Sources of dissolved and particulate organic material in Loch Vale Watershed,Rocky Mountain National Park,Colorado, USA

The sources of both dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) to an alpine (Sky Pond) and a subalpine lake (The Loch) in Rocky Mountain National Park were explored for four years. The importance of both autochthonous and allochthonous sources of organic matter differ, not only between alpine and subalpine locations, but also seasonally. Overall, autochthonous sources dominate the organic carbon of the alpine lake, while allochthonous sources are a more significant source of organic carbon to the subalpine lake. In the alpine lake, Sky Pond, POC makes up greater than one third of the total organic matter content of the water column, and is related to phytoplankton abundance. Dissolved organic carbon is a product of within-lake activity in Sky Pond except during spring snowmelt and early summer (May–July), when stable carbon isotope ratios suggest a terrestrial source. In the subalpine lake, The Loch, DOC is a much more important constituent of water column organic material than POC, comprising greater than 90% of the spring snowmelt organic matter, and greater than 75% of the organic matter over the rest of the year. Stable carbon isotope ratios and a very strong relation of DOC with soluble Al_(tot) indicate DOC concentrations are almost entirely related to flushing of soil water from the surrounding watershed during spring snowmelt. Stable carbon isotope ratios indicate that, for both lakes, phytoplankton is an important source of DOC in the winter, while terrestrial material of plant or microbial origin contributes DOC during snowmelt and summer.     

Dial organic carbon fluctuations in a mangrove tidal creek in Sepetiba bay, Southeast Brazil

The carbon (C) concentration and flux, as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and macrodetritus (MD), were quantified through 4 tidal cycles in a mangrove tidal creek in Southeastern Brazil. DOC was the major fraction of the total C concentration, accounting for 68 and 61% of the total C concentration during ebb and flood periods respectively. Concentrations of DOC (Ebb = 3.41 +/- 0.57 mgC.L-1 and Flood = 3.55 +/- 0.76 mgC.L-1) and POC (Ebb = 1.73 +/- 0.99 mgC.L-1 and Flood = 1.28 +/- 0.45 mgC.L-1) were relatively similar during the four tidal cycles. Macrodetritus presented a wide variation with concentration peaks probably related to external forces, such as winds, which enrich the ebb flow with leaf litter. DOC and POC fluxes depended primarily on tidal and net water fluxes, whereas MD fluxes were not. The magnitude of the DOC and POC fluxes varied with the area flooded at high tide, but not the MD fluxes. DOC was the major form of carbon export to Sepetiba Bay. During the four tidal cycles, the forest exported a total of 1.2 kg of organic carbon per ha, mostly as DOC (60%), followed by POC (22%) and MD (18%).     

Geochemical aspects of aqueous iron, phosphorus and dissolved organic carbon in the humic Lake Tjeukemeer, The Netherlands

SUMMARY. 1. The main source of P, Fe and DOC in the humic Lake Tjeukemeer is superfluous water pumped from surrounding peaty polders. Most particulate P is intracellular but almost all particulate Fe is abiotic.
2. The size and molecular weight of the P, Fe and DOC (mainly fulvic acids (FA)) were determined by ultrafiltration and Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. Throughout the year most dissolved P and Fe was in colloids >35 nm with apparent molecular weight between 30,000 and 150.000. The bulk of FA occurred in particles <35nm.
3. Calculating the atomic ratios of P, Fe and organic C in the different size classes revealed that Fe-FA chelates are a minor species of the Fe pool. Less than 10% of the fulvic acids occurred as Fe-FA chelates.
4. Based on their apparent size and molecular weight, the Fe-FA chelates are colloidal aggregates, probably with the formula Fe_n-1(FA)_n.
5. About 50% of the dissolved P had the same size as the Fe-FA aggregates. These aggregates were only noticeable in winter when humus-rich polder water was flushed through the lake. During the rest of the year the dissolved Fe and P consisted mainly of acid-labile inorganic colloids which might have been organically coated.     

