Sources and biodegradability of dissolved organic matter in two headwater peatland catchments at the Marcell Experimental Forest,northern Minnesota,USA

Where they are present in catchments, peatlands are a dominant source of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to surrounding waterways due, in part, to high production rates. Despite the preponderance of peatlands in northern latitudes and expected peatland vulnerability to climate change, little is known about peatland DOM degradation relative to a more comprehensive understanding of degradation when DOM is sourced from upland-dominated catchments. We compared DOM biodegradability of various sources of stream water in two catchments having peatlands (22%–33% of the area) surrounded by upland forests (70%–90% of the area, either deciduous or coniferous). We measured total organic carbon (TOC), and biodegradable dissolved organic carbon concentrations; bacterial respiration rates; streamflow; and upland runoff during and after snowmelt (March to June, 2009–2011). We also explored if DOM in upland runoff stimulated biodegradation of peatland-derived DOM (i.e., a priming effect), and if forest cover type affected DOM biodegradability. As expected, the peatlands were the largest sources of both water (72%–80%) and TOC (92%–96%) to the streams although more area in each catchment was in uplands (70%–90%). Several results were unexpected, yet revealing: (1) DOM from peatlands sometimes had the same biodegradability as DOM from uplands, (2) upland sources of DOM had negligible effects on biodegradability in the peatland and downstream, and (3) upland deciduous cover did not yield more degradable DOM than conifer cover. The most pronounced effect of upland runoff was dilution of downstream TOC concentrations when there was upland runoff. Overall, the effects of upland DOM may have been negligible due to the overriding effect of the large amount of biodegradable DOM that originated in bogs. This research highlights that peatland-sourced DOM has important effects on downstream DOM biodegradability even in catchments where upland area is substantially larger than peatland area.     

The stable isotopes of natural waters at the Marcell Experimental Forest

We present a new data set from the Marcell Experimental Forest (MEF) that compiles water isotope measurements from multiple research catchments, some of which have been studied since the 1960s. The MEF is located in northern Minnesota, USA, and is home to heavily studied and monitored forests, streams, bogs, and fens. Peat-forming systems (bogs and fens) are an important component of the MEF landscape and have a profound impact on the water cycle in these catchments. Within the last decade, analysis of stable isotopes of water (expressed as δD and δ¹⁸O) has been implemented to characterize the different components of the water budget, and to allow researchers to look at catchment and peatland-specific hydrologic effects in the watershed. This δD and δ¹⁸O data set of natural waters from MEF catchments is primarily composed of measurements from three peatlands (S1, S2, S6) during an 11-year period. More recently collection and analysis were expanded to also include samples from the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE) project in the S1 bog, peatlands S3, S4, S5, as well as nearby lakes. We establish a local meteoric water line by analyzing the isotopic composition of precipitation, which fills a void in regional meteoric water lines for Minnesota. Furthermore, we establish baseline isotopic composition for bog outlet streams, bog porewater, aquifer groundwater, overland flow, subsurface stormflow, and snowpack, as well as runoff from the SPRUCE experimental chambers. These data are publicly available and will be expanded upon in the future.     

Experimental catchments in the Pampa biome: Database on hydrology in grasslands and eucalyptus plantations in subtropical Brazil

The introduction of exotic, fast-growing forest species in the Pampa biome (Southern Grasslands) is a controversial topic, considering the potential effect on water and soil resources. This repository contains hydrologic data (rainfall, discharge and turbidity) collected since 2011 in three small (≤1.1 km²), paired experimental catchments of the “Ponta da Canas” site, in the Pampa biome in subtropical Brazil. Two catchments are predominantly covered with eucalyptus plantations, and one with livestock-grazing degraded grassland. For each catchment, the collected data include 10-min resolution rainfall, streamflow, and turbidity (except for one of the eucalyptus catchments), automatically recorded in 10-min intervals. In each catchment, rainfall is measured with an automatic tipping-bucket rain gauge; stream depth is determined with a pressure transducer at the spillway, and a rating curve is used to estimate discharge; and turbidity is measured with a turbidimeter. The collected data are being used to understand water balance and sediment production under the distinct land uses, to improve forest management, and comply with State legislation.     

