Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Seasonality and landscape factors drive dissolved organic matter properties in Mediterranean ephemeral washes

  • Published:
Biogeochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) is a fundamental component of the aquatic carbon cycle and a key driver of the biogeochemical interactions between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The origin, properties and role of DOM are increasingly characterised in lakes, rivers and streams, but little is known about DOM characteristics in ephemeral washes, which are the most common water flows in Mediterranean landscapes. Here, we examine the patterns in the optical properties of DOM in ephemeral washes draining a small catchment in the island of Menorca, Western Mediterranean. We used concentration data (dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen) and several spectroscopic descriptors (SUVA254, absorption coefficient at 440 nm, fluorescence index, and excitation–emission fluorescence matrices) to assess changes in DOM concentrations and quality at both seasonal and spatial scales. Two periods were clearly distinguished in the DOM properties: autumn and winter–spring. In autumn, which includes the first flows of the hydrological year, DOM showed an aromatic character and was spatially homogenous over the catchment. In winter–spring, DOM was smaller and recently produced, and a considerable spatial heterogeneity was observed in all descriptors. The variability in DOM concentrations and quality was driven by hydromorphology and by the landscape features of the catchment, but the influence of these drivers on DOM properties changed along the hydrological year. In autumn, hydromorphology was the main factor determining DOM properties, whereas in winter–spring the land uses in the watershed highly determined the observed differences in DOM quality between subcatchments.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aitkenhead-Peterson JA, McDowell WH, Neff JC (2003) Sources, production, and regulation of allochthonous dissolved organic matter inputs to surface waters. In: Findlay SEG, Sinsabaugh RL (eds) Aquatic ecosystems. Interactivity of dissolved organic matter. Academic Press/Elsevier Science, Massachusetts, pp 26–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Álvarez-Cobelas MA, Rojo C, Angeler DG (2005) Mediterranean limnology: current status, gaps and the future. J Limnol 64:13–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amon RMW, Benner R (1996) Bacterial utilization of different size classes of dissolved organic matter. Limnol Oceanogr 41:41–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson MJ (2001) A new method for non-parametric multivariate analysis of variance. Aust Ecol 26:32–46

    Google Scholar 

  • APHA (American Public Health Association) (1998) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 20th edn. American Public Health Association, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker A (2002) Spectrophotometric discrimination of river dissolved organic matter. Hydrol Process 16:3203–3213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker A, Tipping E, Thacker SA, Gondar D (2008) Relating dissolved organic matter fluorescence and functional properties. Chemosphere 73:1765–1772

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belnap J, Welter JR, Grimm NB, Barger N, Ludwig JA (2005) Linkages between microbial and hydrologic processes in arid and semiarid watersheds. Ecology 86:298–307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bernal S, Butturini A, Sabater F (2005) Seasonal variations of dissolved nitrogen and DOC:DON ratios in an intermittent Mediterranean stream. Biogeochemistry 75:351–372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bricaud A, Morel A, Prieur L (1981) Absorption by dissolved organic matter of the sea (yellow substance) in the UV and visible domains. Limnol Oceanogr 26:43–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brookshire ENJ, Valett HM, Thomas SA, Webster JR (2005) Coupled cycling of dissolved organic nitrogen and carbon in a forest stream. Ecology 86:2487–2496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bull WB (1997) Discontinuous ephemeral streams. Geomorphology 19:227–276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bull L, Kirkby M, Shannon J, Hooke J (1999) The impact of rainstorms on floods in ephemeral channels in southeast Spain. Catena 38:191–209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Butturini A, Sabater F (2000) Seasonal variability of dissolved organic carbon in a Mediterranean stream. Biogeochemistry 51:303–321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Camarasa-Belmonte A, Segura-Beltrán F (2001) Flood events in Mediterranean ephemeral streams (ramblas) in Valencia region, Spain. Catena 45:229–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coble PG (1996) Characterization of marine and terrestrial DOM in seawater using excitation–emission matrix spectroscopy. Mar Chem 51:325–346

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cole JJ, Prairie YT, Caraco NF, McDowell WH, Tranvik LJ, Striegl RG, Duarte CM et al (2007) Plumbing the global carbon cycle: integrating inland waters into the terrestrial carbon budget. Ecosystems 10:172–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D‘Amore VD, Fellman JB, Edwards RT, Hood E (2010) Controls on dissolved organic matter concentrations in soils and streams from a forested wetland and sloping bog in southeast Alaska. Ecohydrology 3:249–261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson JJC, Tetzlaff D, Speed M, Hrachowitz M, Soulsby C (2011) Seasonal controls on DOC dynamics in nested upland catchments in NE Scotland. Hydrol Process 25:1647–1658

