scholarly journals Enhanced bioavailability of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in human-disturbed streams in Alpine fluvial networks

2022 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-200
Author(s):  
Thibault Lambert ◽  
Pascal Perolo ◽  
Nicolas Escoffier ◽  
Marie-Elodie Perga

Abstract. The influence of human activities on the role of inland waters in the global carbon (C) cycle is poorly constrained. In this study, we investigated the impact of human land use on the sources and biodegradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and its potential impact on bacterial respiration in 10 independent catchments of the Lake Geneva basin. Sites were selected along a gradient of human disturbance (agriculture and urbanization) and were visited twice during the winter high-flow period. Bacterial respiration and DOM bioavailability were measured in the laboratory through standardized dark bioassays, and the influence of human land uses on DOM sources, composition and reactivity was assessed from fluorescence spectroscopy. Bacterial respiration was higher in agro-urban streams but was related to a short-term bioreactive pool (0–6 d of incubation) of autochthonous origin, whose relative contribution to the total DOM pool increased with the degree of human disturbance. On the other hand, the degradation of a long-term (6–28 d) bioreactive pool related to terrestrial DOM was independent from the catchment land use and did not contribute substantially to aquatic bacterial respiration. From a greenhouse gas emission perspective, our results suggest that human activities may have a limited impact on the net C exchanges between inland waters and the atmosphere, as most CO2 fixed by aquatic producers in agro-urban streams is cycled back to the atmosphere after biomineralization. Although seasonal and longitudinal changes in DOM sources must be considered, the implications of our results likely apply more widely as a greater proportion of autochthonous-DOM signature is a common feature in human-impacted catchments. Yet, on a global scale, the influence of human activities remains to be determined given the large diversity of effects of agriculture and urbanization on freshwater DOM depending on the local environmental context.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thibault Lambert ◽  
Pascal Perolo ◽  
Nicolas Escoffier ◽  
Marie-Elodie Perga

Abstract. The influence of human activities on the role of inland waters in the global carbon (C) cycle is poorly constrained. In this study, we investigated the impact of human land use on the degradation of terrestrial dissolved organic matter (DOM) and its potential impact on bacterial respiration in ten independent catchments of the Lake Geneva Basin. Sites were selected along a gradient of human disturbance (agriculture and urbanization), and we monitored bacterial respiration in parallel to DOM bioavailability. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to determine the influence of human land uses on DOM sources and composition as well as the dynamic of degradation or production of the fluorophores identified in our study sites. Higher bacterial respiration measured in agro-urban streams related to a short-term bioreactive pool (0–6 days of incubation) from autochthonous origin, whose the size increased with human disturbance. On the other hand, the degradation of terrestrial DOM was not impacted by human activities and was not found to contribute substantially to aquatic bacterial respiration. Although human land uses controlled DOM sources, composition and bioavailability at the basin scale, our results showed that human activities in the Lake Geneva Basin had a limited impact on the net C exchanges between inland waters and the atmosphere related to DOM mineralization. Considering that greater proportion of autochthonous-DOM signature is a common feature in human-impacted catchments, the implications of our results likely apply more widely. Yet, on a global scale, the influence of human activities remains to be determine given the large diversity of effects of agriculture and urbanization on freshwater DOM depending on the local environmental context.


Author(s):  
Māris Kļaviņš ◽  
Ilga Kokorīte ◽  
Valērijs Rodinovs

Dissolved organic matter concentration changes in river waters of Latvia Amounts of natural organic matter in surface waters reflect the character and intensity of biological processes in water bodies, human impact and depend on the physico-geographical environment and land-use in the catchments. Thus, analysis of the concentrations and loadings of organic substances to adjacent water bodies can be used to indicate environmental change and human impacts. This study revealed significant increasing trends of total organic carbon (TOC) and water colour in most of the studied Latvian rivers during the last decade. However, over longer time periods, there have been pronounced oscillations of TOC concentrations, stressing the importance of long-term changes of river discharge. On a yearly basis, there was a positive correlation between parameters of organic matter concentration and discharge in all selected rivers. The impact of discharge on concentrations of organic matter can be masked by other factors, such as changes in precipitation, biological processes, soil types and land-use.


Author(s):  
Allison Neil

Soil properties are strongly influenced by the composition of the surrounding vegetation. We investigated soil properties of three ecosystems; a coniferous forest, a deciduous forest and an agricultural grassland, to determine the impact of land use change on soil properties. Disturbances such as deforestation followed by cultivation can severely alter soil properties, including losses of soil carbon. We collected nine 40 cm cores from three ecosystem types on the Roebuck Farm, north of Perth Village, Ontario, Canada. Dominant species in each ecosystem included hemlock and white pine in the coniferous forest; sugar maple, birch and beech in the deciduous forest; grasses, legumes and herbs in the grassland. Soil pH varied little between the three ecosystems and over depth. Soils under grassland vegetation had the highest bulk density, especially near the surface. The forest sites showed higher cation exchange capacity and soil moisture than the grassland; these differences largely resulted from higher organic matter levels in the surface forest soils. Vertical distribution of organic matter varied greatly amongst the three ecosystems. In the forest, more of the organic matter was located near the surface, while in the grassland organic matter concentrations varied little with depth. The results suggest that changes in land cover and land use alters litter inputs and nutrient cycling rates, modifying soil physical and chemical properties. Our results further suggest that conversion of forest into agricultural land in this area can lead to a decline in soil carbon storage.


2018 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
pp. 1065-1072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Long-Ji Zhu ◽  
Yue Zhao ◽  
Yan-Ni Chen ◽  
Hong-Yang Cui ◽  
Yu-Quan Wei ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1365-1377 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. O. Rappe-George ◽  
A. I. Gärdenäs ◽  
D. B. Kleja

Abstract. Addition of mineral nitrogen (N) can alter the concentration and quality of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in forest soils. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of long-term mineral N addition on soil solution concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in Stråsan experimental forest (Norway spruce) in central Sweden. N was added yearly at two levels of intensity and duration: the N1 treatment represented a lower intensity but a longer duration (43 yr) of N addition than the shorter N2 treatment (24 yr). N additions were terminated in the N2 treatment in 1991. The N treatments began in 1967 when the spruce stands were 9 yr old. Soil solution in the forest floor O, and soil mineral B, horizons were sampled during the growing seasons of 1995 and 2009. Tension and non-tension lysimeters were installed in the O horizon (n = 6), and tension lysimeters were installed in the underlying B horizon (n = 4): soil solution was sampled at two-week intervals. Although tree growth and O horizon carbon (C) and N stock increased in treatments N1 and N2, the concentration of DOC in O horizon leachates was similar in both N treatments and control. This suggests an inhibitory direct effect of N addition on O horizon DOC. Elevated DON and nitrate in O horizon leachates in the ongoing N1 treatment indicated a move towards N saturation. In B horizon leachates, the N1 treatment approximately doubled leachate concentrations of DOC and DON. DON returned to control levels, but DOC remained elevated in B horizon leachates in N2 plots nineteen years after termination of N addition. We propose three possible explanations for the increased DOC in mineral soil: (i) the result of decomposition of a larger amount of root litter, either directly producing DOC or (ii) indirectly via priming of old SOM, and/or (iii) a suppression of extracellular oxidative enzymes.


2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 385-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bingbing Xu ◽  
Qinghui Huang ◽  
Jianhua Li ◽  
Penghui Li ◽  
Yuanjing Xiang ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 543 ◽  
pp. 405-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongqiang Zhou ◽  
Jian Zhou ◽  
Erik Jeppesen ◽  
Yunlin Zhang ◽  
Boqiang Qin ◽  
...  

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