Fluxes of inorganic carbon from two forested catchments in the Appalachian mountains

This study uses long‐term records of stream chemistry, discharge and air temperature from two neighbouring forested catchments in the southern Appalachians in order to calculate production of dissolved CO₂ and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). One of the pair of catchments was clear‐felled during the period of the study. The study shows that: (1) areal production rates of both dissolved CO₂ and DIC are similar between the two catchments even during and immediately after the period of clear‐felling; (2) flux of total inorganic carbon (dissolved CO₂+ DIC) rises dramatically in response to a catchment‐wide acidification event; (3) DIC and dissolved CO₂ are dominantly released on the old water portion of the discharge and concentrations peak in the early autumn when flows in the study catchments are at their lowest; (4) total fluvial carbon flux from the clear‐felled catchment is 11·6 t km⁻² year⁻¹ and for the control catchment is 11·4 t km⁻² year⁻¹. The total inorganic carbon flux represents 69% of the total fluvial carbon flux. The method presented in the study provides a useful way of estimating inorganic carbon flux from a catchment without detailed gas monitoring. The time series of dissolved CO₂ at emergence to the stream can also be a proxy for the soil flux of CO₂. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Total waterborne carbon export and DOC composition from ten nested subarctic peatland catchments—importance of peatland cover,groundwater influence,and inter‐annual variability of precipitation patterns

Waterborne carbon (C) export from terrestrial ecosystems is a potentially important flux for the net catchment C balance and links the biogeochemical C cycling of terrestrial ecosystems to their downstream aquatic ecosystems. We have monitored hydrology and stream chemistry over 3 years in ten nested catchments (0.6–15.1 km²) with variable peatland cover (0%–22%) and groundwater influence in subarctic Sweden. Total waterborne C export, including dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC and POC) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), ranged between 2.8 and 7.3 g m^–2 year^–1, representing ~10%–30% of catchment net ecosystem exchange of CO₂. Several characteristics of catchment waterborne C export were affected by interacting effects of peatland cover and groundwater influence, including magnitude and timing, partitioning into DOC, POC, and DIC and chemical composition of the exported DOC. Waterborne C export was greater during the wetter years, equivalent to an average change in export of ~2 g m^–2 year^–1 per 100 mm of precipitation. Wetter years led to a greater relative increase in DIC export than DOC export due to an inferred relative shift in dominance from shallow organic flow pathways to groundwater sources. Indices of DOC composition (SUVA₂₅₄ and a₂₅₀/a₃₆₅) indicated that DOC aromaticity and average molecular weight increased with catchment peatland cover and decreased with increased groundwater influence. Our results provide examples on how waterborne C export and DOC composition might be affected by climate change. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Carbon dioxide,methane, and dissolved carbon dynamics in an urbanized river system

Estimates of greenhouse gas evasion from rivers have been refined over the past decades to constrain their role in global carbon cycle processes. However, despite 55% of the human population living in urban areas, urban rivers have had limited attention. We monitored carbon dynamics in an urbanized river (River Kelvin, 331 km², UK) to explore the drivers of dissolved carbon lateral and vertical export. Over a 2-year sampling period, riverine methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations were consistently oversaturated with respect to atmospheric equilibria, leading to continual degassing to the atmosphere. Carbon stable isotopic compositions (δ¹³C) indicated that terrestrially derived carbon comprised most of the riverine CH₄ and dissolved CO₂ (CO₂*) load while dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from groundwater was the main form of riverine DIC. The dynamics of CH₄, CO₂*, and DIC in the river were primarily hydrology-controlled, that is, [CH₄] and [CO₂*] both increased with elevated discharge, total [DIC] decreased with elevated discharge while the proportion of biologically derived DIC increased with increasing discharge. The concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) showed a weak relationship with river hydrology in summer and autumn and was likely influenced by the combined sewer overflows. Carbon emission to the atmosphere is estimated to be 3.10 ± 0.61 kg C·m⁻²·yr⁻¹ normalized to water surface area, with more than 99% emitted as CO₂. Annual carbon loss to the coastal estuary is approximately 4.69 ± 0.70 Gg C yr⁻¹, with annual DIC export approximately double that of DOC. Per unit area, the River Kelvin was a smaller carbon source to the atmosphere than natural rivers/streams but shows elevated fluxes of DIC and DOC under comparable conditions. This research illustrates the role urban systems may have on riverine carbon dynamics and demonstrates the potential tight link between urbanization and riverine carbon export.     

