https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10180

Aukes, P. J., Schiff, S. L., Venkiteswaran, J. J., Elgood, R. J., & Spoelstra, J. (2021). Size-based characterization of freshwater dissolved organic matter finds similarities within a waterbody type across different Canadian ecozones. Limnology and Oceanography Letters, 6(2), 85-95. https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10180

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) represents a mixture of organic molecules that vary due to different source materials and degree of processing. Characterizing how DOM composition evolves along the aquatic continuum can be difficult. Using a size-exclusion chromatography technique (liquid chromatography-organic carbon detection [LC-OCD]), we assessed the variability in DOM composition from both surface and groundwaters across a number of Canadian ecozones (mean annual temperature spanning −10°C to +6°C). A wide range in DOM concentration was found from 0.2 to 120 mg C L−1. Proportions of different size-based groupings across ecozones were variable, yet similarities between specific waterbody types, regardless of location, suggest commonality in the processes dictating DOM composition. A principal component analysis identified 70% of the variation in LC-OCD derived DOM compositions could be explained by the waterbody type. We find that DOM composition within a specific waterbody type is similar regardless of the differences in climate or surrounding vegetation where the sample originated from.

SAMMS, Northern-Water-Futures, Refereed Publications

https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10180