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FAO-UNESCO (1988) Soil map of the World (Revised Legend. Reprinted with corrections). World soil resources report 60. FAO, Rome

  • Fellman JB, Hood E, D’Amore DV, Edwards RT, White D (2009) Seasonal changes in the chemical quality and biodegradability of dissolved organic matter exported from soils to streams in coastal temperate rainforest watersheds. Biogeochemistry 95:277–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fellman JB, Hood E, Spencer RGM (2010) Fluorescence spectroscopy opens new windows into dissolved organic matter dynamics in freshwater ecosystems: a review. Limnol Oceanogr 55:2452–2462

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher SG, Minckley WL (1978) Chemical characteristics of a desert stream in flash flood. J Arid Environ 1:25–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallegos CL, Jordan TE, Hines AH, Weller DE (2005) Temporal variability of optical properties in a shallow, eutrophic estuary: seasonal and interannual variability. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 64:156–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gasith A, Resh V (1999) Streams in Mediterranean climate regions: abiotic influences and biotic responses to predictable seasonal events. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 30:51–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghani A, Dexter M, Carran RA, Theobald PW (2007) Dissolved organic nitrogen and carbon in pastoral soils: the New Zealand experience. Eur J Soil Sci 58(3):832–843

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helms JR, Stubbins A, Ritchie JD, Minor EC, Kieber DJ, Mopper K (2008) Absorption spectral slopes and slope ratios as indicators of molecular weight, source, and photobleaching of chromophoric dissolved organic matter. Limnol Oceanogr 53:955–969

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hood E, Gooseff MN, Johnson SL (2006) Changes in the character of stream water dissolved organic carbon during flushing in three small watersheds, Oregon. J Geophys Res 111(G1):007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson N, Baker A, Reynolds D (2007) Fluorescence analysis of dissolved organic matter in natural, waste and polluted waters—a review. River Res Appl 23:631–649

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Humphries P, Baldwin DS (2003) Drought and aquatic ecosystems: an introduction. Freshw Biol 48:1141–1146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Instituto Geológico y Minero de Espala (IGME) (1988) Mapa geológico de España 1:50000. Maps #618 Ciutadella, #619 Son Saura, #646 Alaior, #647 Maó. Madrid

  • Jacobson PJ, Jacobson KM, Angermeier PL, Cherry DS (2000) Variation in material transport and water chemistry along a large ephemeral river in the Namib desert. Freshw Biol 44:481–491

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jaffé R, McKnight D, Maie N, Cory R, McDowell WH, Campbell JL (2008) Spatial and temporal variations in DOM composition in ecosystems: the importance of long-term monitoring of optical properties. J Geophys Res 113(G4):032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jansà A (1979) Climatologia de Menorca. In: Vidal JM (ed) Enciclopèdia de Menorca. Obra Cultural de Menorca, Maó, pp 85–160

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalbitz K, Geyer W, Geyer S (1999) Spectroscopic properties of dissolved humic substances? A reflection of land use history in a fen area. Biogeochemistry 47:219–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Keeney DR, Nelson DW (1982) Nitrogen-inorganic forms. In: Page AL et al (eds) Methods of soil analysis: part 2. Agronomy Monograph, 2nd edn. ASA and SSSA, Madison, pp 643–687

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirk JTO (1994) Light and photosynthesis in aquatic ecosystems. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Legendre P, Dallot S, Legendre L (1985) Succession of species within a community: chronological clustering, with applications to marine and freshwater zooplankton. Am Nat 125:257–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leopold LB, Miller JP (1956) Ephemeral streams: hydraulic factors and their relation to the drainage net. U.S. geological survey professional paper 282-A. United States Government Printing Office, Washington DC, p 37

    Google Scholar 

  • Lutz BD, Bernhardt ES, Roberts BJ, Mulholland PJ (2011) Examining the coupling of carbon and nitrogen cycles in Appalachian streams: the role of dissolved organic nitrogen. Ecology 92(3):720–732