Riverine export of water,sediment and carbon during flood events in the arid to semi-arid Wuding River on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Floods have become increasingly important in fluvial export of water, sediment and carbon (C). Using high-frequency sampling, the export of water, sediment and C was examined in the Wuding River catchment on the Chinese Loess Plateau. With groundwater as an important contributor to runoff all year round, floods were relatively less important in the export of water. However, large floods were disproportionately important in exporting sediment and inorganic C (DIC) and organic C (DOC and POC). The three largest floods in each year transported 53.6–97.3 and 41.4–77% of the annual sediment and C fluxes, respectively. An extreme flood in 2017 alone contributed 94.6 and 73.1% of the annual sediment and C fluxes, respectively, in just 7 days, which included 20.3, 92.1 and 35.7% of the annual DOC, POC and DIC fluxes, respectively. A stable carbon isotope (δ¹³C) analysis of POC indicated that modern soils and C3 plants were its primary source. Furthermore, floods greatly accelerated CO₂ degassing due to elevated gas transfer velocity, although stream water CO₂ partial pressure (pCO₂) exhibited a decreasing trend with flow discharge. Although these results illustrated that increasing runoff diluted pCO₂, the timing and magnitude of floods were found to be critical in determining the response of pCO₂ to flow dynamics. Low-magnitude floods in the early wet season increased pCO₂ because of enhanced organic matter input, while subsequent large floods caused a lower pCO₂ due to greatly reduced organic matter supply. Finally, continuous monitoring of a complete flood event showed that the CO₂ efflux during the flood (2348 ± 664 mg C m^–2 day^–1) was three times that under low-flow conditions (808 ± 98 mg C m^–2 day^–1). Our study suggests that infrequent, heavy storm events, which are predicted to increase under climate change, will greatly alter the transport regimes of sediment and C. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reconstructing long‐term records of dissolved CO2

The dissolved CO₂ concentration of stream waters is an important component of the terrestrial carbon cycle. This study reconstructs long‐term records of dissolved CO₂ concentration for the outlets of two large catchments (818 and 586 km²) in northern England. The study shows that:

• 1. The flux of dissolved CO₂ from the catchments (as carbon per catchment area), when adjusted for that which would be carried by the river water at equilibrium with the atmosphere, is between 0 and 0·39 t km⁻² year⁻¹ for the River Tees and between 0 and 0·65 t km⁻² year⁻¹ for the River Coquet.
• 2. The flux of dissolved CO₂ is closely correlated with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export and is unrelated to dissolved CO₂ export from the headwaters of the study catchments.
• 3. The evasion rate of CO₂ from the rivers (as carbon per stream area) is between 0·0 and 1·49 kg m⁻² year⁻¹, and calculated in‐stream productions of CO₂ are estimated as between 0·5 and 2·5% of the stream evasion rate.
• 4. By mass balance, it is estimated that 8% of the annual flux of DOC is lost within the streams of the catchment.

