Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of storm events on mobilisation and in-stream processing of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in a Welsh peatland catchment

  • Published:
Biogeochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Peatlands are important contributors of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to downstream aquatic systems. We investigated the effects of storm events on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and DOM quality in a stream draining a Welsh peatland catchment. Intensive stream samples were collected and analysed for pH, DOC, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), absorbance and fluorescence. Soil water samples and samples of sphagnum pore water were also collected, and a simple end-member mixing model was applied to account for changes occurring during the events. Fluorescence data were interpreted using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). DOC concentrations increased and pH decreased during the storm events. The soil water data and the mixing model indicated that this was due to a change of flow paths and draining of the DOC-rich acrotelm. Absorbance indices and the DOC/DON ratio suggested that the DOM released during events was less degraded. There was a striking, inversely related diurnal pattern in absorbance and fluorescence after the discharge peak. The diurnal pattern and a lack of fit with the mixing model suggested that fluorescing DOM was mainly produced in-stream. Fluorescence has been found to peak in the morning and decline during day-time due to photo-bleaching. We hypothesise that the input of additional DOM during events causes a change in the diurnal pattern, giving a peak at mid-day, when the processing of the additional DOM is highest.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aitkenhead JA, McDowell WH (2000) Soil C:N ratio as a predictor of annual riverine DOC flux at local and global scales. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 14(1):127–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aitkenhead JA, Hope D, Billett MF (1999) The relationship between dissolved organic carbon in stream water and soil organic carbon pools at different spatial scales. Hydrol Process 13(8):1289–1302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anesio AM, Graneli W, Aiken GR, Kieber DJ, Mopper K (2005) Effect of humic substance photodegradation on bacterial growth and respiration in lake water. Appl Environ Microbiol 71(10):6267–6275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker A, Bolton L, Newson M, Spencer RGM (2008) Spectrophotometric properties of surface water dissolved organic matter in an afforested upland peat catchment. Hydrol Process 22(13):2325–2336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Battin TJ, Kaplan LA, Findlay S, Hopkinson CS, Marti E, Packman AI, Newbold JD, Sabater F (2008) Biophysical controls on organic carbon fluxes in fluvial networks. Nat Geosci 1(2):95–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Billett MF, Deacon CM, Palmer SM, Dawson JJC, Hope D (2006) Connecting organic carbon in stream water and soils in a peatland catchment. J Geophys Res 111(G2):G02010. doi:10.1029/2005JG000065

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Billett MF, Garnett MH, Harvey F (2007) UK peatland streams release old carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and young dissolved organic carbon to rivers. Geophys Res Lett 34(23):L23401. doi:10.1029/2007GL031797

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyer EW, Hornberger GM, Bencala KE, McKnight DM (1997) Response characteristics of DOC flushing in an alpine catchment. Hydrol Process 11(12):1635–1647

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brandstetter A, Sletten RS, Mentler A, Wenzel WW (1996) Estimating dissolved organic carbon in natural waters by UV absorbance (254 nm). J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 159(6):605–607

    Google Scholar 

  • Buffam I, Galloway JN, Blum LK, McGlathery KJ (2001) A stormflow/baseflow comparison of dissolved organic matter concentrations and bioavailability in an Appalachian stream. Biogeochemistry 53(3):269–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christ MJ, David MB (1996) Temperature and moisture effects on the production of dissolved organic carbon in a Spodosol. Soil Biol Biochem 28(9):1191–1199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christensen JH, Hewitson B, Busuioc A, Chen A, Gao X, Held I, Jones R, Kolli RK, Kwon W-T, Laprise R, Magaña Rueda V, Mearns L, Menéndez CG, Räisänen J, Rinke A, Sarr A, Whetton P (2007) Regional climate projections. In: Solomon S, Qin D, Manning M, Chen Z, Marquis M, Averyt KB, Tignor M, Miller HL (eds) Climate change 2007: the physical science basis. Contribution of working group I to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

  • Clark JM, Lane SN, Chapman PJ, Adamson JK (2007) Export of dissolved organic carbon from an upland peatland during storm events: implications for flux estimates. J Hydrol 347(3–4):438–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark JM, Lane SN, Chapman PJ, Adamson JK (2008) Link between DOC in near surface peat and stream water in an upland catchment. Sci Total Environ 404(2–3):308–315