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Markager S, Stedmon CA, Søndergaard M (2011) Seasonal dynamics and conservative mixing of dissolved organic matter in the temperate eutrophic estuary Horsens Fjord. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 92(3):376–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martín-Vide J, Niñerola D, Bateman A, Navarro A, Velasco E (1999) Runoff and sediment transport in a torrential ephemeral stream of the Mediterranean coast. J Hydrol 225:118–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKnight DM, Boyer EW, Westerhoff P, Doran PT, Kulbe T, Andersen DT (2001) Spectrofluorometric characterization of dissolved organic matter for indication of precursor organic material and aromaticity. Limnol Oceanogr 46:38–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mullholland PJ (2003) Large-scale patterns in dissolved organic carbon concentration, flux, and sources. In: Findlay SEG, Sinsabaugh RL (eds) Aquatic ecosystems. Interactivity of dissolved organic matter. Academic Press/Elsevier Science, Massachusetts, pp 139–157

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Neff JC, Chapin SF, Vitousek PM (2003) Breaks in the cycle: dissolved organic nitrogen in terrestrial ecosystems. Front Ecol Environ 1(4):205–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Obrador B, Moreno-Ostos E, Pretus JL (2008) A dynamic model to simulate water level and salinity in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon. Estuar Coast 31:1117–1129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oksanen J, Blanchet FG, Kindt R, Legendre P, O’Hara RB, Simpson GL, Solymos P, Stevens H, Wagner H (2011) Vegan: community ecology package. R package version 1.17-10. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=vegan

  • Oni SK, Futter MN, Dillon PJ (2011) Landscape-scale control of carbon budget of Lake Simcoe: a process-based modelling approach. J Great Lakes Res 37:160–165. doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2010.05.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pellerin BA, Kaushal SS, McDowell WH (2006) Does anthropogenic nitrogen enrichment increase organic nitrogen concentrations in runoff from forested and human-dominated watersheds? Ecosystems 9(5):852–864

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pretus JL (1989) Limnología de la Albufera de Menorca (Menorca, España). Limnetica 5:69–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Quinn GP, Keough MJ (2002) Experimental design and data analysis for biologists. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • R Development Core Team (2011) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. ISBN 3-900051-07-0. http://www.R-project.org/

  • Romaní AM, Vázquez E, Butturini A (2006) Microbial availability and size fractionation of dissolved organic carbon after drought in an intermittent stream: biogeochemical link across the stream-riparian interface. Microb Ecol 52:501–512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Senesi N, Mian TM, Provenzano MR, Brunetti G (1991) Characterization, differentiation, and classification of humic substances by fluorescence spectroscopy. Soil Sci 152:259–271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stedmon C, Markager S (2005) Tracing the production and degradation of autochthonous fractions of dissolved organic matter by fluorescence analysis. Limnol Oceanogr 50:1415–1426

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vázquez E, Amalfitano S, Fazi S, Butturini A (2010) Dissolved organic matter composition in a fragmented Mediterranean fluvial system under severe drought conditions. Biogeochemistry 102:59–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weishaar JL, Aiken GR, Bergamaschi BA, Fram MS, Fujii R, Mopper K (2003) Evaluation of specific ultraviolet absorbance as an indicator of the chemical composition and reactivity of dissolved organic carbon. Environ Sci Technol 37:4702–4708

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westerhoff P, Anning D (2000) Concentrations and characteristics of organic carbon in surface water in Arizona: influence of urbanization. J Hydrol 236:202–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wetzel RG (2001) Limnology: lake and river ecosystems. Academic Press, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams CJ, Yamashita Y, Wilson HF, Jaffé R, Xenopoulos MA (2010) Unraveling the role of land use and microbial activity in shaping dissolved organic matter characteristics in stream ecosystems. Limnol Oceanogr 55(3):1159–1171

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are especially grateful to Eusebi Vázquez for his valuable and constructive comments and to Marie Rose DosRemedios for the English corrections. This study was funded by the project CGL 2008-05095/BOS, from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain). NC holds a doctoral fellowship (FI 2010–2013) from the Generalitat de Catalunya. We would like to thank Lídia Cañas for her assistance in the laboratory work. We thank two anonymous reviewers, whose comments helped improve the first version of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament d’Ecologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Núria Catalán, Biel Obrador, Carmen Alomar & Joan Ll. Pretus

Authors
  1. Núria Catalán
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Biel Obrador
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Carmen Alomar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Joan Ll. Pretus
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Núria Catalán.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Catalán, N., Obrador, B., Alomar, C. et al. Seasonality and landscape factors drive dissolved organic matter properties in Mediterranean ephemeral washes. Biogeochemistry 112, 261–274 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-012-9723-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-012-9723-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation