from coastal temperate watersheds"--Leaf iii.

Watershed Export of Dissolved Organic Matter in Response to Anthropogenic and Hydroclimatic Drivers in Subtropical Streams and Rivers

Watershed Export of Dissolved Organic Matter in Response to Anthropogenic and Hydroclimatic Drivers in Subtropical Streams and Rivers PDF Author: Shuo Chen
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic dissertations
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an assemblage of heterogeneous organic compounds that play important roles in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. In this dissertation, I investigated changes in the amount, source, composition, lability, and ecological functions of stream water DOM in response to agricultural land use, hydrological events, and downstream transport and transformation in the southeastern United States. The dissertation includes three stand-alone studies presented in Chapters 2, 3 and 4, respectively. In Chapter 2, I evaluated the effects of hurricane-induced storm events on the quantity and quality of DOM exported from ten watersheds of various physical and land-use characteristics within five Gulf and South Atlantic states. We found that large storms can significantly enhance the concentrations and yields of terrestrially-derived dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrients in streams and rivers but decrease the percentage bioreactive DOC. This study demonstrates that extreme weather and climate events can lead to rapid, ecosystem-level disturbances that significantly shift energy and nutrient availability within drainage networks. The objective of Chapter 3 was to quantify the relative importance of agricultural land use and natural hydroclimatic drivers in affecting the quality and quantity of DOM in a group of 15 streams draining watersheds of a gradient of agricultural land use. The partial least square path modeling (PLS-PM) identified that agricultural land use increased stream water DOM quantity primarily through increasing allochthonous carbon sources. This study demonstrates that structural equation modeling is a powerful tool that should be more widely adopted to distinguish among multiple drivers and mechanisms regulating freshwater biogeochemistry. Chapter 4 investigated the longitudinal transformations of DOM in relation to ecosystem metabolism along a fluvial section including 3rd order, 7th and 8th order streams. From upstream to downstream, DOC concentrations and the relative contributions of freshly-produced DOM increased. The gross primary productivity was positively correlated with the contributions of autochthonous DOM, yet the ecosystem respiration did not vary with the quantity or quality of DOM. This study highlights the complexity of DOM transformations in relation to stream metabolism along the river continuum. Collectively, the three independent but connected studies reveal the complexity and sensitivity of inland water DOM in response to hydroclimatic and anthropogenic drivers. The findings provide new insights into potential shifts in energy and substrates exported across the terrestrial-aquatic boundary due to human activities and climate change and how these shifts can alter water quality and fluvial biogeochemical functions.

Source Tracing of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in Watersheds Using UV and Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Source Tracing of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in Watersheds Using UV and Fluorescence Spectroscopy PDF Author: Jessica Chi Ying Wong
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780494596999
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
In aquatic ecosystems, dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important source of detrital energy on which microorganisms rely. However, its dynamics are not well understood in an ecological context. By isolating specific watershed sources, the work reported in this thesis has attempted to characterize the seasonal patterns of DOM in the hyporheic zone of a temperate stream and to find the likely sources that contribute to this abundant pool of organic carbon. Hyporheic DOM characteristics described by UV spectroscopy indicated temporal rather than spatial dependence in relative allochthonous/autochthonous source in the fall. Excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) showed that hyporheic DOM was mainly comprised of fulvic- and humic-like fluorescence with small amounts of protein-like fluorescence. Cedar needles appeared to be an important and consistent source of this protein-like fluorescence in autumn. In contrast, DOM leached from birch litter was more dynamic in that its quality as an energy source decreased as the season progressed. Increases in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations from birch litter isolates were greater than those from cedar litter in early autumn, but less in late autumn. Although streambed biofilm was not significant in increasing DOC concentrations, it was also a source of protein-like fluorescence.

Dissolved Organic Matter in Lacustrine Ecosystems

Dissolved Organic Matter in Lacustrine Ecosystems PDF Author: K. Salonen
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9401124744
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
Concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in lakes are often an order of magnitude greater than concentrations of particulate organic matter; nevertheless, the biogeochemical analysis of DOM is described in only a few textbooks on limnology (most thoroughly by Wetzel). The orgins of dissolved organic substances are largely photosynthetic; DOM is either autochthonously synthesized by littoral and pelagic flora through secretions and autolysis of cellular contents, or allochthonously generated in terrestrial systems of the drainage basin, composing largely of humic substances refractory to rapid microbial degradation. The role of DOM in lacustrine ecosystems, as energy source and system regulator, however, is still poorly known. The aim of this book is: (1) to present state-of-the-art reviews of the role of dissolved autochthonous and allochthonous organic matter in pelagial and littoral zones; and (2) to focus attention on poorly understood but critical topics and hence to provide direction for future research activity.