Seasonal changes in the character and nitrogen content of dissolved organic matter in an alpine/subalpine headwater catchment

We are studying the chemical quality of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in a high-elevation watershed in the Colorado Front Range. Samples were collected over the 2000 snowmelt runoff season at two sites across an alpine/subalpine ecotone to understand how the transition between the lightly vegetated alpine and forested reaches of the catchment influences the chemical character of DON. Samples were analyzed approximately weekly for dissolved organic material (DOM) content and chemical character. A subset of samples was analyzed for the elemental content of fulvic and hydrophilic acids. Concentrations of DON at both sites were highest in the spring at the initiation of snowmelt, decreased during snowmelt, and increased again during the late summer and fall. In contrast, concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) peaked on the ascending limb of the hydrograph and declined to seasonal minima on the descending limb of the hydrograph. The ratio of DOC:DON showed a seasonal shift at both sites with high values (40 to 55) during peak runoff in early summer and lower values (15 to 25) during low flows late in the runoff season. These results indicate that there was a seasonal change in the relative N content of DOM at both sites. Chemical fractionation of DOC showed that there were temporal and longitudinal changes in the chemical character of DOC. At the alpine site, the fulvic acid content of DOC decreased from 57% in June to 35% in September. The change in fulvic acid was less pronounced at the forested site, from 66% in June to 54% in September. Elemental analysis of fulvic and hydrophilic acids indicated that hydrophilic acids were N rich compared to fulvic acids. Additionally, fulvic and hydrophilic acids isolated at the alpine site had a lower C:N ratio than those isolated at the forested site. Similarly, the C:N ratio of organic acids at both sites was lower in September than in June during peak runoff. These differences appear to be a result of changes in both DOM precursor material and hydrologic flowpaths. Using C:N ratios of fulvic and hydrophilic acids, we estimate that nonhumic material carried between 54 to 73% of the organic N in surface water at the alpine site and 44 to 58% of the organic N in surface water at the subalpine site.     

Organic matter in the River Krutynia (Masurian Lakeland,Poland)

The chemical composition of drift in the lake-river system of the Krutynia River was investigated in May and August of 1987–1989. The main chemical component of drift was organic carbon, four fractions of which were distinguished: dissolved (DOC), fine particulate (FPOC), coarse (COPC) and large particulate organic carbon (LPOC). The most important of these was DOC, representing 88–100% of the TOC transported. Among the POC, the finest fraction (FPOC) prevailed, constituting as much as 98.3% of dry weight of the particulate matter. There were no significant differences between the average content of CPOC and LPOC, although significant seasonal changes were observed. Concentrations of both dissolved and particulate forms of carbon decreased with distance downriver, but that of POC diminished faster, possibly because of the effect of the lake.     

虾池生态系各有机碳库的储量

1997年6～8月于山东省海阳市黄海集团公司养虾场,采用围隔实验生态学方法研究了虾池生态系各有机碳库的储量,结果表明:溶解有机碳(DOC)、颗粒有机碳(POC)库储量(mgC/l)平均分别为9.95±2.04及3.10±1.60,DOC/POC比值平均为3.21.POC库中,腐质颗粒碳为总浮游生物碳的2倍.浮游植物碳、浮游动物碳、浮游细菌碳平均分别占总浮游生物碳的53%、13%及34%.腐质碳、总浮游生物碳平均分别占总有机碳(TOC)的92%及8%,腐质碳为总浮游生物碳的11.08倍.     

Geochemistry of aquatic humic substances in the Lake Fryxell Basin, Antarctica

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in Lake Fryxell, 10 streams flowing into the lake, and the moat surrounding the lake was studied to determine the influence of sources and biogeochemical processes on its distribution and chemical nature. Lake Fryxell is an amictic, permanently ice-covered lake in the McMurdo Dry Valleys which contains benthic and planktonic microbial populations, but receives essentially no input of organic material from the ahumic soils of the watershed. Biological activity in the water column does not appear to influence the DOC depth profile, which is similar to the profiles for conservative inorganic constituents. DOC values for the streams varied with biomass in the stream channel, and ranged from 0.2 to 9.7 mg C/L. Fulvic acids in the streams were a lower percentage of the total DOC than in the lake. These samples contain recent carbon and appear to be simpler mixtures of compounds than the lake samples, indicating that they have undergone less humification. The fulvic acids from just above the sediments of the lake have a high sulfur content and are highly aliphatic. The main transformations occurring as these fractions diffuse upward in the water column are 1) loss of sulfur groups through the oxycline and 2) decrease in aliphatic carbon and increase in the heterogeneity of aliphatic moieties. The fraction of modem¹⁴C content of the lake fulvic acids range from a minimum of 0.68 (approximately 3000 years old) at 15m depth to 0.997 (recent material) just under the ice. The major processes controlling the DOC in the lake appear to be: 1) The transport of organic matter by the inflow streams resulting in the addition of recent organic material to the moat and upper waters of the lake; 2) The diffusion of organic matter composed of relict organic material and organic carbon resulting from the degradation of algae and bacteria from the bottom waters or sediments of the lake into overlying glacial melt water, 3) The addition of recent organic matter to the bottom waters of the lake from the moat.     

