Significance of dissolved organic carbon in the prediction of thermocline depth in small Canadian shield lakes

Empirical models used to predict thermocline depths of lakes have typically been based on physical and morpho-metric variables. However, lakes with appreciable levels of dissolved organic material, including those found on the Canadian Precambrian Shield (DOC levels 1.4-12.41 mg/l), have seldom been included in these models. Our analysis suggests that for such lakes, thermocline depth is linked strongly to light penetration (Secchi depth r = 0.83, light extinction r = 0.85) which is strongly related to DOC concentration (Secchi depth r = 0.91, light extinction r = 0.97). A multivariate regression based on small Canadian Shield lakes suggests that DOC is the most important predictor of thermocline depth. Maximum effective length, maximum depth, and chlorophyll a contribute significantly to the prediction power of the regression model, but are of secondary importance in the presence of DOC. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The age of terrestrial carbon export and rainfall intensity in a temperate river headwater system

Riverine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) supports the production of estuaries and coastal ecosystems, constituting one of the most actively recycled pools of the global carbon cycle. A substantial proportion of DOC entering oceans is highly aged, but its origins remain unclear. Significant fluxes of old DOC have never been observed in temperate headwaters where terrestrial imports take place. Here, we studied the radiocarbon age of DOC in three streams draining forested headwater catchments of the river Mulde (Ore Mountains, Germany). In a 4 week summer precipitation event DOC aged at between 160 and 270 years was delivered into the watershed. In one stream, the DOC was modern but depleted in radiocarbon compared to other hydrological conditions. The yield was substantial and corresponded to 20–52 % of the annual DOC yields in wet and dry years, respectively. The analysis of long-term data suggested that the DOC export in extreme precipitation events added to the annual yield and was not compensated for by lower exports in remaining periods. We conclude that climate change, along with additional processes associated with human activities, channels old soil carbon into more rapidly cycled carbon pools of the hydrosphere.     

Processes controlling DOC in pore water during simulated drought cycles in six different UK peats

The effect of episodic drought on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) dynamics in peatlands has been the subject of considerable debate, as decomposition and DOC production is thought to increase under aerobic conditions, yet decreased DOC concentrations have been observed during drought periods. Decreased DOC solubility due to drought-induced acidification driven by sulphur (S) redox reactions has been proposed as a causal mechanism; however evidence is based on a limited number of studies carried out at a few sites. To test this hypothesis on a range of different peats, we carried out controlled drought simulation experiments on peat cores collected from six sites across Great Britain. Our data show a concurrent increase in sulphate (SO₄) and a decrease in DOC across all sites during simulated water table draw-down, although the magnitude of the relationship between SO₄ and DOC differed between sites. Instead, we found a consistent relationship across all sites between DOC decrease and acidification measured by the pore water acid neutralising capacity (ANC). ANC provided a more consistent measure of drought-induced acidification than SO₄ alone because it accounts for differences in base cation and acid anions concentrations between sites. Rewetting resulted in rapid DOC increases without a concurrent increase in soil respiration, suggesting DOC changes were primarily controlled by soil acidity not soil biota. These results highlight the need for an integrated analysis of hydrologically driven chemical and biological processes in peatlands to improve our understanding and ability to predict the interaction between atmospheric pollution and changing climatic conditions from plot to regional and global scales.     

Potential effects of climate change on DOC release from three different soil types on the Northern Pennines UK: examination using field manipulation experiments

