Distribution of carbon between sediment and water in macrophyte dominated lowland streams

ISSN： 0018-8158

Source： Hydrobiologia, Vol.520, Iss.1-3, 2004-06, pp. : 143-152

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Abstract

Water and sediment was monitored at monthly intervals from three macrophyte-rich lowland streams with markedly different plant communities and plant biomasses. Despite marked seasonal variations in concentrations of dissolved and sediment C and N, concentration ratios of total dissolved C (TDC) – and the constituent parts dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) – to sediment C (PC) and N (PN) were remarkably constant within each stream, and for all stream data combined. Sediment C and N each varied by more than a factor of 10 but had a constant concentration ratio of 12.9 (r ²=0.94). Overall ratios (g l⁻¹) were 1.3±0.3 (n=102) for TDC:PC, 21±3 (98) for TDC:PN, 0.32±0.05 (103) for DOC:PC, 5.4±0.8 (101) for DOC:PN, 0.98±0.13 (102) for DIC:PC and 16±2 (96) for DIC:PN. The influence of macrophytes on organic-inorganic C transformations and between sediment and water compartments is further shown by the strong linear relationship (r ²=0.66, n=111) between EpCO₂ and DOC, and PC and PN.