The Fernow Experimental Forest,West Virginia,USA: Insights,datasets, and opportunities

Long-term experimental watershed studies have significantly influenced our global understanding of hydrological processes. The discovery and characterization of how stream water quantity and quality respond to a changing environment (e.g. land-use change, acidic deposition) has only been possible due to the establishment of catchments devoted to long-term study. One such catchment is the Fernow Experimental Forest (FEF) located in the headwaters of the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia, a region that provides essential freshwater ecosystem services to eastern and mid-western United States communities. Established in 1934, the FEF is among the earliest experimental watershed studies in the Eastern United States that continues to address emergent challenges to forest ecosystems, including climate change and other threats to forest health. This data note describes available data and presents some findings from more than 50 years of hydrologic research at the FEF. During the first few decades, research at the FEF focused on the relationship between forest management and hydrological processes—especially those related to the overall water balance. Later, research included the examination of interactions between hydrology and soil erosion, biogeochemistry, N-saturation, and acid deposition. Hydro-climatologic and water quality datasets from long-term measurements and data from short-duration studies are publicly available to provide new insights and foster collaborations that will continue to advance our understanding of hydrology in forested headwater catchments. As a result of its rich history of research and abundance of long-term data, the FEF is positioned to continue to advance understanding of forest ecosystems in a time of unprecedented change.     

Forest operations,tree species composition and decline in rainfall explain runoff changes in the Nacimiento experimental catchments,south central Chile

Few long-term studies have explored how intensively managed short rotation forest plantations interact with climate variability. We examine how prolonged severe drought and forest operations affect runoff in 11 experimental catchments on private corporate forest land near Nacimiento in south central Chile over the period 2008–2019. The catchments (7.7–414 ha) contain forest plantations of exotic fast-growing species (Pinus radiata, Eucalyptus spp.) at various stages of growth in a Mediterranean climate (mean long-term annual rainfall = 1381 mm). Since 2010, a drought, unprecedented in recent history, has reduced rainfall at Nacimiento by 20%, relative to the long-term mean. Pre-drought runoff ratios were <0.2 under 8-year-old Eucalyptus; >0.4 under 21-year-old Radiata pine and >0.8 where herbicide treatments had controlled vegetation for 2 years in 38% of the catchment area. Early in the study period, clearcutting of Radiata pine (85%–95% of catchment area) increased streamflow by 150 mm as compared with the year before harvest, while clearcutting and partial cuts of Eucalyptus did not increase streamflow. During 2008–2019, the combination of emerging drought and forestry treatments (replanting with Eucalyptus after clearcutting of Radiata pine and Eucalyptus) reduced streamflow by 400–500 mm, and regeneration of previously herbicide-treated vegetation combined with growth of Eucalyptus plantations reduced streamflow by 1125 mm (87% of mean annual precipitation 2010–2019). These results from one of the most comprehensive forest catchment studies in the world on private industrial forest land indicate that multiple decades of forest management have reduced deep soil moisture reservoirs. This effect has been exacerbated by drought and conversion from Radiata pine to Eucalyptus, apparently largely eliminating subsurface supply to streamflow. The findings reveal tradeoffs between wood production and water supply, provide lessons for adapting forest management to the projected future drier climate in Chile, and underscore the need for continued experimental work in managed forest plantations.     

Topographically moderated soil water seasons impact vegetation dynamics in semiarid mountain catchments: Illustrations from the Dry Creek Experimental Watershed,Idaho, USA

Water stored in soils, in part, controls vegetation productivity and the duration of growing seasons in wildland ecosystems. Soil water is the dynamic product of precipitation, evapotranspiration and soil properties, all of which vary across complex terrain making it challenging to decipher the specific controls that soil water has on growing season dynamics. We assess how soil water use by plants varies across elevations and aspects in the Dry Creek Experimental Watershed in southwest Idaho, USA, a mountainous, semiarid catchment that spans low elevation rain to high elevation snow regimes. We compare trends in soil water and soil temperature with corresponding trends in insolation, precipitation and vegetation productivity, and we observe trends in the timing, rate and duration of soil water extraction by plants across ranges in elevation and aspect. The initiation of growth-supporting conditions, indicated by soil warming, occurs 58 days earlier at lower, compared with higher, elevations. However, growth-supporting conditions also end earlier at lower elevations due to the onset of soil water depletion 29 days earlier than at higher elevations. A corresponding shift in peak NDVI timing occurs 61 days earlier at lower elevations. Differences in timing also occur with aspect, with most threshold timings varying by 14–30 days for paired north- and south-facing sites at similar elevations. While net primary productivity nearly doubles at higher elevations, the duration of the warm-wet period of active water use does not vary systematically with elevation. Instead, the greater ecosystem productivity is related to increased soil water storage capacity, which supports faster soil water use and growth rates near the summer solstice and peak insolation. Larger soil water storage does not appear to extend the duration of the growing season, but rather supports higher growing season intensity when wet-warm soil conditions align with high insolation. These observations highlight the influence of soil water storage capacity in dictating ecological function in these semiarid steppe climatic regimes.     