The study shows that the loss of CO₂ from the streams of the Tees catchment is between 3·1 and 7·5 kt year⁻¹ (as carbon) for the River Tees, which is the same order as annual CH₄ flux from peats within the catchment and approximately 50% of the net CO₂ exchange to the peats of the catchment. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fluvial carbon export and CO2 efflux in representative nested headwater catchments of the eastern La Plata River Basin

This study involved a baseline evaluation of fluvial carbon export and degas rates in three nested rural catchments (1 to 80 km²) in Taboão, a representative experimental catchment of the Upper Uruguay River Basin. Analyses of the carbon content in stream waters and the catchment carbon yield were based on 4‐year monthly in situ data and statistical modeling using the United States Geological Survey load estimator model. We also estimated p CO₂ and degas fluxes using carbonate equilibrium and gas‐exchange formulas. Our results indicated that the water was consistently p CO₂ saturated (~90% of the cases) and that the steep terrain favors high gas evasion rates. The mean calculated fluvial export was 5.4 tC·km^?2·year^?1 with inorganic carbon dominating (dissolved inorganic carbon:dissolved organic carbon ratio >4), and degas rates (~40 tC km^?2·year^?1) were nearly sevenfold higher than the downstream export. The homogeneous land use in this nested catchment system results in similar water‐quality characteristics, and therefore, export rates are expected to be closely related to the rainfall–runoff relationships at each scale. Although the sampling campaigns did not fully reproduce storm‐event conditions and related effects such as flushing or dilution of in‐stream carbon, our results indicated a potential link between dissolved inorganic carbon and slower hydrological pathways related to subsurface water storage and movement.     

Variability of nutrients and carbon dioxide in the Antarctic Intermediate Water between 1990 and 2014

Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) formation constitutes an important mechanism for the export of macronutrients out of the Southern Ocean that fuels primary production in low latitudes. We used quality-controlled gridded data from five hydrographic cruises between 1990 and 2014 to examine decadal variability in nutrients and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the AAIW (neutral density range 27 < γ _n <? 27.4) along the Prime Meridian. Significant positive trends were found in DIC (0.70 ± 0.4 μmol kg^??1 year^??1) and nitrate (0.08 ± 0.06 μ mol kg^??1 year^??1) along with decreasing trends in temperature (??0.015 ± 0.01^°C year^??1) and salinity (??0.003 ± 0.002 year^??1) in the AAIW. Accompanying this is an increase in apparent oxygen utilization (AOU, 0.16 ± 0.07 μ mol kg^??1 year^??1). We estimated that 75% of the DIC change has an anthropogenic origin. The remainder of the trends support a scenario of a strengthening of the upper-ocean overturning circulation in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean in response to the positive trend in the Southern Annular Mode. A decrease in net primary productivity (more nutrients unutilized) in the source waters of the AAIW could have contributed as well but cannot fully explain all observed changes.     

Dynamics and fluxes of organic carbon and nitrogen in two Guiana Shield river basins impacted by deforestation and mining activities

Deforestation and mining activities have proven to be very damaging to rivers because these activities disturb the environmental characteristics of rivers. Thus, the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate nitrogen (PN), and Chlorophyll‐a (Chl‐a) were measured monthly during 2 hydrological years in the Maroni and Oyapock Rivers to assess the dynamics and fluxes of organic carbon and nitrogen in these 2 Guiana Shield basins, which have been strongly (Maroni) and weakly (Oyapock) impacted by deforestation and mining activities. The 2‐year time series show that DOC, POC, PN, and Chl‐a concentrations vary seasonally with discharge in both rivers, indicating a hydrologically dominated control. Temporal patterns of DOC, POC, and PN indicate that these variables show maximum concentrations in rising waters due to the yield of organic matter and nitrogen accumulated in soils, which are incorporated into the rivers during rainfall. However, the Chl‐a concentrations were at a maximum during low‐water stages. The C/N and C/Chl‐a ratios also showed a seasonal trend, with lower values during the low water periods due to an increase in algal biomass. During high water, the POC in both rivers is the result of terrestrial organic matter, whereas during low‐water autochthonous organic matter can reach up to 34% of the POC. The mean annual fluxes of TOC and PN were higher (4.56 × 10⁵ tonC year^?1 and 1.77 × 10⁴ tonN year^?1, respectively) in the Maroni River than those (1.84 × 10⁵ tonC year^?1 and 0.54 × 10⁴ tonN year^?1, respectively) in the Oyapock River. However, the specific fluxes of DOC, POC, and PN from both basins were nearly the same. Although gold mining activities are performed in both basins, there is no conclusive evidence regarding the impact of these activities on the dynamics of organic matter and particulate nitrogen in the Maroni and Oyapock Rivers.     

