Skip to main content

Age and source of different forms of carbon released from boreal peatland streams during spring snowmelt in E. Finland

Biogeochemistry volume 111, pages 273–286 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

Isotopic data are increasingly being used to quantify and understand the processes that control the release of carbon (C) from northern peatlands. We used δ13C and 14C measurements to investigate the source and age of different forms of aquatic C (DOC, POC and evasion CO2) released from 2 contrasting (undrained v drained) forested peatland catchments at the end of the winter snowmelt period in boreal E Finland. The δ13CVPDB values of DOC (range −28.3 to −28.8 ‰) were generally more 13C depleted than evasion CO2 (range −22.7 to −31.5 ‰) and showed no clear differences between the pre-flood, flood and post-flood periods. Both forms of C had evidence of bomb-14C (i.e. >100%modern), indicating that they contained substantial quantities of C fixed since the mid AD 1950s. However, DOC was 14C enriched compared to evasion CO2, with 14C concentrations suggesting that, on average, DOC-C was ~5–6 years younger than evasion CO2–C, with the most recently fixed C being released when temperatures were highest. POC was significantly depleted in 14C with conventional (uncalibrated) radiocarbon ages of 805–1135 BP. In contrast to other studies, the isotopic compositions of DOC and evasion CO2 were very similar, suggesting a predominantly single and consistent C source (decomposition of soil organic matter; SOM) during the snowmelt period. Whilst we found no evidence to suggest that old (pre-bomb) C was being released at the end of the winter period, the drained site was associated with more 14C depleted and 13C enriched evasion CO2, suggesting a closer link to the atmospheric CO2 pool. Our isotopic data suggest that the various forms of C released to the aquatic system from these forested Finnish peatlands are closely related, largely unaffected by drainage and (at least in the case of evasion CO2 and DOC) indicate strong connectivity between C cycling in the soil–plant–water system.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

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

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

References

  • Ahtiainen M, Holopainen A-L, Huttunen P (1988) General description of the Nurmes-study. In: Symposium on the hydrology of wetlands in temperate and cold regions, vol 1. Joensuu, Finland 6–8 June 1988. Helsinki. The publications of the Academy of Finland 4/1988: 107–121

  • Balcarczyl KL, Jones JB, Jaffe R, Maie N (2009) Stream dissolved organic matter bioavailability and composition in watersheds underlain with discontinuous permafrost. Biogeochemistry 94:255–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benner R, Benitez-Nelson B, Kaiser K, Amon RMW (2004) Export of young terrigenous dissolved organic carbon from rivers to the Arctic Ocean. Geophys Res Lett 31:L05305. doi:10.1029/2003GL019251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Billett MF, Garnett MH (2010) The isotopic composition of carbon dioxide lost by evasion from surface water to the atmosphere: methodological comparison of a direct and indirect approach. Limnol Oceanog Methods 8:45–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Billett MF, Moore TR (2008) Supersaturation and evasion of CO2 and CH4 in surface waters at Mer Bleue peatland, Canada. Hydrol Process 22:2044–2054

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Billett MF, Garnett MH, Hardie SML (2006) A direct method to measure 14CO2 lost by evasion from surface waters. Radiocarbon 48:61–68

    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:L23401. doi:10.1029/2007GL031797

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boutton TW, Wong WW, Hachley DL, Lee LS, Cabrera MP, Klein PD (1983) Comparison of quartz and pyrex tubes for combustion of organic samples for stable isotopes. Anal Chem 55:1832–1833

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowling DR, Pataki DE, Randerson RT (2008) Carbon isotopes in terrestrial ecosystem pools and CO2 fluxes. New Phytol 178:24–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowling DR, Massman WJ, Shaeffer SM, Burns SP, Monson RK, Williams MW (2009) Biological and physical influences on the carbon isotope content of CO2 in a subalpine forest snowpack, Niwot Ridge, Colorado. Biogeochemistry 95:37–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charman DJ, Aravena R, Bryant CL, Harkness DD (1999) Carbon isotopes in peat, DOC, CO2, and CH4 in a Holocene peatland in Dartmoor, southwest England. Geol 27:539–542