    Google Scholar 

  • Coble PG, Del Castillo CE, Avril B (1998) Distribution and optical properties of CDOM in the Arabian Sea during the 1995 Southwest Monsoon. Deep-Sea Res Part II 45(10–11):2195–2223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Countryside Council for Wales (2008) Yr Wyddfa—Snowdon ECN Site. https://weather.ccw.gov.uk/. Cited 25 Jan 2008

  • Croué J-P, Violleau D, Bodaire C, Legube B (1999) Removal of hydrophobic and hydrophilic constituents by anion exchange resin. Water Sci Technol 40(9):207–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Currie WS, Aber JD, McDowell WH, Boone RD, Magill AH (1996) Vertical transport of dissolved organic C and N under long-term N amendments in pine and hardwood forests. Biogeochemistry 35(3):471–505

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson JJC, Bakewell C, Billett MF (2001) Is in-stream processing an important control on spatial changes in carbon fluxes in headwater catchments? Sci Total Environ 265(1–3):153–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dobbs RA, Dean RB, Wise RH (1972) Use of ultraviolet absorbance for monitoring total organic carbon content of water and wastewater. Water Res 6(10):1173–1180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eimers MC, Buttle J, Watmough SA (2008) Influence of seasonal changes in runoff and extreme events on dissolved organic carbon trends in wetland- and upland-draining streams. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 65(5):796–808

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans MG, Burt TP, Holden J, Adamson JK (1999) Runoff generation and water table fluctuations in blanket peat: evidence from UK data spanning the dry summer of 1995. J Hydrol 221(3-4):141–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans CD, Freeman C, Cork LG, Thomas DN, Reynolds B, Billett MF, Garnett MH, Norris D (2007) Evidence against recent climate-induced destabilisation of soil carbon from 14C analysis of riverine dissolved organic matter. Geophys Res Lett 34(7):L07407. doi:10.1029/2007GL029431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fellman JB, D’Amore DV, Hood E, Boone RD (2008) Fluorescence characteristics and biodegradability of dissolved organic matter in forest and wetland soils from coastal temperate watersheds in southeast Alaska. Biogeochemistry 88(2):169–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiebig DM, Lock MA (1991) Immobilization of dissolved organic matter from groundwater discharging through the stream bed. Freshw Biol 26(1):45–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiebig DM, Lock MA, Neal C (1990) Soil water in the riparian zone as a source of carbon for a headwater stream. J Hydrol 116(1–4):217–237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman C, Evans CD, Monteith DT, Reynolds B, Fenner N (2001) Export of organic carbon from peat soils. Nature 412(6849):785

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gödde M, David MB, Christ MJ, Kaupenjohann M, Vance GF (1996) Carbon mobilization from the forest floor under red spruce in the northeastern USA. Soil Biol Biochem 28(9):1181–1189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hinton MJ, Schiff SL, English MC (1997) The significance of storms for the concentration and export of dissolved organic carbon from two Precambrian Shield catchments. Biogeochemistry 36(1):67–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hinton MJ, Schiff SL, English MC (1998) Sources and flowpaths of dissolved organic carbon during storms in two forested watersheds of the Precambrian Shield. Biogeochemistry 41(2):175–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hood E, Williams MW, McKnight DM (2005) Sources of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in a Rocky Mountain stream using chemical fractionation and stable isotopes. Biogeochemistry 74(2):231–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hope D, Billett MF, Cresser MS (1994) A review of the export of carbon in river water—fluxes and processes. Environ Pollut 84(3):301–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson N, Baker A, Reynolds D (2007) Fluorescence analysis of dissolved organic matter in natural, waste and polluted waters—A review. River Res Appl 23(6):631–649

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Inamdar SP, O’Leary N, Mitchell MJ, Riley JT (2006) The impact of storm events on solute exports from a glaciated forested watershed in western New York, USA. Hydrol Process 20(16):3423–3439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalbitz K, Schwesig D, Schmerwitz J, Kaiser K, Haumaier L, Glaser B, Ellerbrock R, Leinweber P (2003) Changes in properties of soil-derived dissolved organic matter induced by biodegradation. Soil Biol Biochem 35(8):1129–1142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korshin GV, Li CW, Benjamin MM (1997) Monitoring the properties of natural organic matter through UV spectroscopy: a consistent theory. Water Res 31(7):1787–1795

