Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Seasonal variation and origin of Particulate Organic Carbon in the lower Garonne River at La Reole (southwestern France)

  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Using a databank, grouping results on daily

measurements of Total Suspended Matter (TSM) and Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) on the lower Garonne river at La Reole (upstream limit of the dynamic tide) over the last 20 years, we studied seasonal variations in particulate organic carbon concentrations and fluxes, using TSM concentration classes. The results show seasonal variations in POC concentrations and fluxes, and especially a strong impact of flood events. A qualitative and quantitative hypothesis on the differentiation of POC origin is suggested. On every time scale (daily, seasonally or yearly), this hypothesis allows the estimation of POC inputs from the three different pools: soil, litter and autochthonous production. The Garonne River exports 78 000 tons of POC annually, 54% from soil (0.8 t km-2 yr-1), 38% from litter (about 0.55 t km-1 yr-1) (km of permanent stream) and 8% from autochthonous production. Most of this material is probably mineralized in the Gironde estuary.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agence de l'Eau Adour Garonne, 1997. Atlas et Données sur l'eau, 1997, Agence de l'Eau Adour Garonne-DIREN Midi-Pyrénées, 149 pp.

  • Allen, G. P., 1972. Etude des processus sédimentaires dans l'estuaire de la Gironde. Thè se d'état Sciences Univ. Bordeaux 1, 314 pp.

  • Arrouays, D., I. Vion & J. L. Kicin, 1995. Spatial analysis and modeling of topsoil carbon storage in temperate forest humic loamy soils of France. Soil Sci. 159: 191-198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barreau, C., 1992. Etude de la matiè re organique associée aux suspensions fluviatiles: application à des fleuves de climats tempérés et intertropical. Thè se 3è me cycle, Univ. Paris VI, 151 pp.

  • Benson, L. J. & R. G. Pearson, 1993. Litter inputs to a tropical Australian rainforest stream. Aus. J. Ecol. 18: 377-383.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berger, P., H. Etcheber, M. Ewald, G. Lavaux & C. Belin, 1984. Variation of organic matter from particles along the Gironde estuary (France). Chem. Geol. 45: 1-16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bretschko, G., 1990. The dynamic aspect of coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) on the sediment surface of a second order stream free of debris dams (RIRODAT-LUNZ study area). Hydrobiologia 203: 15-28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, I. C., K. R. James., B. T. Hart & A. Devereaux, 1992 a. Allochtonous coarse particulate organic material in forest and pasture reaches of two south-eastern Australian streams. I. Litter accession. Freshwat. Biol. 27: 341-352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, I. C., K. R. James., B. T. Hart & A. Devereaux, 1992 b. Allochtonous coarse particulate organic material in forest and pasture reaches of two south-eastern Australian streams. II Litter processing. Freshwat. Biol. 27: 353-365.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cauwet, G., F. Gadel, M. M. de Souza Sierra, O. Donard & M. Ewald, 1990. Contribution of the Rhô ne river to organic carbon inputs to the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Cont. Shelf Res. 10: 1025-1037.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chambre D'agriculture Midi-Pyrenees, 1995. Les grands ensembles morpho-pédologiques de la région Midi-Pyrenees. Synthese bibliographique, 537 pp.

  • Chauvet, E., 1989. Production, flux et décomposition des litiè res en milieu alluvial. Dynamique et role des hyphomycè tes aquatiques dans le processus de décomposition. Thè se Doctorat, Univ. Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, 239 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cremer, M., O. Weber, J. C. Relexans, M. Beliard, H. Etcheber & J. M. Jouanneau, 1993. Sedimentological and biogeochemical characteristics of surficial sediments in the Cap-Ferret canyon (France). Ann. Inst. Ocean. Paris 69: 161-165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummins, K-W., 1974. Structure and function of stream ecosystem. BioScience 24: 631-641.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dessery, S., C. Dulac, J. M. Laurenceau & M. Meybeck, 1984. Evolution du carbone organique « algal » et « détritique » dans trois riviè res du bassin parisien. Arch. Hydrobiol. 100: 235-260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elfaquir, M., 1993. Etude de la matiè re organique sur la marge continentale: quantité, qualité, bilan et réponse benthique aux flux. Cas du canyon du Cap-Ferret. Thè se de Doctorat 3è me cycle, Bordeaux, no 940, 146pp.

  • Emmanuel, W. R., A. W. King & W. M. Post, 1992. A dynamic model of terrestrial carbon cycling. In M. D. A. Rounsevell & P. J. Loveland (eds), Soil Response to Climate Change. NATO ASI series: 240-260.

  • Esser, G. & G. H. Kohlmaier, 1991. Modelling terrestrial sources of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Sulphur and Organic Carbon to rivers. In E. T. Degens, S. Kempe, J. E. Richey & J. Wiley (eds), Biogeochemistry of Major World Rivers, SCOPE/UNEP Sonderbd Rep. 42. New York: 297-322.