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chasar LS, Chanton JP, Glaser PH, Siegel DI, Rivers JS (2000) Radiocarbon and stable carbon isotopic evidence for transport and transformation of dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon, and CH4 in a northern Minnesota peatland. Global Biogeochem Cycles 14:1095–1108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clymo RS, Bryant CL (2008) Diffusion and mass flow of dissolved carbon dioxide, methane, and dissolved organic carbon in a 7-m deep raised peat bog. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 72:2048–2066

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dinsmore KJ, Billett MF (2008) Continuous measurement and modeling of CO2 losses from a peatland stream during stormflow events. Water Resour Res 44:W12417. doi:10.1029/2008WR007284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dinsmore KJ, Billett MF, Dyson KE, Harvey F, Thomson AM, Piirainen S, Kortelainen P (in press) Stream water hydrochemistry as an indicator of carbon flow paths in Finnish peatland catchments during a spring snowmelt event. Sci Total Environ. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.07.063

  • Dyson KE, Billett MF, Dinsmore KJ, Harvey F, Thomson AM, Piirainen S, Kortelainen P (2011) Release of aquatic carbon from two peatland catchments in E. Finland during the spring snow melt event. Biogeochemistry 103:125–142. doi:10.1007/s10533-010-9452-3

    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:L07407. doi:10.1029/2007GL029431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finnish Statistical Yearbook of Forestry (2009) Peltola A (ed) Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa, p 452

  • Freeman S, Bishop P, Bryant CL, Cook GT, Dougans A, Ertunc T, Fallick AE, Ganeshram RS, Maden C, Naysmith P, Schnabel C, Scott EM, Summerfield MA, Xu S (2007) The SUERC AMS laboratory after 3 years. Nucl Instr Methods Phys Res B259:66–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frey KE, Smith LC (2005) Amplified carbon release from vast West Siberian peatlands by 2100. Geophys Res Lett 32:L09401. doi:10.1029/2004GL022025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garnett MH, Stevenson AC (2004) Testing the use of bomb radiocarbon to date the surface layers of blanket peat. Radiocarbon 46:841–851

    Google Scholar 

  • Goni MA, Yunker MB, Macdonald RW, Eglinton TI (2005) The supply and preservation of ancient and modern components of organic carbon in the Canadian Beaufort Shelf of the Arctic Ocean. Mar Chem 93:53–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorham E (1991) Northern peatlands, role in the carbon cycle and probable responses to climatic warming. Ecol Appl 1:182–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo L, MacDonald RW (2006) Source and transport of terrigenous organic matter in the upper Yukon River: Evidence from isotope (d13C, D14C, and d15 N) composition of dissolved, colloidal, and particulate phases. Global Biogeochem Cycles 20:GB2011. doi:10.1029/2005GB002593

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hardie SML, Garnett MH, Fallick AE, Rowland AP, Ostle NJ (2005) Carbon dioxide capture using a zeolite molecular sieve sampling system for isotopic studies (13C and 14C) of respiration. Radiocarbon 47:441–451

    Google Scholar 

  • Hedges JI, Ertel JR, Quay PD, Grootes PM, Richey JE, Devol AH, Farwell GW, Schmidt FW, Salati E (1986) Organic C-14 in the Amazon River System. Science 231:1129–1131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Humborg C, Mörth CL, Sundbom M, Borg H, Blenckner T, Gieslers R, Ittekkot V (2010) CO2 supersaturation along the aquatic conduit in Swedish wetlands as constrained by terrestrial respiration, aquatic respiration and weathering. Glob Change Biol 16:1966–1978