Three field manipulation experiments were carried out during 1993–1995 on the Northern Pennines to investigate the influences of temperature, solar radiation and rainfall on the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from vegetated soil cores using zero‐tension lysimeters. The cores were manipulated by being translocated to four sites down a climatic gradient, by artificial soil heating or being exposed to double normal rainfall. In each experiment three soil types, a brown earth, a micropodzol and a peaty gley, with differing organic matter content and distribution within the profile, were studied. DOC data, expressed as mg C m^?2 day^?1, were analysed following log₁₀ transformation, by a repeated measures analysis of variance procedure, using climatic variables measured concurrently with sampling, and 1 and 2 months before sampling. DOC release was dominated by rainfall but was also associated with solar radiation and temperature. With each of the three climatic variables, rainfall, solar radiation and temperature, both positive and negative effects on DOC release have been found significant, indicating that the concurrent and delayed effects of the same variable may be different. DOC release was positively related with all three soils to concurrent rainfall, indicating rainfall's primary leaching action. DOC release was also negatively related to rainfall of the previous month indicating that its action depletes the leachable pool of DOC in the soil. DOC release was positively associated with solar radiation 2 months earlier, indicating that DOC's main source is that of primary production; DOC peaks closely followed peaks of annual primary production. DOC release was linked with temperature, the strongest association being with temperature 2 months earlier, indicating that temperature effects both primary production and DOC regeneration via organic matter decomposition. A conceptual model, relating our findings to those processes known to govern DOC release from soils, has been presented.     

Acidity controls on dissolved organic carbon mobility in organic soils

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in surface waters have increased across much of Europe and North America, with implications for the terrestrial carbon balance, aquatic ecosystem functioning, water treatment costs and human health. Over the past decade, many hypotheses have been put forward to explain this phenomenon, from changing climate and land management to eutrophication and acid deposition. Resolution of this debate has been hindered by a reliance on correlative analyses of time series data, and a lack of robust experimental testing of proposed mechanisms. In a 4 year, four‐site replicated field experiment involving both acidifying and deacidifying treatments, we tested the hypothesis that DOC leaching was previously suppressed by high levels of soil acidity in peat and organo‐mineral soils, and therefore that observed DOC increases a consequence of decreasing soil acidity. We observed a consistent, positive relationship between DOC and acidity change at all sites. Responses were described by similar hyperbolic relationships between standardized changes in DOC and hydrogen ion concentrations at all sites, suggesting potentially general applicability. These relationships explained a substantial proportion of observed changes in peak DOC concentrations in nearby monitoring streams, and application to a UK‐wide upland soil pH dataset suggests that recovery from acidification alone could have led to soil solution DOC increases in the range 46–126% by habitat type since 1978. Our findings raise the possibility that changing soil acidity may have wider impacts on ecosystem carbon balances. Decreasing sulphur deposition may be accelerating terrestrial carbon loss, and returning surface waters to a natural, high‐DOC condition.     

Fine-scale temporal characterization of trends in soil water dissolved organic carbon and potential drivers

Long-term monitoring of surface water quality has shown increasing concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) across a large part of the Northern Hemisphere. Several drivers have been implicated including climate change, land management change, nitrogen and sulphur deposition and CO₂ enrichment. Analysis of stream water data, supported by evidence from laboratory studies, indicates that an effect of declining sulphur deposition on catchment soil chemistry is likely to be the primary mechanism, but there are relatively few long term soil water chemistry records in the UK with which to investigate this, and other, hypotheses directly. In this paper, we assess temporal relationships between soil solution chemistry and parameters that have been argued to regulate DOC production and, using a unique set of co-located measurements of weather and bulk deposition and soil solution chemistry provided by the UK Environmental Change Network and the Intensive Forest Monitoring Level II Network. We used statistical non-linear trend analysis to investigate these relationships at 5 forested and 4 non-forested sites from 1993 to 2011. Most trends in soil solution DOC concentration were found to be non-linear. Significant increases in DOC occurred mostly prior to 2005. The magnitude and sign of the trends was associated qualitatively with changes in acid deposition, the presence/absence of a forest canopy, soil depth and soil properties. The strongest increases in DOC were seen in acidic forest soils and were most clearly linked to declining anthropogenic acid deposition, while DOC trends at some sites with westerly locations appeared to have been influenced by shorter-term hydrological variation. The results indicate that widespread DOC increases in surface waters observed elsewhere, are most likely dominated by enhanced mobilization of DOC in surficial organic horizons, rather than changes in the soil water chemistry of deeper horizons. While trends in DOC concentrations in surface horizons have flattened out in recent years, further increases may be expected as soil chemistry continues to adjust to declining inputs of acidity.     