  • Etcheber, H., 1986. Biogéochimie de la matiè re organique en milieu estuarien: comportement, bilan, propriétés. Cas de le Gironde. Mem. Inst. Géol. Bassin Aquit., Talence, 379 pp.

  • Fontugne, M. R. & J. M. Jouanneau, 1987. Modulation of Particulate Organic Carbon Flux to the Ocean by a macrotidal estuary: evidence from measurements of carbon isotopes in organic matter from the Gironde system. Estuar. coast. shelf. Sci. 24: 377-387.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hedges, J. I., W. A. Clark, P. D. Quay, J. E. Richey, A. H. Devol & U. d. M. Santos, 1986. Composition and fluxes of particulate organic material in the Amazon River. Limnol. Oceanogr. 31: 717-738.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hope, D., M. F. Billet & M. S. Cresser, 1994. A review of the export of carbon in river water-fluxes and processes. Envir. Pollut. 84: 301-324.

    Google Scholar 

  • I.G.B.P. (International Geosdphè re Biosphè re program), 1995. Land-Ocean interactions in the coastal zone. IGBP Report, no 33, LOICZ Implementation Plan, In J. C. Pernetta & J. D. Milliman (eds), Stockholm, 215 pp.

  • Ittekkot, V. & R. Arain, 1986. Nature of particulate organic matter in the river Indus, Pakistan. Geoch. Cosm. Acta. 50: 1643-1653.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ittekot, V., 1988. Global trends in the nature of organic matter in river suspensions. Nature 332: 436-438.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ittekot, V. & R. W. P. M. Laane, 1991. Fate of Riverine Particulate Organic Matter. In E. T. Degens, S. Kempe, J. E. Richey & J. Wiley (eds), Biogeochemistry of Major World Rivers, SCOPE/UNEP Sonderbd Rep. 42. New York: 233-244.

  • Iversen, T. M., J. Thorup & J. Skriver, 1982. Inputs and transformation of allochtonous particulate organic matter in a headwater stream. Holarct. Ecol. 5: 10-19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jouanneau, J. M. 1982. Matiè res en suspension et oligo-éléments métalliques dans le systè me estuarien girondin: comportement et flux. Thè se Doctorat, Univ. Bordeaux I, no 732, 150 pp.

  • Jouanneau, J. M., C. Latouche & H. Etcheber, 1986. Les flux de Zn, Pb, Cu et du carbone organique à l'océan exportés par la Gironde. Rapp. P.-v. Réun. Cons. int. Explor. Mer. 186: 289-300.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kramer, J. R., 1993. Old sediment carbon in global budgets. In M. D. A. Rounsevel & P. J. Loveland (eds), Soil Responses to Climate Change, NATO ASI Series: 169-187.

  • Laane, R., H. Etcheber & J. C. Relexans, 1987. The nutritive value of particulate organic matter in estuaries and its ecological implication for macrobenthos. Mitt. Géol. Paleont. Inst. Univ. HAMBURG, Scope/Unep Sonderband 64: 71-91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, C., S. Frolking & R. Harriss, 1994. Modeling carbon biogeochemistry in agricultural soils. Glob. Geochem. Cycl. 8: 237-254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, R. G., 1988. Etude du potentiel de dégradation de la matiè re organique particulaire au passage eau douce-eau salée: Cas de l'estuaire de la Gironde. Thè se Doctorat no 218, Bordeaux 1, 196 pp.

  • Lin, R. G. & H. Etcheber, 1994. Variations of the suspended matter and the particulate organic carbon in the entry of the Gironde Estuary, France. Chin. J. Oceanol. Limnol. 12: 54-60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ludwig, W., J. L. Probst & S. Kempe, 1996. Predicting the oceanic input of organic carbon by continental erosion. Glob. Biogeochem. Cycl. 10: 23-41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lush, D. L. & B. N. Hynes, 1973. The formation of particles in freshwater leachates of dead leaves. Limnol. Oceanogr. 18: 968-977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meybeck, M., 1981. River transport of organic carbon to the ocean. Office of Energy Research, Washington N.C.R. workshop, Woods Hole, Sept. 1980: 219-269.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meybeck, M., 1982. Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus transport by world rivers. Am. J. of Sci. 282: 401-450.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meybeck, M., G. Cauwet, S. Dessery, M. Somville, D. Gouleau & G. Billen, 1988. Nutrients (Organic C,P,N,Si) in the Eutrophic River Loire and its Estuary. Estuar. coast. shelf. Sci. 27: 595-624.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meybeck, M., 1993 a. Riverine transport of atmospheric carbon: sources, global typology and budget. Wat. Air Soil Pollut. 70: 443-463.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meybeck, M., 1993 b. C,N,P and S in rivers: from sources to global inputs. In R. Wollast, F. T. Mackenzie & L. Chou (eds), Biogeochemical Cycles and Global Change, Springer-Verlag, New York: 163-193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mook, W. G. & F. C. Tan, 1993. Stable carbon isotopes in rivers and estuaries. In John Wiley & Sons (eds), Biogeochemistry of Major World Rivers, SCOPE UNEP Sonderbag, New York: 245-264.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulholland, P. J., 1981. Organic carbon flow in a swamp-stream ecosystem. Ecol. Monogr. 51: 307-322.