Long-term hydrology and aquatic biogeochemistry data from H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest,Cascade Mountains,Oregon

The H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest (HJA) encompasses the 6400 ha Lookout Creek watershed in western Oregon, USA. Hydrologic, chemistry and precipitation data have been collected, curated, and archived for up to 70 years. The HJA was established in 1948 to study the effects of harvest of old-growth conifer forest and logging-road construction on water quality, quantity and vegetation succession. Over time, research questions have expanded to include terrestrial and aquatic species, communities and ecosystem dynamics. There are nine small experimental watersheds and 10 gaging stations in the HJA, including both reference and experimentally treated watersheds. Gaged watershed areas range from 8.5 to 6242 ha. All gaging stations record stage height, water conductivity, water temperature and above-stream air temperature. At nine of the gage sites, flow-proportional water samples are collected and composited over 3-week intervals for chemical analysis. Analysis of stream and precipitation chemistry began in 1968. Analytes include dissolved and particulate species of nitrogen and phosphorus, dissolved organic carbon, pH, specific conductance, suspended sediment, alkalinity, and major cations and anions. Supporting climate measurements began in the 1950s in association with the first small watershed experiments. Over time, and following the initiation of the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) grant in 1980, infrastructure expanded to include a set of benchmark and secondary meteorological stations located in clearings spanning the elevation range within the Lookout Creek watershed, as well as a large number of forest understory temperature stations. Extensive metadata on sensor configurations, changes in methods over time, sensor accuracy and precision, and data quality control flags are associated with the HJA data.     

Acidification recovery in a changing climate: Observations from thirty-five years of stream chemistry monitoring in forested headwater catchments at the Turkey Lakes watershed,Ontario

Long-term ecosystem studies are valuable for understanding integrated ecosystem response to global changes in atmospheric deposition and climate. We examined trends for a 35-year period (1982/83–2017/18) in concentrations of a range of solutes in precipitation and stream water from nine headwater catchments spanning elevation and surficial geology gradients at the Turkey Lakes watershed (TLW) in northeastern Ontario, Canada. Average annual water year (WY, October to September) concentrations in precipitation significantly declined over the period for sulphate (SO₄²⁻), nitrate (NO₃⁻) and chloride (Cl⁻), while calcium (Ca²⁺) and potassium (K⁺) concentrations increased, resulting in a significant pH increase from 4.2 to 5.7. Trends in stream chemistry through time are generally consistent with expectations associated with acidification recovery. Concentration of many stream water solutes (SO₄²⁻, Cl⁻, calcium [Ca²⁺], magnesium [Mg²⁺] and NH₄⁺ generally decreased, while others (silica [SiO₂] and dissolved organic carbon [DOC]) generally increased. Increases were also observed for alkalinity (six of nine catchments), acid neutralizing capacity ([ANC]; six of nine catchments) and pH (eight of nine catchments), while conductivity declined (six of nine catchments). Variability in trends among catchments are associated with differences in surficial geology and wetland cover. While absolute solute concentrations were generally lower at bedrock dominated high-elevation catchments compared to till dominated lower elevation catchments, the rate of change of concentration was often greater for high elevation catchments. This study confirms continued, but non-linear stream chemistry recovery from acidification, particularly at the less buffered high and moderate elevation sites. The heterogeneity of responses among catchments highlights our incomplete understanding of the relative importance of different mechanisms influencing stream chemistry and the consequences for downstream ecosystems.     