Dissolved oxygen concentration-controlled feeding of substrate into Kluyveromyces fragilis culture

b-Galactosidase production by Kluyveromyces fragilis was optimized by controling dissolved oxygen concentration (DOC) due to the enzyme production rate being strongly dependent on this parameter in the broth. A system of automatic control of substrate inflow which depends on DOC has been devised. This strategy has resulted in a significant and reproducible improvement in the performance of the fermentation. Volumetric enzyme production rates were greater in this system than in batch culture of the microorganism with DOC control.     

Variable flushing mechanisms and landscape structure control stream DOC export during snowmelt in a set of nested catchments

Stream DOC dynamics during snowmelt have been the focus of much research, and numerous DOC mobilization and delivery mechanisms from riparian and upland areas have been proposed. However, landscape structure controls on DOC export from riparian and upland landscape elements remains poorly understood. We investigated stream and groundwater DOC dynamics across three transects and seven adjacent but diverse catchments with a range of landscape characteristics during snowmelt (April 15–July 15) in the northern Rocky Mountains, Montana. We observed a range of DOC export dynamics across riparian and upland landscape settings and varying degrees of hydrologic connectivity between the stream, riparian, and upland zones. DOC export from riparian zones required a hydrologic connection across the riparian–stream interface, and occurred at landscape positions with a wide range of upslope accumulated area (UAA) and wetness status. In contrast, mobilization of DOC from the uplands appeared restricted to areas with a hydrologic connection across the entire upland–riparian–stream continuum, which generally occurred only at areas with high UAA, and/or at times of high wetness. Further, the relative extent of DOC-rich riparian and wetland zones strongly influenced catchment DOC export. Cumulative stream DOC export was highest from catchments with a large proportion of riparian to upland area, and ranged from 6.3 to 12.4 kg ha^?1 across the study period. This research suggests that the spatial/temporal intersection of hydrologic connectivity and DOC source areas drives stream DOC export.     

DOC2A and DOC2B are sensors for neuronal activity with unique calcium-dependent and kinetic properties

Elevation of the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) to levels below 1 microm alters synaptic transmission and induces short-term plasticity. To identify calcium sensors involved in this signalling, we investigated soluble C2 domain-containing proteins and found that both DOC2A and DOC2B are modulated by submicromolar calcium levels. Fluorescent-tagged DOC2A and DOC2B translocated to plasma membranes after [Ca2+]i elevation. DOC2B translocation preceded DOC2A translocation in cells co-expressing both isoforms. Half-maximal translocation occurred at 450 and 175 nm[Ca2+]i for DOC2A and DOC2B, respectively. This large difference in calcium sensitivity was accompanied by a modest kinetic difference (halftimes, respectively, 2.6 and 2.0 s). The calcium sensitivity of DOC2 isoforms can be explained by predicted topologies of their C2A domains. Consistently, neutralization of aspartates D218 and D220 in DOC2B changed its calcium affinity. In neurones, both DOC2 isoforms were reversibly recruited to the plasma membrane during trains of action potentials. Consistent with its higher calcium sensitivity, DOC2B translocated at lower depolarization frequencies. Styryl dye uptake experiments in hippocampal neurones suggest that the overexpression of mutated DOC2B alters the synaptic activity. We conclude that both DOC2A and DOC2B are regulated by neuronal activity, and hypothesize that their calcium-dependent translocation may regulate synaptic activity.     

The significance of storms for the concentration and export of dissolved organic carbon from two Precambrian Shield catchments

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and DOC export arestudied during storms to examine the relationship between DOCconcentration and stream discharge and to assess the importance of stormson DOC export. Storms were monitored in seven subcatchments within twosmall watersheds (Harp 4--21 and Harp 3A) on the Precambrian Shield inCentral Ontario, Canada. Stream DOC concentrations increase during stormsby as much as 100% and 410% in Harp3A and Harp 4--21 respectively. The seasonal regression between DOC andstream discharge is significant in subcatchments without wetlands(r² > 0.7) but is not significant in thetwo subcatchments with small wetland areas (r² <0.06). On average, regressions based on weekly data yield accurate estimatesof DOC export but the variation in regressions among individual storms andthe small number of high DOC samples result in uncertainties of more than30% in DOC export. The period-weighted calculation ofDOC export from weekly data underestimates export by 14%and 22% in Harp 3A and Harp 4--21 respectively. Stormswere responsible for 57% to 68% of theDOC export in the autumn and 29% to 40%of the DOC export in the spring. A single large storm accounted for31% of the autumn DOC export in Harp 3A. The importanceof individual storms for DOC export and the variation in the relationshipbetween DOC and stream discharge among storms make it difficult to predictthe effects of climate change on DOC export and DOC concentrations.     

Dissolved organic matter in Cumbrian lakes and streams

SUMMARY. 1. A survey of dissolved organic carbon concentration [DOC] and optical absorbance at 340 nm (A340) was carried out for thirteen lakes and twenty-three streams in Cumbria over the period May 1986 to April 1987.
2. Values of [DOC] were in the range 0-6.2 mg 1-1-1, no water having a mean [DOC] greater than 3.6mgI-1. Streamwaters showed no gross seasonal dependence in [DOC], but there was a peak in [DOC] associated with the first major rain event of autumn 1986. Summer values of [DOC] in lakes were greater than winter values, probably because of the production of DOC by phytoplankton.
3. In streams, [DOC] was weakly positively correlated (r2 <0.3) with discharge (as estimated from rainfall); A340 was more strongly correlated (0.4 < r2 < 0.6). Linear regression of mean A340 against mean [DOC] for streams gave a slope consistent with the absorptivities of aquatic humic substances, and a positive intercept on the abscissa that suggests the presence of, on average 0.6 mg 1-1 of DOC that does not absorb at 340 nm. Lake samples taken in winter gave a similar A.340/[DOC] relationship to that for streams, but in summer A340/[DOC] ratios were lower, suggesting that phytoplankton-derived [DOC] absorbs weakly or not at all at 340nm.     

Alternative explanations for rising dissolved organic carbon export from organic soils

Since 1988, there has been, on average, a 91% increase in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations of UK lakes and streams in the Acid Waters Monitoring Network (AWMN). Similar DOC increases have been observed in surface waters across much of Europe and North America. Much of the debate about the causes of rising DOC has, as in other studies relating to the carbon cycle, focused on factors related to climate change. Data from our peat‐core experiments support an influence of climate on DOC, notably an increase in production with temperature under aerobic, and to a lesser extent anaerobic, conditions. However, we argue that climatic factors may not be the dominant drivers of DOC change. DOC solubility is suppressed by high soil water acidity and ionic strength, both of which have decreased as a result of declining sulphur deposition since the 1980s, augmented during the 1990s in the United Kingdom by a cyclical decline in sea‐salt deposition. Our observational and experimental data demonstrate a clear, inverse and quantitatively important link between DOC and sulphate concentrations in soil solution. Statistical analysis of 11 AWMN lakes suggests that rising temperature, declining sulphur deposition and changing sea‐salt loading can account for the majority of the observed DOC trend. This combination of evidence points to the changing chemical composition of atmospheric deposition, particularly the substantial reduction in anthropogenic sulphur emissions during the last 20 years, as a key cause of rising DOC. The implications of rising DOC export for the carbon cycle will be very different if linked primarily to decreasing acid deposition, rather than to changes in climate, suggesting that these systems may be recovering rather than destabilising.     

The microbial carbon pump: from genes to ecosystems

The majority of marine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is resistant to biological degradation and thus can remain in the water column for thousands of years, constituting carbon sequestration in the ocean. To date the origin of such recalcitrant DOC (RDOC) is unclear. A recently proposed conceptual framework, the microbial carbon pump (MCP), emphasizes the microbial transformation of organic carbon from labile to recalcitrant states. The MCP is concerned with both microbial uptakes and outputs of DOC compounds, covering a wide range from gene to ecosystem levels. In this minireview, the ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter is used as an example for the microbial processing of DOC at the genetic level. The compositions of the ABC transporter genes of the two major marine bacterial clades Roseobacter and SAR11 demonstrate that they have distinct patterns in DOC utilization: Roseobacter strains have the advantage of taking up carbohydrate DOC, while SAR11 bacteria prefer nitrogen-containing DOC. At the ecosystem level, bacterially derived RDOC based on d-amino acid biomarkers is reported to be responsible for about a quarter of the total marine RDOC pool. Under future global warming scenarios, partitioning of primary production into DOC could be enhanced, and thus the MCP could play an even more important role in carbon sequestration by the ocean. Joint efforts to study the MCP from multiple disciplines are required to obtain a better understanding of ocean carbon cycle and its coupling with global change.     