Is net ecosystem production higher in natural relative to constructed wetlands?

Ecosystem metabolism is an important measure of wetland restoration efficiency, and serves to indicate if the system is capable of processing energetic resources. Despite its value, ecosystem metabolism has rarely been included in monitoring programs. In this study, we aimed to achieve the following objectives: (i) compare net ecosystem production (NEP) rates of constructed vs. natural wetlands; (ii) identify the highest NEP rate habitats; and (iii) define the main environmental factors regulating NEP in different wetland types. Pelagic and benthic NEP rates and physicochemical features were measured in three natural and five constructed wetlands in the middle Ebro River floodplain (NE Spain). Statistical analyses showed pelagic NEP rates peaked in natural wetlands, which produced up to 187.5 mg C m^?3 h^?1 compared to lower rates in constructed wetlands (up to 46.2 mg C m^?3 h^?1). Pelagic NEP responded positively to temperature, total dissolved solids, and nutrients. Benthic NEP rates were 3 to 30-fold greater than pelagic in natural (up to 994.9 mg C m^?3 h^?1) and constructed (up to 1,551.5 mg C m^?3 h^?1) wetlands, and were heavily influenced by habitat type, with NEP peaking in areas dominated by submerged vegetation and fine organic sediment. Rapid recovery in aquatic communities (i.e. macroinvertebrate diversity) has been previously reported for the studied wetlands; however, our study suggests a slower recovery of functional processes (i.e. pelagic NEP) in constructed habitats. We therefore strongly advocate the inclusion of ecosystem function in the design and evaluation of restoration projects to optimise long-term wetland ecosystem sustainability.     

Dissolved inorganic carbon evolution in neutral discharge from mine tailings piles

We measured the concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and major ions and the stable carbon isotope ratios of DIC (δ¹³C_DIC) in two creeks discharging from carbonate‐rich sulphide‐containing mine tailings piles. Our aim was to assess downstream carbon evolution of the tailings discharge as it interacted with the atmosphere. The discharge had pH of 6.5–8.1 and was saturated with respect to carbonates. Over the reach of one creek, the DIC concentrations decreased by 1.1 mmol C/l and δ¹³C_DIC increased by ~4.0‰ 200 m from the seep source. The decrease in the DIC concentrations was concomitant with decreases in the partial pressure of CO_2(aq) because of the loss of excess CO_2(aq) from the discharge. The corresponding enrichment in the δ¹³C_DIC is because of kinetic isotope fractionation accompanying the loss of CO_2(g). Over the reach of the other creek, there was no significant decrease in the DIC concentrations or notable changes in the δ¹³C_DIC. The insignificant change in the DIC concentrations and the δ¹³C_DIC is because the first water sample was collected 160 m away from the discharge seep, not accessible during this research. In this case, most of the excess CO_2(aq) was lost before our first sampling station. Our results indicate that neutral discharges from tailings piles quickly lose excess CO_2(aq) to the atmosphere and the DIC becomes enrich in ¹³C. We suggest that a significant amount of carbon cycling in neutral discharges from tailings piles occur close to the locations where the discharge seeps to the surface. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Loss of optical and molecular indicators of terrigenous dissolved organic matter during long-term photobleaching

Two water samples from the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge with high dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentrations (51 and 121 mg C L^?1) were subjected to ultraviolet (UV) light for up to 110 days. During the course of the irradiations, 74–88 % of the original dissolved organic carbon was lost along with 95–99 % of the absorption at 300 nm. Based on changes observed during light exposure, three pools of DOM were identified: photo-labile, photo-refractory, and photo-produced compounds. Solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used to determine structural moieties characteristic to each of these pools. These analyses showed aromatic carbons were preferentially removed while carbohydrate-like and amide/peptide-like carbons were preserved during UV exposure. An increase in carbon normalized ¹³C NMR signal in the 0–50 ppm region suggests that alkyl moieties were produced, while FTIR signal at 1,745 cm^?1 and two-dimensional ¹H–¹³C NMR results confirmed the photochemical production of acetate. Several properties typically used to trace terrigenous DOM in ocean margin and marine environments were significantly altered. Optical properties, including absorption spectral slopes and fluorescence indices, as well as carbon-normalized lignin yields shifted from terrestrial values towards those more typical of coastal or open ocean samples. The loss of terrestrial signatures during irradiation highlights the difficulty faced when quantifying the contribution of terrigenous DOM to aquatic carbon pools.     