Dynamic carbon budget of a large shallow lake assessed by a mass balance approach

To study the role of large and shallow hemiboreal lakes in carbon processing, we calculated a 3-year carbon mass balance for Lake Võrtsjärv (Estonia) based on in situ measurements. This balance took into account hydrological and biogeochemical processes affecting dissolved inorganic (DIC), dissolved organic (DOC) and particulate organic (POC) carbon species. Accumulation varied greatly on a seasonal and yearly basis. The lake exported carbon during most of the year except during spring floods and in late autumn. In-lake processes were responsible for exporting POC and storing DOC while DIC switched between storage and export. The carbon cycle was alternatively dominated in 2009 by biogeochemical processes and in 2011 by riverine fluxes, whereas in 2010 the two process types were of the same magnitude. These results suggest that the role of large shallow lakes like Võrtsjärv in the global C cycle is equally driven by hydrological factors, in particular seasonal water level changes, and by biogeochemical in-lake reactions.     

Dynamics of dissolved and particulate organic carbon in a saline and semiarid stream of southeast Spain (Chicamo stream)

Annual variations in the concentration of dissolved (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (CPOC = Coarse; FPOC = Fine; UPOC = Ultrafine) were studied in a 100 m-reach of the Chicamo stream, an intermittent saline stream in southeast Spain. DOC represented the most important fraction of organic carbon flowing in the Chicamo stream (>98%), with concentrations of about 1.7 mgC l^–1 during most of the year, reaching 2.5 mgC l^–1 in summer. One high flow episode during a rain storm in winter was characterized by a considerably increased concentration of DOC (9.4 mgC l^–1). CPOC was the dominant POC fraction. Positive and significant correlations were found for DOC and discharge, which support the idea of allochthonous inputs due to floods. There was no significant correlation between POC and discharge. No significant correlations were found for DOC or POC with the physico-chemical parameters measured, while a negative significant correlation was found between DOC and temperature. The export of total organic carbon from the drainage basin of the Chicamo stream was low (6.2 × 10^–4 gC m^–2 yr^–1) and typical of streams in arid and semi-arid regions. The results of a Principal Component Analysis defined three different phases. The first consisted of short periods, during which floods provide pulses of allochthonous organic carbon and nutrients, the second a dry phase (summer), defined by biotic interactions, during which the stream could acts as a `sink' of organic matter, and the third and final phase which is characterised by hydrological stability.     

Variations in carbon fractions within a dimictic and a meromictic basin of the Junius Ponds, New York

SUMMARY. 1. The Junius Ponds, a unique series of proximate glacial kettle basins located between the cities of Rochester and Syracuse. New York, U.S.A., contain basins of dimictic and meromictic nature. This study focused upon differences in partitioning of total inorganic carbon (TIC), paniculate organic carbon (POC), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) within the dimictic Junius Pond 7 (JP7, ∼8m) and the meromictic Junius Pond 5 (JP5, ∼17m).
2. For TIC, variations with depth were much greater in JP5 than in JP7. However, seasonal variations were greater in JP7 than in JP5. We attribute these variations to differences in the mictic nature of the basins.
3. Concentrations of POC were substantially less in the relatively clear mixolimnion of JP5 than in the epilimnion of JP7. Distinct POC layers formed at the oxic-anoxic boundary in both basins during late summer.
4. The lower monimolimnion of JP5 is believed to have the warmest water occurring under ice (8.2–8.6°C) of any natural body of water in the continental United States east of the Mississippi River. The monimolimnetic region of JP5 has unusually low DOC:POC ratios of ≤1:l.     