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Juutinen S, Rantakari M, Kortelainen P, Huttunen JT, Larmola T, Alm J, Silvola J, Martikainen PJ (2009) Methane dynamics in different boreal lake types. Biogeosciences 6:209–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kortelainen P, Saukkonen S, Mattsson T (1997) Leaching of nitrogen from forested catchments in Finland. Global Biogeochem Cycles 11:627–638

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kortelainen P, Mattsson T, Finér L, Ahtiainen M, Saukkonen S, Sallantaus T (2006) Controls on the export of C, N, P and Fe from undisturbed boreal catchments, Finland. Aquat Sci 68:453–468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Latja A, Kurimo H (1988) Temperature changes in the soil and close to the ground on wetlands drained for forestry. In: Symposium on the hydrology of wetlands in temperate and cold regions-vol. 1. Joensuu, Finland 6–8 June 1988. Helsinki. The publications of the Academy of Finland 4/1988:46–51

  • Laudon H, Köhler S, Buffam I (2004) Seasonal TOC export from seven boreal catchments in northern Sweden. Aquat Sci 66:223–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lemke P, Ren J, Alley RB, Allison I, Carrasco J, Flato G, Fujii Y, Kaser G, Mote P, Thomas RH, Zhang T (2007) Observations: changes in snow, ice and frozen ground. In: Solomon, S, Qin D, Manning M, Chen Z, Marquis M, Averyt KB, Tignor M and 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, United Kingdom and New York

  • Levin I, Hammer S, Kromer B, Meinhardt F (2008) Radiocarbon observations in atmospheric CO2: determining fossil fuel CO2 over Europe using Jungfraujoch observations as background. Sci Total Environ 391:211–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mastepanov M, Sigsgaard C, Dlugokencky EJ, Houweling S, Ström L, Mikkel P, Tamstorf MP, Christensen TR (2008) Large tundra methane burst during onset of freezing. Nature 456:628–631

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mayorga E, Aufdenkampe AK, Masiello CA, Krusche AV, Hedges JI, Quay PD, Richey JE, Brown TA (2005) Young organic matter as a source of carbon dioxide outgassing from Amazonian rivers. Nature 436:538–541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palmer SM, Hope D, Billett MF, Dawson JJC, Bryant CL (2001) Sources of organic and inorganic carbon in a headwater stream: evidence from carbon isotope studies. Biogeochemistry 52:321–338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rantakari M, Mattsson T, Kortelainen P, Piirainen S, Finér L, Ahtiainen M (2010) Organic and inorganic carbon concentrations and fluxes from managed and unmanaged boreal first-order catchments. Sci Total Environ 408:1649–1658

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raymond PA, Bauer JE (2001a) Use of 14C and 13C natural abundances for evaluating riverine, estuarine, and coastal DOC and POC sources and cycling: a review and synthesis. Organic Geochem 32:469–485

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raymond PA, Bauer JE (2001b) Riverine export of aged terrestrial organic matter to the North Atlantic Ocean. Nature 409:497–500

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raymond PA, McClelland JW, Holmes RM, Zhulidov AV, Mull K, Peterson BJ, Striegl RG, Aiken GR, Gurtovaya TY (2007) Flux and age of dissolved organic carbon exported to the Arctic Ocean: a carbon isotopic study of the five largest arctic rivers. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 21:GB4011. doi:10.1029/2007GB002934

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarkkola S, Koivusalo H, Laurén A, Kortelainen P, Mattsson T, Palviainen M, Piirainen S, Starr M, Finér L (2009) Trends in hydrometeorological conditions and stream water organic carbon in boreal forested catchments. Sci Total Environ 408:92–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schiff SL, Aravena LR, Trumbore SE, Hinton MJ, Elgood R, Dillon PJ (1997) Export of DOC from forested catchments on the Precambrian Shield of Central Ontario: clues from 13C and 14C. Biogeochemistry 36:43–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schuur EAG, Vogel JG, Crummer KG, Lee H, Sickman JO, Osterkamp TE (2009) The effect of permafrost thaw on old carbon release and net carbon exchange from tundra. Nature 459:556–559