    Google Scholar 

  • Naiman, R. J., J. M. Melillo, M. A. Lock, T. E. Ford & S. R. Reice, 1987. Longitunal patterns of ecosystem processes and community structure in a subarctic river continuum. Ecology 68: 1139-1156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newbold, J. D., P. J. Mulholland, J. W. Elwood & R. V. O'Neil, 1982. Organic carbon spiralling in stream ecosystems. Oikos 38: 266-272.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parde, M., 1935. Le régime de la Garonne. Rev. Geogr. Pyrenees et Sud-Ouest. 4: 105-262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Post, W. M., 1993. Organic carbon in soil and the global carbon cycle. In M. Heimann (Ed.), The Global Carbon Cycle, NATO ASI Serie I, Springer Verlag, New York. 15: 275-300.

    Google Scholar 

  • Probst, J. L. & Y. Tardy, 1985. Fluctuations hydroclimatiquesdu Bassin d'Aquitaine au cours des 70 derniè res années. Rev. Géogr. Phys. Géol. Dyn. 26: 61-77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Probst, J. L. & A. Bazerbachi, 1986. Transports en solution et en suspension par la Garonne supérieure. Sci. Géol. Bull. Strasbourg. 39: 79-98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Probst, J. L., 1992. Géochimie et hydrologie de l'érosion continentale, Mécanismes, bilan global actuel et fluctuations au cours des 500 derniers millions d'années. Sci. Geol. Bull. Strasbourg. 94: 1-161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Relexans, J. C. & H. Etcheber, 1982. Cycles saisonniers de la matiè re organique particulaire à la limite amont de l'estuaire de la Gironde. C. R. Acad. Sci. 294, 2: 861-864.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, J. S., 1991. Coarse particulate detrirus dynamicsin small, montane streams of southwestern british Columbia. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 49: 337-346.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richey, J. E., J. I. Hedges, A. H. Devol, P. D. Quay, R. Victoria, L. Martinelli & R. Forsberg, 1990. Biogeochemistry of carbon in the Amazon River. Limnol. Oceanogr. 35: 352-371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ronov, A. B., 1976. Global carbon geochemistry, volcanism, carbonate accumulation and life. Trans. Geokh. 8: 1252-1277.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scribe, P., J. Fillaux, J. Laureillard, V. Denant & A. Saliot, 1991. Fatty acids as biomarkers of planktonic inputs in the stratified estuary of the Krka River, Adriatic Sea: relationship with pigments. Mar. Chem. 32: 299-312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smock, L. A., 1990. Spatial and temporal variation in organic matter storage in low-gradient, headwater streams. Arch. Hydrobiol. 118: 169-184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spitzy, A. & V. Ittekkot, 1991. Dissolved and Particulate Organic Matter in Rivers. In R. F. C. Mantoura, J.M. Martin & R. Wollast (eds), Ocean Margin Processes in Global Change, John Wiley & Sons, Hamburg: 5-17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorp, J. H. & M. D. Delong, 1994. The riverine productivity model: an heuristic view of carbon sources and organic processing in large river ecosystem. Oikos 70: 305-308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vannote, R-L., G.W. Minshall, K.W. Cummins, J. R. Sedell & C. E. Cushing, 1980. The river continuum concept. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 37: 130-137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veyssy, E., C. Colas, H. Etcheber, E. Maneux & J. L. Probst, 1996. Transports fluviaux de carbone organique par la Garonne à l'entrée de l'estuaire de la Gironde. Sci. Geol. Bull. Strasbourg. 49: 127-153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veyssy, E., 1998. Transferts de matiè res organiques des basins versants aux estuaires de la Gironde et de l'Adour. Thè se Doctorat no 1789, Bordeaux 1, 262 pp.

  • Walling, D. E., 1983. The sediment delivery problem. J. Hydrol. 65: 209-237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, S., W. B. Gan & V. Ittekkot, 1992. Organic matter in large turbid rivers-the Huanghe and its estuary. Mar. Chem. 38: 53-68.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Géologie et Océanographie, U.M.R. EPOC 5805 - CNRS, Université de Bordeaux I, 345 avenue des facultés, 33 405, Talence Cedex, France E-mail

    E. Veyssy, H. Etcheber, P. Buat-Menard & E. Maneux

  2. Sino-Canadian High Tech Center, Center of Resources and Environment, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing, 100085, P.R. China

    R.G. Lin

Authors
  1. E. Veyssy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. Etcheber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R.G. Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. P. Buat-Menard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. E. Maneux
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Veyssy, E., Etcheber, H., Lin, R. et al. Seasonal variation and origin of Particulate Organic Carbon in the lower Garonne River at La Reole (southwestern France). Hydrobiologia 391, 113–126 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003520907962

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003520907962

Search

Navigation