Soil carbon losses by sheet erosion: a potentially critical contribution to the global carbon cycle

Despite soil erosion through water being a ubiquitous process and its environmental consequences being well understood, its effects upon the global carbon cycle still remain largely uncertain. How much soil organic carbon (SOC) is removed each year from soils by sheet wash, an important if not the most efficient mechanism of detachment and transport of surficial soil material? What are the main environnemental controls worldwide? These are important questions which largely remain unanswered. Empirical data from 240 runoff plots studied over entire rainy seasons from different regions of the world were analysed to estimate particulate organic carbon (POC) losses (POC_L), and POC enrichment in the sediments compared to the bulk soil (ER), which can be used as a proxy of the fate of the eroded POC. The median POC_L was 9.9 g C m^‐2 y^‐1 with highest values observed for semi‐arid soils (POC_L = 10.8 g C m^‐2 y^‐1), followed by tropical soils (POC_L = 6.4 g C m^‐2 y^‐1) and temperate soils (POC_L = 1.7 g C m^‐2 y^‐1). Considering the mean POC_L of 27.2 g C m^‐2 y^‐1, the total amount of SOC displaced annually by sheet erosion from its source would be 1.32 ± 0.20 Gt C, i.e. 14.6% of the net annual fossil fuel induced C emissions of 9 Gt C. Because of low sediment enrichment in POC, erosion‐induced CO₂ emissions are likely to be limited in clayey environments while POC burial within hillslopes is likely to constitute an important carbon sink. In contrast, most of the POC displaced from sandy soils is likely to be emitted to the atmosphere. These results underpin the major role sheet wash plays in the displacement of SOC from its source and in the fate of the eroded SOC, with large variations across the different pedo‐climatic regions of the world. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Leaky savannas: the significance of lateral carbon fluxes in the seasonal tropics

Globally, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) accounts for more than half the annual flux of carbon exported from terrestrial ecosystems via rivers. Here, we assess the relative influences of biogeochemical and hydrological processes on DIC fluxes exported from a tropical river catchment characterized by distinct land cover, climate and geology transition from the wet tropical mountains to the low‐lying savanna plains. Processes controlling changes in river DIC were investigated using dissolved organic carbon, particulate organic carbon and DIC concentrations and stable isotope ratios of DIC (δ¹³C_DIC) at two time scales: seasonal and diel. The recently developed Isotopic Continuous Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Analyser was used to measure diel DIC concentration and δ¹³C_DIC changes at a 15‐min temporal resolution. Results highlight the predominance of biologically mediated processes (photosynthesis and respiration) controlling diel changes in DIC. These resulted in DIC concentrations varying between 3.55 and 3.82 mg/l and δ¹³C_DIC values ranging from ?19.7 ± 0.31‰ to ?17.1 ± 0.08‰. In contrast, at the seasonal scale, we observed wet season DIC variations predominantly from mixing processes and dry season DIC variations due to both mixing processes and biological processes. The observed wet season increases in DIC concentrations (by 6.81 mg/l) and δ¹³C_DIC values of river water (by 5.4‰) largely result from proportional increases in subsurface inflows from the savanna plains (C₄ vegetation) region relative to inflows from the rainforest (C₃ vegetation) highlands. The high DIC river load during the wet season resulted in the transfer of 97% of the annual river carbon load. Therefore, in this gaining river, there are significant seasonal variations in both the hydrological and carbon cycles, and there is evidence of substantial coupling between the carbon cycles of the terrestrial and the fluvial environments. Recent identification of a substantial carbon sink in the savannas of northern Australia during wetter years in the recent past does not take into account the possibility of a substantial, rapid, lateral flux of carbon to rivers and back to the atmosphere. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sea-Level Rise from the Late 19th to the Early 21st Century

