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Bioavailability and radiocarbon age of fluvial dissolved organic matter (DOM) from a northern peatland-dominated catchment: effect of land-use change

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Abstract

The radiocarbon age and biodegradability of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from a northern peat-dominated river system was studied and the effects of land-use were compared. Samples were obtained from streams and ditches comprising sub-catchments of the Kiiminki River, Northern Finland. Sample sites included areas of natural mire, areas subjected to moderate disturbance (ditching to enhance forestry), and areas subjected to serious land use change (agriculture and peat excavation). The study employed a 55 day bioassay that measured the biodegradation potential of surface-water DOM. We identified release of modern (mean 6–13 year old) DOM from natural sites, and material aged up to 1,553 years from disturbed sites. The proportion of biodegradable DOC ranged from 4.1 to 17.9 %, and bacterial DOC removal was modelled using twin-pool and reactivity-continuum (beta distribution) approaches. Bacterial growth efficiency ranged from 0.11 to 0.26 between areas of different land use, and these relatively low values reflect the humic-rich DOM released from boreal peatland. Despite the range of land-use types studied, including intensive peatland excavation areas, there was no detectable relationship between the biological lability of DOM and its radiocarbon age.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation for funding this study. The work was also supported by awards from the Academy of Finland (Finnish Distinguished Professor programme) and Walter and Andrée Nottbeck Foundation. We are grateful to Pia Varmanen, Ilkka Lastumäki, Kirsi Hyvärinen and Susanna Hyvärinen for their help with nutrient analyses and Anne-Mari Luhtanen for her analytical support throughout.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), 00251, Helsinki, Finland

    Chris J. Hulatt, Hermanni Kaartokallio, Eero Asmala, Riitta Autio & David N. Thomas

  2. National Institute for Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, 2920, Charlottenlund, Denmark

    Colin A. Stedmon

  3. Finnish Museum of Natural History, Laboratory of Chronology, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Eloni Sonninen & Markku Oinonen

  4. School of Ocean Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, LL59 5AB, UK

    David N. Thomas

  5. Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

    David N. Thomas

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  1. Chris J. Hulatt
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Correspondence to Chris J. Hulatt.

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Hulatt, C.J., Kaartokallio, H., Asmala, E. et al. Bioavailability and radiocarbon age of fluvial dissolved organic matter (DOM) from a northern peatland-dominated catchment: effect of land-use change. Aquat Sci 76, 393–404 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-014-0342-y

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