Fluxes of inorganic carbon from two forested catchments in the Appalachian mountains

Abstract

This study uses long-term records of stream chemistry, discharge and air temperature from two neighbouring forested catchments in the southern Appalachians in order to calculate production of dissolved C0² and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). One of the pair of catchments was clear-felled during the period of the study. The study shows that: (1) areal production rates of both dissolved C0² and DIC are similar between the two catchments even during and immediately after the period of clear-felling; (2) flux of total inorganic carbon (dissolved C0² DIC) rises dramatically in response to a catchment-wide acidification event; (3) DIC and dissolved C0² are dominantly released on the old water portion of the discharge and concentrations peak in the early autumn when flows in the study catchments are at their lowest; (4) total fluvial carbon flux from the clear-felled catchment is 11.6 t km-² year^-1 and for the control catchment is 11.4 t km^-2 year^-1. The total inorganic carbon flux represents 69% of the total fluvial carbon flux. The method presented in the study provides a useful way of estimating inorganic carbon flux from a catchment without detailed gas monitoring. The time series of dissolved C& at emergence to the stream can also be a proxy for the soil flux of C0².

Citation

Worrall, Fred; Swank, Wayne T.; Burt, Tim. 2005. Fluxes of inorganic carbon from two forested catchments in the Appalachian mountains. Hydrol. Process. 19:3021-3035.