Stormflows drive stream carbon concentration, speciation, and dissolved organic matter composition in coastal temperate rainforest watersheds

Streams transport large amounts of terrestrially derived carbon to the ocean, especially during large rainstorms. We collected water samples daily over a 6‐day storm from small drainage areas of varying landcover to see how the concentration and type of carbon changed over the course of a storm. Our results show that the amount and type of carbon in the stream changed dramatically during the storm and originated from different areas of the landscape. The flow of water through the soil also changed during the storm and was related to the type and amount of carbon entering the stream. Storm events not only impact carbon entering the stream but also may impact its transfer to coastal marine ecosystems. Climate in the study region is projected to become warmer and wetter in coming decades. These shifts in climate could lead to more carbon export during storms, especially during winter because of more precipitation falling as rain rather than snow.

Citation

Fellman, J. B., Hood, E., Behnke, M. I., Welker, J. M., & Spencer, R. G. M.. 2020. Stormflows drive stream carbon concentration, speciation, and dissolved organic matter composition in coastal temperate rainforest watersheds. JGR Biogeosciences. 125:9: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2020JG005804. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JG005804.