Dissolved organic and inorganic carbon mass balances in central Ontario lakes

Mass balances of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolvedinorganic carbon (DIC) based on stream and precipitation inputs andoutflows were measured for seven unproductive lakes in central Ontariobetween 1981 and 1989. Net annual CO₂ evasion occurred in sixof the seven study lakes with minor net invasion in the seventh. Atmosphericinvasion might have been significant at certain times of the year, particularlyduring the growing season. Net evasion rates were greater than DIC loadingrates, indicating partial mineralization of the terrestrially-derived DOC in thelakes. A steady state mass balance model adequately described the variationin DOC retention between lakes. Net annual carbon accumulation of forestcommunities based on estimates of net ecosystem production may beoverestimated because of significant export of carbon to lakes via streamsand groundwater, particularly in catchments with extensive peatlands.     

Structural analysis of 21-hydroxypregn-4-ene-3,20-dione (deoxycorticosterone) derivative compounds. Part II: Proton NMR spectra

Complete analysis of the proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of desoxycorticosterone (DOC) has been made using selective double irradiation, two-dimensional experiments, relaxation rate, and nuclear Overhauser effect measurements in order to specify the structure and conformation of products encountered during the preparation of the specific antigen DOC-bovine serum albumin (BSA). It has been shown that DOC has the normal P conformation with ring A half-chair, and ring B chair. This confirms results previously obtained by circular dichroism measurements.     

Sources,bioavailability, and photoreactivity of dissolved organic carbon in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta

We analyzed bioavailability, photoreactivity, fluorescence, and isotopic composition of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) collected at 13 stations in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta during various seasons to estimate the persistence of DOC from diverse shallow water habitat sources. Prospective large-scale wetland restorations in the Delta may change the amount of DOC available to the food web as well as change the quality of Delta water exported for municipal use. Our study indicates that DOC contributed by Delta sources is relatively refractory and likely mostly the dissolved remnants of vascular plant material from degrading soils and tidal marshes rather than phytoplankton production. Therefore, the prospective conversion of agricultural land into submerged, phytoplankton-dominated habitats may reduce the undesired export of DOC from the Delta to municipal users. A median of 10% of Delta DOC was rapidly utilizable by bacterioplankton. A moderate dose of simulated solar radiation (286 W m⁻² for 4 h) decreased the DOC bioavailability by an average of 40%, with a larger relative decrease in samples with higher initial DOC bioavailability. Potentially, a DOC-based microbial food web could support ≤0.6 × 10⁹ g C of protist production in the Delta annually, compared to ≈17 × 10⁹ g C phytoplankton primary production. Thus, DOC utilization via the microbial food web is unlikely to play an important role in the nutrition of Delta zooplankton and fish, and the possible decrease in DOC concentration due to wetland restoration is unlikely to have a direct effect on Delta fish productivity.     

排水对小兴安岭森林沼泽湿地溶解性有机碳和有效氮磷的影响

选取不同排水年限的兴安落叶松人工林湿地(1974年排水、1985年排水、1992年排水、2003年排水)和天然森林沼泽湿地(兴安落叶松沼泽湿地)为研究对象,探讨排水对小兴安岭森林沼泽湿地土壤溶解性有机碳(DOC)和有效氮磷的影响。结果表明,天然沼泽排水后,在土壤垂直剖面上,不同排水年限的森林湿地与天然沼泽湿地的土壤溶解性有机碳含量均呈递减变化。与天然森林沼泽湿地相比,排水湿地各土层DOC含量均显著低于天然沼泽湿地(P0.05)。天然森林沼泽,表层(0—10 cm)的土壤SOC含量、DOC/SOC、土壤有效氮含量均大于排水森林沼泽,但是有效磷含量却低于排水森林沼泽(P0.05)。在土壤表层(0—10 cm),排水年限与DOC、SOC、DOC/SOC、土壤有效氮呈显著性负相关,与有效磷呈显著性正相关(P0.05)。天然沼泽排水后,表层(0—10 cm)土壤的DOC含量与有效氮(铵态氮、硝态氮)含量成正比,与有效磷含量成反比(P0.05)。     