Biogeochemistry of platelet ice: its influence on particle flux under fast ice in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica

An array of four sediment traps and one current meter was deployed under a well-developed platelet layer for 15 days in the Drescher Inlet in the Riiser Larsen ice shelf, in February 1998. Traps were deployed at 10 m (just under the platelet layer), 112 m (above the thermocline), 230 m (below thermocline) and 360 m (close to sea floor). There was a substantial flux of particulate organic material out of the platelet layer, although higher amounts were collected in the traps either side of the thermocline. Material collected was predominantly composed of faecal pellets containing diatom species growing within the platelet layer. The size classes of these pellets suggest they derive from protists grazing rather than from larger metazoans. Sediment trap material was analysed for particulate organic carbon/nitrogen/phosphorus (POC/PON/POP) and '¹³C_POC (carbon isotopic composition of POC). These were compared with organic matter in the overlying platelet layer and the water column. In turn, the biogeochemistry of the platelet layer and water column was investigated and the organic matter characteristics related to inorganic nutrients (nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, silicate, phosphate), dissolved organic carbon/nitrogen (DOC/DON), pH, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), oxygen and '¹³C_DIC (carbon isotopic composition dissolved inorganic carbon).     

Long-term trends of epilimnetic and hypolimnetic bacteria and organic carbon in a deep holo-oligomictic lake

We analysed the long-term dynamics (1980–2007) of hypolimnetic and epilimnetic bacterial abundances and organic carbon concentrations, both dissolved (DOC) and particulate (POC), in the deep holo-oligomictic Lake Maggiore, included in the Southern Alpine Lakes Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site. During the 28 years of investigation, bacterial abundance and POC concentrations did not decrease with declining phosphorus concentrations, while DOC concentrations showed a pronounced decrease in the epi- and hypolimnion. We used the annual mean total lake heat content and total annual precipitation as climate-related variables, and in-lake total phosphorus as a proxy for trophic state. The model (forward stepwise regression, FSR) showed that reduced anthropogenic pressure was more significant than climate change in driving the trend in DOC concentrations. Bacterial dynamics in the hypolimnion mirrored the fluctuations observed in the epilimnion, but average cell abundance was three times lower. The FSR model indicates that bacterial number variability was dependent on POC in the epilimnion and DOC in the hypolimnion. In the hypolimnion, cell biovolumes for rod and coccal morphotypes were significantly larger than in the epilimnion.     

Carbon flow in a small turbid man-made impoundment

A shallow turbid man-made impoundment was studied intensively for five years. The carbon (C) budget indicated a well balanced system, where phytoplankton productivity and respiratory losses accounted for the major inputs and outputs. The carbon content was dominated by dissolved organic carbon, followed by detritus > fish > phytoplankton > bacteria > zooplankton > zoobenthos.From an analysis of a matrix flow model, three dominant components of C-flow in the system were identified, i.e. dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and fish. Phytoplankton and detritus were the important components of POC. The largest flow of C was through the largest pool, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), whilst the second largest flow was through the fifth largest pool, the phytoplankton. Phytoplankton was very important in determining the structure of the system, and variations in phytoplankton primary productivity influenced the entire system. This also applied to the input of organic material from macrophytes, but not to variations in the inflow and outflow of water from the impoundment.The input of detrital material from a littoral macrophyte community also markedly influenced the system. DOC was identified as a carbon buffer in the system, and differential flow occurred through this component upon variations in phytoplankton productivity.     

轮虫培育池生态系统各有机碳库储量及其日变化

2001年5～6月对辽宁省盘锦光合水产有限公司的两种模式轮虫培育池有机碳库储量及动态进行了研究.结果表明,静水池溶解有机碳（DOC）和颗粒有机碳（POC）库储量平均值分别为5.69±2.90 mg·L^-1和24.56 ± 2.12 mg·L^-1;流水池DOC和POC分别为9.61±3.17 mg·L^-1和24.13 ±2.91 mg·L^-1.流水池和静水池TOC、DOC和POC的比例分别为 1∶0.75∶0.25和1∶0.82∶0.18.POC含量高的池塘DOC含量也较高.流水池的POC、DOC周日变动幅度大,静水池昼夜变动幅度小.流水池POC含量白天(5:00～17:00)升高,静水池降低,夜间(15:00～23:00)两池POC含量均降低.从23:00至次日5:00上升,两池分别在17:00和5:00达到高峰.白天(5:00～17:00) 流水池DOC/POC升高,静水池降低;夜间(17:00～23:00)两池均上升,23:00 至次日5:00则呈下降趋势.     