Development of new spectral reflectance indices for the detection of lichens and mosses moisture content in the Hudson Bay Lowlands,Canada

Assessing moisture contents of lichens and mosses using ground‐based high‐spectral resolution spectrometers offers immense opportunities for a comprehensive monitoring of peatland moisture status by satellite/airborne imagery. This study investigates the impact of various moisture conditions of the lichens Cladina stellaris and Cladina rangiferina, and the mosses Dicranum elongatum and Tomenthypnum nitens on the spectral signatures obtained. Reflectance and moisture content measurements of these species were made in a laboratory setting, while maintaining the natural moisture conditions of the samples; once the moisture and spectral measurements were complete, the samples were returned to the field and placed in their natural setting, continuously receiving moisture from precipitation and groundwater and losing water through evaporation and drainage. Previously, we correlated the present spectral indices with the moisture contents of the above species, whereas the current study developed new species‐specific indices to improve the detection of the plants' moisture contents. The relationship between the plants' moisture content and the water table position was examined as well. It was found that the lichens are not responsive to variations in the water table position, whereas the mosses, specifically D. elongatum, are quite sensitive to changes in the water table position. Thus, the use of the mosses spectral indices may contribute to an indirect evaluation of the water table position. Overall, the results suggest that the unique spectral signatures of the above species can be detected by satellite and airborne imagery, whereas the mosses, can be used as indicators of peatlands moisture status. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Watershed studies at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest: Building on a long legacy of research with new approaches and sources of data

The Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) was established in 1955 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service out of concerns about the effects of logging increasing flooding and erosion. To address this issue, within the HBEF hydrological and micrometeorological monitoring was initiated in small watersheds designated for harvesting experiments. The Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study (HBES) originated in 1963, with the idea of using the small watershed approach to study element fluxes and cycling and the response of forest ecosystems to disturbances, such as forest management practices and air pollution. Early evidence of acid rain was documented at the HBEF and research by scientists at the site helped shape acid rain mitigation policies. New lines of investigation at the HBEF have built on the long legacy of watershed research resulting in a shift from comparing inputs and outputs and quantifying pools and fluxes to a more mechanistic understanding of ecosystem processes within watersheds. For example, hydropedological studies have shed light on linkages between hydrologic flow paths and soil development that provide valuable perspective for managing forests and understanding stream water quality. New high frequency in situ stream chemistry sensors are providing insights about extreme events and diurnal patterns that were indiscernible with traditional weekly sampling. Additionally, tools are being developed for visual and auditory data exploration and discovery by a broad audience. Given the unprecedented environmental change that is occurring, data from the small watersheds at the HBEF are more relevant now than ever and will continue to serve as a basis for sound environmental decision-making.     

High‐frequency precipitation and stream water quality time series from Plynlimon,Wales: an openly accessible data resource spanning the periodic table

This scientific briefing announces the availability of a new multi‐element high‐frequency water quality data set that is openly accessible to the research community. The data set comprises up to 2 years of 7‐hourly water quality data for two streams and one rainfall site in the Upper Severn catchment at Plynlimon in Mid‐Wales. The measurements cover 50 analytes ranging from H⁺ to U and spanning six orders of magnitude in concentration, including major, minor and trace elements as well as nutrients, and they complement decades of weekly measurements of the same analytes at the Upper Severn. Together, the weekly and 7‐hourly time series provide a unique data set for studying both long‐term trends and short‐term dynamics. The data show complex behaviour over a wide range of timescales, challenging our understanding of catchment processes and informing future modelling efforts. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Past and projected future changes in snowpack and soil frost at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest,New Hampshire,USA

Long‐term data from the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire show that air temperature has increased by about 1 °C over the last half century. The warmer climate has caused significant declines in snow depth, snow water equivalent and snow cover duration. Paradoxically, it has been suggested that warmer air temperatures may result in colder soils and more soil frost, as warming leads to a reduction in snow cover insulating soils during winter. Hubbard Brook has one of the longest records of direct field measurements of soil frost in the United States. Historical records show no long‐term trends in maximum annual frost depth, which is possibly confounded by high interannual variability and infrequency of major soil frost events. As a complement to field measurements, soil frost can be modelled reliably using knowledge of the physics of energy and water transfer. We simulated soil freezing and thawing to the year 2100 using a soil energy and water balance model driven by statistically downscaled climate change projections from three atmosphere‐ocean general circulation models under two emission scenarios. Results indicated no major changes in maximum annual frost depth and only a slight increase in number of freeze–thaw events. The most important change suggested by the model is a decline in the number of days with soil frost, stemming from a concurrent decline in the number of snow‐covered days. This shortening of the frost‐covered period has important implications for forest ecosystem processes such as tree phenology and growth, hydrological flowpaths during winter, and biogeochemical processes in soil. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaporation from seasonally frozen bare and vegetated ground at various groundwater table depths in the Ordos Basin,Northwest China