We estimate the rise in global average sea level from satellite altimeter data for 1993?C2009 and from coastal and island sea-level measurements from 1880 to 2009. For 1993?C2009 and after correcting for glacial isostatic adjustment, the estimated rate of rise is 3.2 ± 0.4 mm year^?1 from the satellite data and 2.8 ± 0.8 mm year^?1 from the in situ data. The global average sea-level rise from 1880 to 2009 is about 210 mm. The linear trend from 1900 to 2009 is 1.7 ± 0.2 mm year^?1 and since 1961 is 1.9 ± 0.4 mm year^?1. There is considerable variability in the rate of rise during the twentieth century but there has been a statistically significant acceleration since 1880 and 1900 of 0.009 ± 0.003 mm year^?2 and 0.009 ± 0.004 mm year^?2, respectively. Since the start of the altimeter record in 1993, global average sea level rose at a rate near the upper end of the sea level projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change??s Third and Fourth Assessment Reports. However, the reconstruction indicates there was little net change in sea level from 1990 to 1993, most likely as a result of the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991.     

Seasonal variations and mechanism for environmental control of NEE of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> concerning the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Potentilla fruticosa</Emphasis> in alpine shrub meadow of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The study by the eddy covariance technique in the alpine shrub meadow of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in 2003 and 2004 showed that the net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) exhibited noticeable diurnal and annual variations, with more distinct daily changes during the warmer seasons. The CO₂ emission of the shrub ecosystem culminated in April and September while the CO₂ absorption capacity reached a maximum in July and August. The absorbed carbon dioxide during the two consecutive years was 231.4 and 274.8 g CO₂·m^?2 respectively, yielding an average of 253.1 gCO₂·m^?2 per year: that accounts for a large proportion of absorbed CO₂ in the region. Obviously, the diurnal carbon flux was negatively related to temperature, radiation and other atmospheric factors. Still, minute discrepancies in kurtosis and duration of carbon emission/absorption were detected between 2003 and 2004. It was found that the CO₂ flux in the daytime was similarly affected by photosynthetic photon flux density in both years. Temperature appears to be the most important determinant of CO₂ flux: specifically, the high temperature during the plant growing season inhibits the carbon absorption capacity. One potential explanation is that soil respiration is enhanced under such condition. Analysis of biomass revealed that the annual net carbon fixed capacity of aboveground and belowground biomass was 544.0 in 2003 and 559.4 g C·m^?2 in 2004, which coincided with the NEE absorption capacity (63.1 g C·m^?2 in 2003 and 74.9 g C·m^?2 in 2004) in the corresponding plant growing season.     

Transfer of carbon dioxide and methane through the soil‐water‐atmosphere system at Mer Bleue peatland,Canada

Surface waters associated with peatlands, supersaturated with CO₂ and CH₄ with respect to the atmosphere, act as important pathways linking a large and potentially unstable global repository of C to the atmosphere. Understanding the drivers and mechanisms which control C release from peatland systems to the atmosphere will contribute to better management and modelling of terrestrial C pools. We used non‐dispersive infra‐red (NDIR) CO₂ sensors to continuously measure gas concentrations in a beaver pond at Mer Bleue peatland (Canada); measurements were made between July and August 2007. Concentrations of CO₂ in the surface water (10 cm) reached 13 mg C l^?1 (epCO₂ 72), and 26 mg C l^?1 (epCO₂ 133) at depth (60 cm). The study also showed large diurnal fluctuations in dissolved CO₂ which ranged in amplitude from ～1·6 mg C l^?1 at 10 cm to ～0·2 mg C l^?1 at 60 cm depth. CH₄ concentration and supersaturation (epCH₄) measured using headspace analysis averaged 1·47 mg C l^?1 and 3252, respectively; diurnal cycling was also evident in CH₄ concentrations. Mean estimated evasion rates of CO₂ and CH₄ over the summer period were 44·92 ± 7·86 and 0·44 ± 0·25 µg C m^?2s^?1, respectively. Open water at Mer Bleue is a significant summer hotspot for greenhouse gas emissions within the catchment. Our results suggest that CO₂ concentrations during the summer in beaver ponds at Mer Bleue are strongly influenced by biological processes within the water column involving aquatic plants and algae (in situ photosynthesis and respiration). In terms of carbon cycling, soil‐stream connectivity at this time of year is therefore relatively weak. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Carbon isotope fractionation of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) due to outgassing of carbon dioxide from a headwater stream

