Biogeosciences www.biogeosciences.net 1726-4170 1726-4189 6 3 2009 10.5194/bg-6-363-2009 http://www.biogeosciences.net/6/363/2009/ http://www.biogeosciences.net/6/363/2009/bg-6-363-2009.html http://www.biogeosciences.net/6/363/2009/bg-6-363-2009.pdf 363 374 2009-03-13 The significance of organic carbon and nutrient export from peatland-dominated landscapes subject to disturbance, a stoichiometric perspective S. Waldron Susan.Waldron@ges.gla.ac.uk H. Flowers C. Arlaud C. Bryant S. McFarlane Department of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK Department of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique de Toulouse, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France NERC Radiocarbon Lab, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride G75 0QF, UK The terrestrial-aquatic interface is a crucial environment in which to consider the fate of exported terrestrial carbon in the aquatic system. Here the fate of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) may be controlled by nutrient availability. However, peat-dominated headwater catchments are normally of low nutrient status and thus there is little data on how DOC and nutrient export co-varies. We present nutrient and DOC data for two UK catchments dominated by peat headwaters. One, Whitelee, is undergoing development for Europe's largest windfarm. Glen Dye by comparison is relatively undisturbed. At both sites there are significant linear relationships between DOC and soluble reactive phosphorus and nitrate concentrations in the drainage waters. However, inter-catchment differences exist. Changes in the pattern of nutrient and carbon export at Whitelee reveal that landscape disturbance associated with windfarm development impacts the receiving waters, and that nutrient export does not increase in a stoichiometric manner that will promote increase in microbial biomass but rather supports aquatic respiration. In turn greater CO₂ efflux may prevail. Hence disturbance of terrestrial carbon stores may impact the both the aquatic and gaseous carbon cycle. We suggest estimates of aquatic carbon export should inform the decision-making process prior to development in ecosystems and catchments with high terrestrial carbon storage. Baker, A., Cumberland, S., and Hudson, N.: Dissolved and total organic and inorganic carbon in some british rivers, Area, 40, 117–127, doi:10.1111/j.1475-4762.2007.00780.x, 2008. Billett, M., Garnett, M., and Harvey, F.: UK peatland streams release old carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and young dissolved organic carbon to rivers, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, 1–6, doi:10.1029/2007GL031797, 2007. Billett, M. F., Palmer, S. M., Hope, D., Deacon, C., Storeton-West, R., Hargreaves, K. J., Flechard, C., and Fowler, D.: Linking land-atmosphere-stream carbon fluxes in a lowland peatland system, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 18, GB1024, doi:10.1029/2003GB002058, 2004. Boutton, T. W., Wong, W. W., Hachey, D. L. , Lee, L, S., Cabrera, M. P., and Klein, P. D.: Comparison of quartz and pyrex tubes for combustion of organic samples for stable carbon isotope analysis, Anal. Chem., 55, 1832–1833, 1983. Chasar, L. S., Chanton, J. P., Glaser, P. H., Siegel, D. I., and Rivers, J. S.: Radiocarbon and stable carbon isotopic evidence for transport and transformation of dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon and CH₄ in a Minnesota peatland, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 14, 1095–1108, 2000. Clesceri, L. S.: Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. Prepared and published jointly by American Public Health Association, American Water Works Association, Water Environment Federation, edited by: Clesceri, L. S., Greenberg, A. E., Eaton, A. D.], published Washington, Am. Pub. Health Ass., 20th edition, 1998. Cole, J. J., Prairie, Y. T., Caraco, N. F., McDowell, W. H., Tranvik, L. J., Striegl, R. G., Duarte, C. M., Kortelainen, P., Downing, J. A., Middelburg, J. J., and Melack, J.: Plumbing the global carbon cycle: Integrating inland waters into the