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lakowicz JR (1983) Principles of fluorescence spectroscopy. Plenum Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Lock MA, Hynes HBN (1976) The fate of “dissolved” organic carbon derived from autumn-shed maple leaves (Acer saccharum) in a temperate hard-water stream. Limnol Oceanogr 21(3):436–443

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magill AH, Aber JD (2000) Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen relationships in forest litter as affected by nitrogen deposition. Soil Biol Biochem 32(5):603–613

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDowell WH, Likens GE (1988) Origin, composition, and flux of dissolved organic carbon in the Hubbard Brook valley. Ecol Monogr 58(3):177–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKnight DM, Andrews ED, Spaulding SA, Aiken GR (1994) Aquatic fulvic acids in algal-rich antarctic ponds. Limnol Oceanogr 39(8):1972–1979

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKnight DM, Harnish R, Wershaw RL, Baron JS, Schiff S (1997) Chemical characteristics of particulate, colloidal, and dissolved organic material in Loch Vale Watershed, Rocky Mountain National Park. Biogeochemistry 36(1):99–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKnight DM, Boyer EW, Westerhoff PK, Doran PT, Kulbe T, Andersen DT (2001) Spectrofluorometric characterization of dissolved organic matter for indication of precursor organic material and aromaticity. Limnol Oceanogr 46(1):38–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melillo JM, Aber JD, Muratore JF (1982) Nitrogen and lignin control of hardwood leaf litter decomposition dynamics. Ecology 63(3):621–626

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miano TM, Sposito G, Martin JP (1988) Fluorescence spectroscopy of humic substances. Soil Sci Soc Am J 52(4):1016–1019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moran MA, Sheldon WM, Zepp RG (2000) Carbon loss and optical property changes during long-term photochemical and biological degradation of estuarine dissolved organic matter. Limnol Oceanogr 45(6):1254–1264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neal C, Lofts S, Evans CD, Reynolds B, Tipping E, Neal M (2008) Increasing iron concentrations in UK upland waters. Aquat Geochem 14(3):263–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nieto-Cid M, Álvarez-Salgado XA, Pérez FF (2006) Microbial and photochemical reactivity of fluorescent dissolved organic matter in a coastal upwelling system. Limnol Oceanogr 51(3):1391–1400

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ohno T (2002) Fluorescence inner-filtering correction for determining the humification index of dissolved organic matter. Environ Sci Technol 36(4):742–746

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ohno T, Amirbahman A, Bro R (2008) Parallel factor analysis of excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectra of water soluble soil organic matter as basis for the determination of conditional metal binding parameters. Environ Sci Technol 42(1):186–192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker CA, Barnes WJ (1957) Some experiments with spectrofluorimeters and filter fluorimeters. Analyst 82(978):606–618

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patel-Sorrentino N, Mounier S, Lucas Y, Benaim JY (2004) Effects of UV-visible irradiation on natural organic matter from the Amazon basin. Sci Total Environ 321(1–3):231–239

    Google Scholar 

  • Peuravuori J, Pihlaja K (1997) Molecular size distribution and spectroscopic properties of aquatic humic substances. Anal Chim Acta 337(2):133–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qualls RG, Haines BL (1992) Biodegradability of dissolved organic matter in forest throughfall, soil solution, and stream water. Soil Sci Soc Am J 56(2):578–586

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saadi I, Borisover M, Armon R, Laor Y (2006) Monitoring of effluent DOM biodegradation using fluorescence, UV and DOC measurements. Chemosphere 63(3):530–539

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Senesi N (1990) Molecular and quantitative aspects of the chemistry of fulvic acid and its interactions with metal ions and organic chemicals: Part II. The fluorescence spectroscopy approach. Anal Chim Acta 232(1):77–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Senesi N, Miano TM, Provenzano MR, Brunetti G (1991) Characterization, differentiation, and classification of humic substances by fluorescence spectroscopy. Soil Sci 152(4):259–271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma A, Schulman SG (1999) Introduction to fluorescence spectroscopy. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Skoog A, Wedborg M, Fogelqvist E (1996) Photobleaching of fluorescence and the organic carbon concentration in a coastal environment. Mar Chem 55(3–4):333–345

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soulsby C, Rodgers P, Smart R, Dawson J, Dunn S (2003) A tracer-based assessment of hydrological pathways at different spatial scales in a mesoscale Scottish catchment. Hydrol Process 17(4):759–777

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spencer RGM, Pellerin BA, Bergamaschi BA, Downing BD, Kraus TEC, Smart DR, Dahgren RA, Hernes PJ (2007) Diurnal variability in riverine dissolved organic matter composition determined by in situ optical measurement in the San Joaquin River (California, USA). Hydrol Process 21(23):3181–3189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stedmon CA, Bro R (2008) Characterizing dissolved organic matter fluorescence with parallel factor analysis: a tutorial. Limnol Oceanogr Methods 6:572–579

    Google Scholar 

  • Stedmon CA, Markager S (2005) Resolving the variability in dissolved organic matter fluorescence in a temperate estuary and its catchment using PARAFAC analysis. Limnol Oceanogr 50(2):686–697

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stedmon CA, Markager S, Bro R (2003) Tracing dissolved organic matter in aquatic environments using a new approach to fluorescence spectroscopy. Mar Chem 82(3–4):239–254

    Google Scholar 

  • Sutherland IW (2001) The biofilm matrix—an immobilized but dynamic microbial environment. Trends Microbiol 9(5):222–227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thurman EM (1985) Organic geochemistry of natural waters. Nijhoff, Dordrecht

    Google Scholar 

  • Tranvik LJ, Bertilsson S (2001) Contrasting effects of solar UV radiation on dissolved organic sources for bacterial growth. Ecol Lett 4(5):458–463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vogt RD, Akkanen J, Andersen DO, Bruggemann R, Chatterjee B, Gjessing E, Kukkonen JVK, Larsen HE, Luster J, Paul A, Pflugmacher S, Starr M, Steinberg CEW, Schmitt-Kopplin P, Zsolnay A (2004) Key site variables governing the functional characteristics of dissolved natural organic matter (DNOM) in Nordic forested catchments. Aquat Sci 66(2):195–210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weishaar JL, Aiken GR, Bergamaschi BA, Fram MS, Fujii R, Mopper K (2003) Evaluation of specific ultraviolet absorbance as an indicator of the chemical composition and reactivity of dissolved organic carbon. Environ Sci Technol 37(20):4702–4708

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Worrall F, Burt TP, Jaeban RY, Warburton J, Shedden R (2002) Release of dissolved organic carbon from upland peat. Hydrol Process 16(17):3487–3504

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu FC, Evans RD, Dillon PJ (2003) Separation and characterization of NOM by high-performance liquid chromatography and on-line three-dimensional excitation emission matrix fluorescence detection. Environ Sci Technol 37(16):3687–3693

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yano Y, Lajtha K, Sollins P, Caldwell BA (2004) Chemical and seasonal controls on the dynamics of dissolved organic matter in a coniferous old-growth stand in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Biogeochemistry 71(2):197–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zepp RG, Sheldon WM, Moran MA (2004) Dissolved organic fluorophores in southeastern US coastal waters: correction method for eliminating Rayleigh and Raman scattering peaks in excitation-emission matrices. Mar Chem 89(1–4):15–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was partly funded by the EU Eurolimpacs project (the Commission of European Communities GOCE-CT-2003-505540). We thank David Williams, Simon Grant, Annette Burden and Timothy Jones for assistance in the field; Annie Brittain and Steve Hughes for help with the chemical analyses; David Norris for drawing the catchment map; Colin Stedmon for assistance in the PARAFAC analysis; and professor Jan Mulder for valuable comments on the manuscript.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Caroline Eliot-Laize

    Present address: Premier Analytical Services, Microscopy, The Lord Rank Centre, Lincoln Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP12 3QR, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway

    Kari Austnes

  2. Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, 0349, Oslo, Norway

    Kari Austnes

  3. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Bangor, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK

    Christopher D. Evans

  4. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Wallingford, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK

    Caroline Eliot-Laize, Pamela S. Naden & Gareth H. Old

Authors
  1. Kari Austnes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Christopher D. Evans
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Caroline Eliot-Laize
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Pamela S. Naden
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Gareth H. Old
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kari Austnes.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Austnes, K., Evans, C.D., Eliot-Laize, C. et al. Effects of storm events on mobilisation and in-stream processing of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in a Welsh peatland catchment. Biogeochemistry 99, 157–173 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-009-9399-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-009-9399-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation