Abstract
We present the results of a full year of high-resolution monitoring of hydrologic event-driven export of stream dissolved organic matter (DOM) from the forested Bigelow Brook watershed in Harvard Forest, Massachusetts, USA. A combination of in situ fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) measurement, grab samples, and bioassays was utilized. FDOM was identified as a strong indicator of concentration for dissolved organic carbon (DOC, r 2 = 0.96), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON, r 2 = 0.81), and bioavailable DOC (BDOC, r 2 = 0.81). Relationships between FDOM and concentration were utilized to improve characterization of patterns of hydrological event-driven export and the quantification of annual export. This characterization was possible because DOM composition remained relatively consistent seasonally; however, a subtle shift to increased fluorescence per unit absorbance was observed for summer and fall seasons and percent BDOC did increase slightly with increasing concentrations. The majority of export occurred during pulsed hydrological events, so the greatest impact of bioavailable exports may be on downstream aquatic ecosystems. Export from individual events was highly seasonal in nature with the highest flow weighted mean concentrations (DOCFW) being observed in late summer and fall months, but the highest total export being observed for larger winter storms. Seasonal trends in DOC export coincide with weather driven changes in surface and subsurface flow paths, potential for depletion and rebuilding of a flushable soil organic matter pool, and the availability of terrestrial carbon sources such as leaf litter. Our approach and findings demonstrate the utility of high frequency FDOM measurement to improve estimates of intra-annual temporal trends of DOM export.
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Acknowledgments
Harvard Forest staff, particularly Mark Vanscoy and Emery Boose aided in the installation and transport of field equipment and in providing hydrological and meteorological data. Helpful discussions occurred with Na Xu during the development of methods for FDOM temperature correction. Caroline Dewing and Brittni Devlin provided technical assistance during the processing of water samples. We are also grateful to the constructive comments made by two anonymous reviewers and the Associate Editor. This research was supported through a Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies Environmental Fellowship awarded to H.F. Wilson, and a grant to J. Saiers from the Hydrological Sciences Program of the National Science Foundation (EAR-114478). This study was also supported by LTER IV: Integrated Studies of the Drivers, Dynamics, and Consequences of Landscape Change in New England—DEB-0620443.
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HFW conceived of or designed study, performed research, analyzed data, contributed new methods or models, and wrote the paper; JES and PAR conceived of or designed study, and wrote the paper; and WVS conceived of or designed study, performed research, and wrote the paper.
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Wilson, H.F., Saiers, J.E., Raymond, P.A. et al. Hydrologic Drivers and Seasonality of Dissolved Organic Carbon Concentration, Nitrogen Content, Bioavailability, and Export in a Forested New England Stream. Ecosystems 16, 604–616 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-013-9635-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-013-9635-6