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Serreze MC, Walsh JE, Chappin FS III, Osterkamp TE, Dyurgerov M, Romanovsky V, Oechel WC, Morison J, Zhang T, Barry RG (2000) Observational evidence of recent change in the northern high-latitude environment. Clim Change 46:159–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slota P, Jull AJT, Linick T, Toolin LJ (1987) Preparation of small samples for 14C accelerator targets by catalytic reduction of CO. Radiocarbon 29:303–306

    Google Scholar 

  • Striegl RG, Michmerhuize CM (1998) Hydrologic influence on methane and carbon dioxide dynamics at two north-central Minnesota lakes. Limnol Oceanog 43:1519–1529

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Striegl RG, Kortelainen P, Chanton JP, Wickland KP, Bugna GC, Rantakari M (2001) Carbon dioxide partial pressure and 13C content of north temperate and boreal lakes at spring ice melt. Limnol Oceanog 46:941–945

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Striegl RG, Aiken GR, Dornblaser MM, Raymond PA, Wickland KP (2005) A decrease in discharge-normalized DOC export by the Yukon River during summer through autumn. Geophys Res Lett 32:L21413. doi:10.1029/2005GL024413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Striegl RG, Dornblaser MM, Aiken GR, Wickland KP, Raymond PA (2007) Carbon export and cycling by the Yukon, Tanana, and Porcupine rivers, Alaska, 2001–2005. Water Resour Res 43:WO2411. doi:10.1029/2006/WR005201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stuiver M, Polach HA (1977) Reporting of 14C data. Radiocarbon 19:355–363

    Google Scholar 

  • Turunen J (2008) Changes in Finnish peatland area and carbon storage. In: Korhonen R, Korpela L, Sarkkola S (eds) Finland–Fenland research and sustainable utilisation of mires and peat. Finnish Peatland Society, Helsinki, pp 67–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Waldron S, Hall AJ, Fallick AE (1999) Enigmatic stable isotope dynamics of deep peat methane. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 13:93–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walter KM, Zimov SA, Chanton JP, Verbyla D, Chapin FS III (2006) Methane bubbling from Siberian thaw lakes as a positive feedback to climate warming. Nature 443:71–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walter KM, Chanton JP, Chapin FS, Schuur EAG, Zimov SA (2008) Methane production and bubble emissions from arctic lakes: Isotopic implications for source pathways and ages. J Geophys Res: Biogeosci 113:G00A08. doi:10.1029/2007JG000569

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) for providing financial support for this work and the Finnish Forest Research Institute (METLA) for logistical support and providing data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK

    Michael F. Billett, Kerry J. Dinsmore, Kirstie E. Dyson, Frank Harvey & Amanda M. Thomson

  2. NERC Radiocarbon Facility (Environment), Rankine Avenue, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, UK

    Mark H. Garnett

  3. Finnish Forest Research Institute, Joensuu Research Unit, P.O. Box 68, 80101, Joensuu, Finland

    Sirpa Piirainen

  4. Finnish Environment Institute, P.O. Box 140, 00251, Helsinki, Finland

    Pirkko Kortelainen

Authors
  1. Michael F. Billett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mark H. Garnett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kerry J. Dinsmore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kirstie E. Dyson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Frank Harvey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Amanda M. Thomson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Sirpa Piirainen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Pirkko Kortelainen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael F. Billett.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Billett, M.F., Garnett, M.H., Dinsmore, K.J. et al. Age and source of different forms of carbon released from boreal peatland streams during spring snowmelt in E. Finland. Biogeochemistry 111, 273–286 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-011-9645-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-011-9645-4

Keywords

  • Radiocarbon
  • 13C
  • Boreal
  • Peatland
  • Carbon dioxide
  • DOC
  • Flux
  • Snowmelt