The stable isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ¹³C‐DIC) was investigated as a potential tracer of streamflow generation processes at the Sleepers River Research Watershed, Vermont, USA. Downstream sampling showed δ¹³C‐DIC increased between 3–5‰ from the stream source to the outlet weir approximately 0·5 km downstream, concomitant with increasing pH and decreasing PCO₂. An increase in δ¹³C‐DIC of 2·4 ± 0·1‰ per log unit decrease of excess PCO₂ (stream PCO₂ normalized to atmospheric PCO₂) was observed from downstream transect data collected during snowmelt. Isotopic fractionation of DIC due to CO₂ outgassing rather than exchange with atmospheric CO₂ may be the primary cause of increased δ¹³C‐DIC values downstream when PCO₂ of surface freshwater exceeds twice the atmospheric CO₂ concentration. Although CO₂ outgassing caused a general increase in stream δ¹³C‐DIC values, points of localized groundwater seepage into the stream were identified by decreases in δ¹³C‐DIC and increases in DIC concentration of the stream water superimposed upon the general downstream trend. In addition, comparison between snowmelt, early spring and summer seasons showed that DIC is flushed from shallow groundwater flowpaths during snowmelt and is replaced by a greater proportion of DIC derived from soil CO₂ during the early spring growing season. Thus, in spite of effects from CO₂ outgassing, δ¹³C of DIC can be a useful indicator of groundwater additions to headwater streams and a tracer of carbon dynamics in catchments. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Contrasting carbon export dynamics of human impacted and pristine tropical catchments in response to a short‐lived discharge event

Utilising newly available instrumentation, the carbon balance in two small tropical catchments was measured during two discharge events at high temporal resolution. Catchments share similar climatic conditions, but differ in land use with one draining a pristine rainforest catchment, the other a fully cleared and cultivated catchment. The necessity of high resolution sampling in small catchments was illustrated in each catchment, where significant chemical changes occurred in the space of a few hours or less. Dissolved and particulate carbon transport dominated carbon export from the rainforest catchment during high flow, but was surpassed by degassing of CO₂ less than 4 h after the discharge peak. In contrast, particulate organic carbon dominated export from the cleared catchment, in all flow conditions with CO₂ evasion accounting for 5–23% of total carbon flux. Stable isotopes of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the ephemeral rainforest catchment decreased quickly from ~1.5 ‰ to ~ ?16 ‰ in 5 h from the flood beginning. A two‐point mixing model revealed that in the initial pulse, over 90% of the DIC was of rainwater origin, decreasing to below 30% in low flow. In the cultivated catchment, δ¹³C_DIC values varied significantly less (?11.0 to ?12.2 ‰) but revealed a complex interaction between surface runoff and groundwater sources, with groundwater DIC becoming proportionally more important in high flow, due to activation of macropores downstream. This work adds to an increasing body of work that recognises the importance of rapid, short‐lived hydrological events in low‐order catchments to global carbon dynamics. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The solute budget of a forest catchment and solute fluxes within a Pinus radiata and a secondary native forest site,southern Chile