Lability of organic carbon in lakes of different trophic status

1. We used first‐order kinetic parameters of biological oxygen demand (BOD), the constant of aerobic decomposition (k) and the asymptotic value of BOD (BOD_ult), to characterise the lability of organic carbon pools in six lakes of different trophic state: L. Naroch, L. Miastro and L. Batorino (Belarus), L. Kinneret (Israel), L. Ladoga (Russia) and L. Mendota (U.S.A.). The relative contributions of labile and refractory organic carbon fractions to the pool of total organic carbon (TOC) in these lakes were quantified. We also determined the amounts of labile organic carbon within the dissolved and particulate TOC pools in the three Belarus lakes. 2. Mean annual chlorophyll concentrations (used as a proxy for lake trophic state) ranged from 2.3 to 50.6 μg L⁻¹, labile organic carbon (OC_L = 0.3BOD_ult) from 0.75 to 2.95 mg C L⁻¹ and k from 0.044 to 0.14 day⁻¹. 3. Our data showed that there were greater concentrations of OC_L but lower k values in more productive lakes. 4. In all cases, the DOC fraction dominated the TOC pool. OC_L was a minor component of the TOC pool averaging about 20%, irrespective of lake trophic state. 5. In all the lakes, most (c. 85%) of the DOC pool was refractory, corresponding with published data based on measurements of bacterial production and DOC depletion. In contrast, a larger fraction (27–55%) of the particulate organic carbon (POC) pool was labile. The relative amount of POC in the TOC pool tended to increase with increasing lake productivity. 6. Long‐term BOD incubations can be valuable in quantifying the rates of breakdown of the combined particulate and dissolved organic carbon pools and in characterising the relative proportions of the labile and recalcitrant fractions of these pools. If verified from a larger number of lakes our results could have important general implications.     

南亚热带森林土壤碳库稳定性与碳库管理指数对模拟酸雨的响应

通过对土壤总有机碳(SOC)、易氧化有机碳(ROC_(333)、ROC_(167)、ROC_(33))、颗粒有机碳(POC)、微生物量碳(SMBC)、溶解性有机碳(DOC)的测定,探讨模拟酸雨(pH 3.0、pH 3.5、pH 4.0、对照CK)对鼎湖山三个不同演替阶段森林(季风常绿阔叶林、针阔混交林、马尾松针叶林)土壤碳库稳定性及碳库管理指数的影响。结果表明:模拟酸雨增加了总有机碳的含量和各组分活性有机碳的含量(P0.05),但酸雨在一定程度上抑制了土壤中微生物量与活性。土壤中各组分活性有机碳与总有机碳呈显著相关,其中ROC_(333)和POC的含量与SOC关系最为密切,相关系数分别为0.853、0.846;碳库管理指数(CMI)结果表明,碳库活度(L)及碳库活度指数(LI)随森林的正向演替有下降的趋势,CPI与CMI呈现相反的趋势。在土壤有机碳及部分活性碳组分增加,碳库活性降低的前提下,土壤碳库稳定性增加。从各项指标的变化幅度可以得出:南亚热带森林土壤随森林群落正向演替而对模拟酸雨响应有更加敏感的趋势,各指标间的敏感性表现为CMIR_(333)POCSMBCR_(167)R_(33)LIDOCCPISOC。     

Dissolved and particulate organic carbon in two wetlands in southwestern New South Wales,Australia

Concentrations of dissolved (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) in two billabong wetlands (Murrumbidgil Swamp and Lake Merrimajeel) in inland temperate Australia were positively correlated with leaf fall from river red gums Eucalyptus camaldulensis (DOC and POC in Murrumbidgil Swamp), phytoplankton productivity (DOC in Murrumbidgil Swamp, DOC and POC in Lake Merrimajeel), and with biomass of aquatic macrophytes (DOC in the two wetlands). DOC correlated with water level at both sites. Mean concentrations of DOC (Murrumbidgil Swamp, 36.0 gm^-3; Lake Merrinmajeel, 27.5 g m^-3) and POC (15.0 g m^-3; 15.5 g m^-3) were high compared with other water bodies worldwide, although average for wetlands. The relatively high concentrations of DOC and POC in the study wetlands appear to be the result of their high rates of plant production, and input of leaves from river red gums.     