Characteristics of Dissolved Organic Carbon in Three Layers of a Deep Reservoir,Lake Soyang,Korea

Vertical and seasonal distributions of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were investigated in a deep reservoir by considering the biodegradability and optical properties of DOC from three different layers during the stratified season. DOC in the epilimnion was characterized by relatively labile compounds that may have originated from phytoplankton. DOC in the metalimnion was variable in its composi<\h>tion and was possibly affected by turbid water inputs to the reservoir during the summer monsoon season. DOC in the hypolimnion always showed refractory characteristics, with low decomposition rates and high ultraviolet (UV) absorption.     

Microbiology and chemistry of acid lakes in Florida: I. Effects of drought and post-drought conditions

Short term changes in acid loading and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content were studied in relation to water column bacteria of ten acid lakes on the Katharine Ordway Preserve, Florida. Five clear oligotrophic lakes and five dark dystrophic lakes were sampled during and after a drought period in July and September, 1985. Water column bacterial densities, light extinction, chlorophyll a, DOC, pH, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and other chemical variables were measured. Significant positive correlations existed among DOC, chlorophyll a, pH, and water column bacterial densities during the drought period.There were no significant changes in water column bacterial densities or pH of clear lakes in the post-drought period, despite a 4.6 fold increase in acid loading from rainfall. A 3 fold increase of DOC, a decline in pH, and decreased bacterial densities in dark lakes suggested inhibition of bacteria by DOC and pH. A decrease in the relationship of DOC to bacterial numbers in all lakes was also noted. The correlations among DOC, chlorophyll a, and pH were no longer significant.Using data from both time periods significant polynomial regressions were observed between DOC and bacterial density and DOC and chlorophyll a. Maximum bacterial numbers occurred at 20 mg C 1^–1 of DOC. Above this bacterial numbers decreased also suggesting an inhibitory effect of DOC. Because pH was lower after DOC had increased in the dark lakes, the increase in acid conditions may have enhanced this inhibitory effect. The short term effects of DOC on the dark-lake bacteria greatly exceeded the influence of acid loading on clear-lake bacteria.     

Long-term trends in dissolved organic carbon concentration: a cautionary note

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) plays an important role in surface water chemistry and ecology and trends in DOC concentration have been also associated with shifts in terrestrial carbon pools. Numerous studies have reported long-term trends in DOC concentration; however, some studies consider changes in average measured DOC whereas other compute discharge weighted concentrations. Because of differences in reporting methods and variable record lengths it is difficult to compare results among studies and make regional generalizations. Furthermore, changes in stream discharge may impact long-term trends in DOC concentration and the potentially subtle effect of shifts in stream flow may be missed if only measured DOC concentrations are considered. In this study we compare trends in volume-weighted vs. average measured DOC concentration between 1980 and 2001 at seven headwater streams in south-central Ontario, Canada that vary in wetland coverage and DOC (22-year mean vol. wt.) from 3.4 to 10.6 mg l⁻¹. On average, annual measured DOC concentrations were 13–34% higher than volume-weighted values, but differences of up to 290% occurred in certain years. Estimates of DOC flux were correspondingly higher using measured concentration values. Both measured and volume-weighted DOC concentrations increased significantly between 1980 and 2001, but slopes were larger in measured data (0.04–0.35 mg l⁻¹ year⁻¹ compared with 0.05–0.15 mg l⁻¹ year⁻¹) and proportional increases at the most wetland-influenced sites ranged from 32 to 43% in volume-weighted DOC and from 52 to 75% in measured DOC. In contrast, DOC flux did not change with time when estimated using either method, because of the predominant influence of stream flow on DOC export. Our results indicate that changes in stream flow have an important impact on trends in DOC concentration, and extrapolation of trend results from one region to another should be made cautiously and consider methodological and reporting differences among sites.