In cold climates, the process of freezing–thawing significantly affects the ground surface heat balance and water balance. To better understand the mechanism of evaporation from seasonally frozen soils, we performed field experiments at different water table depths on vegetated and bare ground in a semiarid region in China. Soil moisture and temperature, air temperature, precipitation, and water table depths were measured over a 5‐month period (November 1, 2016, to March 14, 2017). The evaporation, which was calculated by a mass balance method, was high in the periods of thawing and low in the periods of freezing. Increased water table depth in the freezing period led to high soil moisture in the upper soil layer, whereas lower initial groundwater levels during freezing–thawing decreased the cumulative evaporation. The extent of evaporation from the bare ground was the same in summer as in winter. These results indicate that a noteworthy amount of evaporation from the bare ground is present during freezing–thawing. Finally, the roots of Salix psammophila could increase the soil temperature. This study presents an insight into the joint effects of soil moisture, temperature, ground vegetation, and water table depths on the evaporation from seasonally frozen soils. Furthermore, it also has important implications for water management in seasonally frozen areas.     

Patterns in stream longitudinal profiles and implications for hyporheic exchange flow at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest,Oregon, USA

There is a need to identify measurable characteristics of stream channel morphology that vary predictably throughout stream networks and that influence patterns of hyporheic exchange flow in mountain streams. In this paper we characterize stream longitudinal profiles according to channel unit spacing and the concavity of the water surface profile. We demonstrate that: (1) the spacing between zones of upwelling and downwelling in the beds of mountain streams is closely related to channel unit spacing; (2) the magnitude of the vertical hydraulic gradients (VHGs) driving hyporheic exchange flow increase with increasing water surface concavity, measured at specific points along the longitudinal profile; (3) channel unit spacing and water surface concavity are useful metrics for predicting how patterns in hyporheic exchange vary amongst headwater and mid‐order streams. We use regression models to describe changes in channel unit spacing and concavity in longitudinal profiles for 12 randomly selected stream reaches spanning 62 km² in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon. Channel unit spacing increased significantly, whereas average water surface concavity (AWSC) decreased significantly with increasing basin area. Piezometer transects installed longitudinally in a subset of stream reaches were used to measure VHG in the hyporheic zone, and to determine the location of upwelling and downwelling zones. Predictions for median pool length and median distance between steps in piezometer reaches bracketed the median distance separating zones of upwelling in the stream bed. VHG in individual piezometers increased with increasing water surface concavity at individual points in the longitudinal profile along piezometer transects. Absolute values of VHG, averaged throughout piezometer transects, increased with increasing AWSC, indicating increased potential for hyporheic exchange flow. These findings suggest that average hyporheic flow path lengths increase—and the potential for hyporheic exchange flow in stream reaches decreases—along the continuum from headwater to mid‐order mountain streams. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Joint interpretation of hydrological and geophysical data: electrical resistivity tomography results from a process hydrological research site in the Black Forest Mountains,Germany

The use of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT; non‐intrusive geophysical technique) was assessed to identify the hydrogeological conditions at a surface water/groundwater test site in the southern Black Forest, Germany. A total of 111 ERT transects were measured, which adopted electrode spacings from 0·5 to 5 m as well as using either Wenner or dipole‐dipole electrode arrays. The resulting two‐dimensional (2D) electrical resistivity distributions are related to the structure and water content of the subsurface. The images were interpreted with respect to previous classical hillslope hydrological investigations within the same research basin using both tracer methods and groundwater level observations. A raster‐grid survey provided a quasi 3D resistivity pattern of the floodplain. Strong structural heterogeneity of the subsurface could be demonstrated, and (non)connectivities between surface and subsurface bodies were mapped. Through the spatial identification of likely flow pathways and source areas of runoff, the deep groundwater within the steeper valley slope seems to be much more connected to runoff generation processes within the valley floodplain than commonly credited in such environmental circumstances. Further, there appears to be no direct link between subsurface water‐bodies adjacent to the stream channel. Deep groundwater sources are also able to contribute towards streamflow from exfiltration at the edge of the floodplain as well as through the saturated areas overlying the floodplain itself. Such exfiltrated water then moves towards the stream as channelized surface flow. These findings support previous tracer investigations which showed that groundwater largely dominates the storm hydrograph of the stream, but the source areas of this component were unclear without geophysical measurements. The work highlighted the importance of using information from previous, complementary hydrochemical and hydrometric research campaigns to better interpret the ERT measurements. On the other hand, the ERT can provide a better spatial understanding of existing hydrochemical and hydrometric data. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.