terrestrial carbon budget, Ecosystems, 10, 171–184, 2007. CRE Energy: Whitelee windfarm environmental statement, Chapters~4 and 5, 14–36, 2002. Cross, W. F., Benstead, J. P., Frost, P. C., and Thomas, S. A.: Ecological stoichiometry in freshwater benthic systems: Recent progress and perspectives, Fresh. Biol., 2005, 1895–1912, 2005. Cummins, T. and Farrell, E. P.: Biogeochemical impacts of clearfelling and reforestation on blanket peatland streams I. phosphorus, For. Ecol. Manage., 180, 545–555, 2003. Dawson, J. J. C., Bakewell, C., and Billett, M. F.: Is in-stream processing an important control on spatial changes in carbon fluxes in headwater catchments?, Sci. Tot. Env., 265, 153–167, 2001. Dawson, J. J. C., Billett, M. F., Hope, D., Palmer, S. M., and Deacon, C. M.: Sources and sinks of aquatic carbon in a peatland stream continuum, Biogeochemistry, 70, 71–92, 2004. Dawson, J. J. C. and Smith, P.: Carbon losses from soil and its consequences for land-use management, Sci. Total Environ., 382, 165–190, 2007. Dodds, W. K.: Eutrophication and trophic state in rivers and streams, Limnol. Oceanogr., 51, 671–680, 2006. Evans, C. D., Freeman, C., Monteith, D. T., Reynolds, B., and Fenner, N.: Climate change – terrestrial export of organic carbon - reply, Nature, 415, 862–862, 2002. Evans, C. D., Freeman, C., Cork, L. G., Thomas, D. N., Reynolds, B., Billett, M. F., Garnett, M. H., and Norris, D.: Evidence against recent climate-induced destabilisation of soil carbon from $^14$C analysis of riverine dissolved organic matter, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, LO7407, doi:10.1029/2007GL029431, 2007. Evans, M., Warburton J., and Yang J., Eroding blanket peat catchments: Global and local implications of upland organic sediment budgets, Geomorphology, 79, 45–57, 2006. Forestry Commission: Forests and water guidelines, Stationery Office Books, 36 pp., 1993. Grieve, I. C.: Dissolved organic-carbon dynamics in 2 streams draining forested catchments at Loch Ard, Scotland, Hydr. Proc., 8, 457–464, 1994. Hargreaves, K. J., Milne, R., and Cannell, M. G. R.: Carbon balance of afforested peatland in Scotland, Forestry, 76, 299–317, 2003. He, Z. Q., Ohno, T., Cade-Menun, B. J., Erich, M. S., and Honeycutt, C. W.: Spectral and chemical characterization of phosphates associated with humic substances, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 70, 1741–1751, 2006. Heikkinen, J. E. P., Virtanen, T., Huttunen, J. T., Elsakov, V., and Martikainen, P. J.: Carbon balance in east european tundra, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 18, GB1023, doi:10.1029/2003GB002054, 2004. Hope, D., Palmer, S. M., Billett, M. F., and Dawson, J. J. C.: Variations in dissolved CO₂ and CH₄ in a first-order stream and catchment: An investigation of soil-stream linkages, Hydr. Proc., 18, 3225–3275, 2004. Holden, J.: Piping and woody plants in peatlands: Cause or effect? Water Res. Res., 41, W06009, 2005. Jordan, P., Arnschedit, A., McGrogan, H., and McCormick, S.: Characterising phosphorus transfers in rural catchments using a continuous bank-side analyser, Hydrol. Earth Sys. Sci., 11, 372–381, 2007. Kalbitz, K. and Geyer, S.: Different effects of peat degradation on dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen, Org. Geochem., 33, 319–326, 2002. Kortelainen, P., Mattsson, T., Finer, L., Ahtiainen, M., Saukkonen, S., and Sallantaus, T.: Controls on the export of C, N, P and Fe from undisturbed boreal catchments, Finland, Aqu. Sci., 68, 453–468, 2006. Lennon, J. T.: Experimental evidence that terrestrial carbon subsidies increase CO₂ flux from lake ecosystems, Oecologia, 138, 584–591, 2004. Lennon, J. T., and Pfaff, L. E.: Source and supply of terrestrial organic matter affects aquatic microbial metabolism, Aqu. Microb. Ecol., 39, 107–119, 2005. Levin, I. and Kromer, B.: The tropospheric $^14$CO₂ level in mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere (1959-2003). Radiocarbon, 46, 1261–1272, 2004. Lovdal, T., Tanaka, T., and Thingstad, T. F.: Algal-bacterial competition for phosphorus from dissolved DNA, ATP, and orthophosphate in a mesocosm