Solute concentrations and fluxes in rainfall, throughfall and stemflow in two forest types, and stream flow in a 90 ha catchment in southern Chile (39°44′S, 73°10′W) were measured. Bulk precipitation pH was 6·1 and conductivity was low. Cation concentrations in rainfall were low (0·58 mg Ca²⁺ l^?1, 0·13 mg K⁺ l^?1, 0·11 mg Mg²⁺ l^?1 and <0·08 mg NH₄–N l^?1), except for sodium (1·10 mg l^?1). Unexpected high levels of nitrate deposition in rainfall (mean concentration 0·38 mg NO₃–N l^?1, total flux 6·3 kg NO₃–N ha^?1) were measured. Concentrations of soluble phosphorous in bulk precipitation and stream flow were below detection limits (<0·09 mg l^?1) for all events. Stream‐flow pH was 6·3 and conductivity was 28·3 μs. Stream‐water chemistry was also dominated by sodium (2·70 mg l^?1) followed by Ca, Mg and K (1·31, 0·70 and 0·36 mg l^?1). The solute budget indicated a net loss of 3·8 kg Na⁺ ha^?1 year^?1, 5·4 kg Mg²⁺ ha^?1 year^?1, 1·5 kg Ca²⁺ ha^?1 year^?1 and 0·9 kg K⁺ ha^?1 year^?1, while 4·9 kg NO₃–N ha^?1 year^?1 was retained by the ecosystem. Stream water is not suitable for domestic use owing to high manganese and, especially, iron concentrations. Throughfall and stemflow chemistry at a pine stand (Pinus radiata D. Don) and a native forest site (Siempreverde type), both located within the catchment, were compared. Nitrate fluxes within both forest sites were similar (1·3 kg NO₃–N ha^?1 year^?1 as throughfall). Cation fluxes in net rainfall (throughfall plus stemflow) at the pine stand generally were higher (34·8 kg Na⁺ ha^?1 year^?1, 21·5 kg K⁺ ha^?1 year^?1, 5·1 kg Mg²⁺ ha^?1 year^?1) compared with the secondary native forest site (24·7 kg Na⁺ ha^?1 year^?1, 18·9 kg K⁺ ha^?1 year^?1 and 4·4 kg Mg²⁺ ha^?1 year^?1). However, calcium deposition beneath the native forest stand was higher (15·9 kg Ca²⁺ ha^?1 year^?1) compared with the pine stand (12·6 kg Ca²⁺ ha^?1 year^?1). Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatiotemporal variations of dissolved inorganic carbon and controlling factors in a small karstic catchment,Southwestern China

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) is the most important carbon component in karst aquatic system where fluid is highly transmissive, but has rarely been examined in the subtropical karst critical zone (K-CZ). In this study, concentrations of dissolved solutes and isotopic compositions of DIC (δ¹³C_DIC) at 11 sites of a 73.4 km² karstic catchment in Southwestern China were analysed monthly in order to uncover the spatiotemporal variations of both DIC and its dominant sources, and to identify relevant controlling factors. Both DIC concentrations and δ¹³C_DIC were highly variable, ranging from 2.52 to 5.85 mmol l⁻¹ and from −15.7 to −4.5‰, respectively. DIC in underground water (UGW) was higher in concentration and more depleted in ¹³C compared to surface water (SFS). DIC concentrations showed an inconsistent seasonal trend with other solutes, with higher values in the wet season at some sites. δ¹³C_DIC values were lower in the wet season than in the dry season. The results of mixing model IsoSource revealed spatiotemporal patterns of DIC sources. During the dry season, carbonate weathering was the primary contributor to DIC in UGW (excluding in the middle reaches). However, during the wet season, soil CO₂ was the dominant source of DIC in both UGW and SFS, and it was higher than in the dry season. Overall, there are significant spatiotemporal disparities and highly transmissive characteristics of both DIC and its sources in the K-CZ, which are controlled by multiple factors. This study also highlights that rainfall may play a crucial role in accelerating carbon dynamics in the K-CZ. High-frequency sampling campaigns in high-flow periods and deep analyses are needed in future work to elucidate the related processes and mechanisms. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.