围栏禁牧对滇西北高寒湿地土壤活性有机碳的影响

过度放牧导致滇西北高寒湿地碳汇功能逐渐丧失,围栏禁牧作为一种有效的湿地恢复方式,其对滇西北高寒湿地土壤碳库的影响尚缺乏研究。为探明围栏禁牧对滇西北高寒湿地土壤活性有机碳的影响,以纳帕海湿地不同禁牧年限(未禁牧、禁牧3年、禁牧8年、禁牧10年)的草甸和沼泽化草甸作为研究对象,对比分析不同禁牧年限草甸和沼泽化草甸土壤总有机碳(TOC)、颗粒有机碳(POC)、溶解性有机碳(DOC)、易氧化有机碳(EOC)和微生物生物量碳(MBC)含量特征。研究结果表明,随着禁牧年限的增加(<10 a),草甸和沼泽化草甸土壤TOC、DOC、EOC、MBC含量显著增加(P<0.05);随着土壤深度的增加,草甸和沼泽化草甸土壤TOC、EOC和MBC含量逐渐下降,而POC和DOC含量逐渐增加。土壤理化性质显著影响土壤活性有机碳各组分含量,其中总氮(TN)是影响草甸和沼泽化草甸土壤活性有机碳各组分含量的主导因素。围栏禁牧有利于滇西北高寒湿地土壤质量和固碳能力的恢复,且随着禁牧年限的增加,恢复效果越明显。相同恢复年限,纳帕海沼泽化草甸土壤恢复效果比草甸土壤显著。研究可以为放牧湿地恢复研究提供理论基础。     

不同土地利用类型下土壤活性有机碳库的变化

分析了中国科学院沈阳生态试验站不同土地利用类型长期定位试验土壤0～40cm活性有机碳含量,结果表明:0～20cm土层内荒地土壤有机碳、易氧化碳、微生物生物量碳、溶解性有机碳和轻组有机碳含量高于割草地和裸地,而割草地颗粒有机碳含量略高于荒地;在20～40cm土层,割草地土壤有机碳、易氧化碳和颗粒有机碳含量较高,而荒地微生物量碳、溶解性有机碳和轻组有机碳含量较高。不同土地利用类型土壤活性有机碳含量均随着土层加深而递减。土壤微生物量碳、溶解性有机碳和轻组有机碳的分配比例为荒地>割草地>裸地,易氧化碳和颗粒有机碳的分配比例为割草地>荒地>裸地。土壤活性有机碳的分配比例随土层加深而下降,但溶解性有机碳的分配比例变化趋势相反。     

Differences in temperature, organic carbon and oxygen consumption among lowland streams

1. Temperature, organic carbon and oxygen consumption were measured over a year at 13 sites in four lowlands streams within the same region in North Zealand, Denmark with the objectives of determining: (i) spatial and seasonal differences between open streams, forest streams and streams with or without lakes, (ii) factors influencing the temperature dependence of oxygen consumption rate, (iii) consequences of higher temperature and organic content in lake outlets on oxygen consumption rate, and (iv) possible consequences of forecasted global warming on degradation of organic matter. 2. High concentrations of easily degradable dissolved (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) were found in open streams downstream of plankton‐rich lakes, while high concentrations of recalcitrant DOC were found in a forest brook draining a forest swamp. Concentrations of predominantly recalcitrant POC and DOC were low in a groundwater‐fed forest spring. Overall, DOC concentration was two to 18 times higher than POC concentrations. 3. Oxygen consumption rate at 20 °C was higher during summer than winter, higher in open than shaded streams and higher in lake outlets than inlets. Rate was closely related to concentrations of chlorophyll and POC but not to DOC. The ratio of oxygen consumption rate to total organic concentrations (DOC + POC), serving as a measure of organic degradability, was highest downstream of lakes, intermediate in open streams and lowest in forest streams. 4. Temperature coefficients describing the exponential increase of oxygen consumption rate between 4 and 20 °C averaged 0.121 °C^?1 (Q₁₀ of 3.35) in 70 measurements and showed no significant variations between seasons and stream sites or correlations with ambient temperature and organic content. 5. Oxygen consumption rate was enhanced downstream of lakes during summer because of higher temperature and, more significantly, greater concentrations of degradable organic carbon. Oxygen consumption rates were up to seven times higher in the stream with three impoundments than in a neighbouring unshaded stream and 21 times higher than in the groundwater‐fed forest spring. 6. A regional climate model has calculated a dramatic 4–5 °C rise in air temperature over Denmark by 2070–2100. If this is realised, unshaded streams are estimated to become 2–3 °C warmer in summer and winter and 5–7 °C warmer in spring and, thereby, increase oxygen consumption rates at ambient temperature by 30–40% and 80–130%, respectively. Faster consumption of organic matter and dissolved oxygen downstream of point sources should increase the likelihood of oxygen stress of the stream biota and lead to the export of less organic matter but more mineralised nutrients to the coastal waters.