experiment, Limn. Ocean, 52, 1407–1419, 2007. MAFF: The analysis of agricultural Materials, HMSO 3rd edition, Method 56, Organic matter in soil, 172–174, 1986. Monteith, D. T., Stoddard, J. L., Evans, C. D., de Wit, H. A., Forsius, M., Hogasen, T., Wilander, A., Skjelkvale, B. L., Jeffries, D. S., Vuorenmaa, J., Keller, B., Kopacek, J., and Vesely, J.: Dissolved organic carbon trends resulting from changes in atmospheric deposition chemistry, Nature, 450, 537–540, 2007. Neal, C.: The water quality functioning of the upper river Severn, Plynlimon, mid-Wales: Issues of monitoring, process understanding and forestry, Hydrol. Earth Sys. Sci., 8, 521–532, 2004. Neal, C., Reynolds, B., Neal, M., Wickham, H., Hill, L., and Williams, B.: The impact of conifer harvesting on stream water quality: The Afon Harfen, mid-Wales, Hydrol. Earth Sys. Sci., 8, 503–520, 2004a. Neal, C., Reynolds, B., Neal, M., Wickham, H., Hill, L., and Williams, B.: The water quality of streams draining a plantation forest on gley soils: The Nant Tanllwyth, Plynlimon mid-Wales, Hydrol. Earth Sys. Sci., 8, 485–502, 2004b. Osburn, C. L., Morris, D. P., Thorn, K. A., and Moller, R. E.: Chemical and optical changes in freshwater dissolved organic matter exposed to solar radiation, Biogeochem., 54, 251–278, 2001. Palmer, S. M., Hope, D., Billett, M. F., Dawson, J. J. C., and Bryant, C. L.: Sources of organic and inorganic carbon in headwater streams: Evidence from carbon isotope studies, Biogeochem., 52, 321–338, 2001. Rivers, J. S., Siegel, D. I., Chasar, L. S., Chanton, J. P., Glaser, P. H., Roulet, N. T., and McKenzie, J. M.: A stochastic appraisal of the annual carbon budget of a large circumboreal peatland, rapid river watershed, northern Minnesota, Global Biogeochem. Cyc., 12, 715–727, 1998. Ross, M.: Can DOC export in peatland river catchment be described by the RCC?, B.Sc., Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, 35 pp., 2008. Roulet, N. and Moore, T. R.: Browning the waters, Nature, 444, 283–284, 2006. Rubin, M. A. and Leff, L. G.: Nutrients and other abiotic factors affecting bacterial communities in an Ohio river (USA), Micr. Ecol., 54, 374–383, 2007. Smart, R. P., Cresser, M. S., Calver, L. J., Clark, M., and Chapman, P. J.: A novel modelling approach for spatial and temporal variations in nitrate concentrations in an N-impacted UK small upland river basin, Env. Poll., 136, 63–70, 2005. Slota, P. J., Jull, A. J. T., Linick, T. W., and Toolin, L. J.: Preparation of small samples for $^14$C accelerator targets by catalytic reduction of CO, Radiocarbon, 29, 303–306, 1987. Stuiver, M. and Polach, H. A.: Discussion: Reporting of $^14$C data, Radiocarbon, 19, 355–363, 1977. Tipping, E., Smith, E. J., Bryant, C. L., and Adamson, J. K.: The organic carbon dynamics of a moorland catchment in NW England, Biogeochem., 84, 171–189, 2007. Thompson, D. B. A.; Gordon, J. E., Horsfield, D.: Montane landscapes in Scotland: are these natural artefacts or complex relicts?, in: Earth Science and the Natural Heritage, edited by: Gordon, J. E. and Leys, K. F., Stationary Office, London, 105–119, 2001. Waddington, J. M. and Roulet, N. T.: Carbon balance of a boreal patterned peatland, Global Change Biol., 6, 87–97, 2000. Waldron, S., Scott, E. M., and Soulsby, C.: Stable isotope analysis reveals lower-order river dissolved inorganic carbon pools are highly dynamic, Env. Sci. Tech., 41, 6156–6162, 10.1021/es0706089, 2007. Worrall, F., Reed, M., Warburton, J., and Burt, T. P.: Carbon budget for a British upland peat catchment, Sci. Tot. Env., 312, 133–146, 2003. Worrall, F., Harriman, R., Evans, C. D., Watts, C. D., Adamson, J., Neal, C., Tipping, E., Burt, T., Grieve, I., Monteith, D., Naden, P. S., Nisbet, T., Reynolds, B., and Stevens, P.: Trends in dissolved organic carbon in UK rivers and lakes, Biogeochem., 70, 369–402, 2004. Worrall, F., Burt, T. P., and Adamson, J.: The rate of and controls upon DOC loss in a peat catchment, J. Hydr., 321, 311–325, 2006. Worrall, F., Guilbert, T., and Besien T.: The flux of carbon from rivers: the case for flux from England and Wales, Biogeochem., 86, 63–75, 2007.