Dissolved Organic Matter in Arctic Watersheds and Coastal Waters

Dissolved Organic Matter in Arctic Watersheds and Coastal Waters PDF Author: Craig Thomas Connolly
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 300

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Book Description
Arctic warming is already affecting the movement of freshwater and dissolved organic matter (DOM) from watersheds to the coastal ocean in the Arctic. Improved understanding of DOM in freshwater sources and linkages to DOM characteristics in Arctic coastal waters is needed to assess responses to and feedbacks with climate change. This work focuses on DOM characteristics that couple watershed and coastal systems in the Arctic, with specific considerations of river and groundwater inputs to lagoon ecosystems along the eastern Alaska Beaufort Sea coast. We found that spring and summer river-borne concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen (DOC and DON) are strongly linked to variations in watershed slope and soil organic matter coverage across space and scale in the Arctic. The quantities and composition of DOM in lagoons of the eastern Alaska Beaufort Sea coast vary markedly between seasons. Specifically, lagoons experience a shift from high to low DOC and DON concentrations between the late spring sea ice break-up and winter ice-covered periods, but these concentrations are more variable during the summer open water period. Distinct seasonal transitions in ice coverage, runoff from land, and water exchange with the Beaufort Sea strongly influence the availability of lagoon DOM. During the summer, concentrations of DOC and DON in supra-permafrost groundwater (SPGW) inputs to lagoons are much higher than those found in local rivers and lagoons. Late-summer fluxes of SPGW DOM to the northern Alaska coastline are substantial and may be the principal source of DOM to lagoons without river inputs. This SPGW DOM is sourced from readily leachable organic matter in surface soils and deeper soil horizons that likely extend into thawing permafrost. SPGW DOM contains aromatic carbon compounds that are largely resistant to microbial degradation on the order of days to months. While nearby river and lagoon water DOM has a similar composition and degradability, SPGW contains a portion of bioavailable and reactive DOM that is not present in river and lagoon waters. Inputs of SPGW DOM provide a potentially important source of energy for lagoon food webs along the Alaskan Beaufort Sea coast during the late summer

Source Tracing of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in Watersheds Using UV and Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Source Tracing of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in Watersheds Using UV and Fluorescence Spectroscopy PDF Author: Jessica Wong
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
In aquatic ecosystems, dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important source of detrital energy on which microorganisms rely. However, its dynamics are not well understood in an ecological context. By isolating watershed sources, the work reported in this thesis has attempted to characterize the seasonal patterns of DOM in the hyporheic zone of a temperate stream and to find the likely sources that contribute to this pool of organic carbon. Hyporheic DOM characteristics described by UV spectroscopy indicated temporal rather than spatial dependence. Excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) showed that hyporheic DOM was mainly comprised of fulvic- and humic-like fluorescence with small amounts of protein-like fluorescence. Increases in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations from birch litter isolates were greater than those from cedar litter in early autumn, but less in late autumn. Although streambed biofilm was not significant in increasing DOC concentrations, it was also a source of protein-like fluorescence.

Dissolved Organic Matter Bioavailability and Composition in Streams Draining Catchments with Discontinuous Permafrost

Dissolved Organic Matter Bioavailability and Composition in Streams Draining Catchments with Discontinuous Permafrost PDF Author: Kelly L. Balcarczyk
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Water chemistry
Languages : en
Pages : 142

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Book Description
"We examined the influence of permafrost on dissolved organic matter (DOM) in Caribou Poker Creeks Research Watershed (CPCRW). We analyzed long-term data from watersheds underlain with varying degrees of permafrost, sampled springs and thermo karsts to capture the range of DOM concentration and quality, used fluorescence spectroscopy to examine DOM composition, and measured DOM bioavailabity. Permafrost hydrology influenced DOM patterns, with the stream draining the high permafrost watershed having the highest dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen (DOC and DON) concentrations, higher DOC:DON, and greater specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA). Streams, springs, and thermokarsts exhibited a wide range of DOC and DON concentrations (1.5 - 37.5 mgC/L and 0.14 - 1.26 mgN/L), DOC:DON (7.08 - 42.8), and SUVA (1.5 - 4.7 L mgC−1 m−1). All sites had fluorescence index values (1.3 - 1.4) consistent with DOM derived from terrestrial sources. Principal components analysis revealed distinct groups in our fluorescence data determined by diagenetic processing and DOM source. Bioavailability of DOM ranged from 2 - 35% and was correlated with the proportion of tyrosine and tryptophan. Our results indicate that the degradation of permafrost in CPCR W will result in a decrease in DOC and DON concentrations, a decline in DOC:DON, and a reduction in SUVA, accompanied by a change in bioavailability"--Leaf iii.

Linking Optical and Chemical Properties of Dissolved Organic Matter in Natural Waters

Linking Optical and Chemical Properties of Dissolved Organic Matter in Natural Waters PDF Author: Christopher L. Osburn
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2889450813
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
A substantial increase in the number of studies using the optical properties (absorbance and fluorescence) of dissolved organic matter (DOM) as a proxy for its chemical properties in estuaries and the coastal and open ocean has occurred during the last decade. We are making progress on finding the actual chemical compounds or phenomena responsible for DOM’s optical properties. Ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry, in particular, has made important progress in making the key connections between optics and chemistry. But serious questions remain and the last major special issue on DOM optics and chemistry occurred nearly 10 years ago. Controversies remain from the non-specific optical properties of DOM that are not linked to discrete sources, and sometimes provide conflicting information. The use of optics, which is relatively easier to employ in synoptic and high resolution sampling to determine chemistry, is a critical connection to make and can lead to major advances in our understanding of organic matter cycling in all aquatic ecosystems. The contentions and controversies raised by our poor understanding of the linkages between optics and chemistry of DOM are bottlenecks that need to be addressed and overcome.