TY - JOUR
T1 - Flow discharge influences on input and transport of particulate and sedimentary organic carbon along a small temperate river
AU - Medeiros, Patricia M.
AU - Sikes, Elisabeth L.
AU - Thomas, Burt
AU - Freeman, Katherine H.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Rose Petrecca for the valuable help during sample collections. We are also grateful to Charlotte Fuller and Randy Culp for the assistance with the TOC and bulk δ 13 C analyses, respectively. P.M.M. thanks University of Georgia Research Foundation (FRG764) for partial support. The three reviewers are acknowledged for their thoughtful comments and suggestions to improve this manuscript.
PY - 2012/1/15
Y1 - 2012/1/15
N2 - The relative importance of hydrological conditions and upstream processes on the input and transport of organic carbon from land to sea was investigated in the Mullica River, a small system located in the southeastern New Jersey (USA), using molecular and δ 13C compositions. Sediment and particulate organic carbon (POC) samples were collected along the river, from upstream (draining predominantly pine-oak forests) in the Pinelands to the Great Bay Estuary (bordered by salt marshes) under normal and high flow conditions. During base river flow, terrestrial biomarkers (e.g., diterpenoids - conifer biomarkers) were detected predominantly upstream and sharply decreased downstream. From mid to down river sites, a mixture of higher plants (primarily from the salt marsh vegetation) and microbial biomarkers (e.g., mycose, cholesterol) predominated. δ 13C abundances of individual fatty acids presented a consistent pattern, with depleted values (e.g., δ 13C sed=-30.9‰ on average) upstream, becoming heavier toward the Great Bay (e.g., δ 13C sed=-23.1‰; δ 13C POC=-22.8‰). During the high discharge event, significant amounts of upland biomarkers (e.g., pimaric acid, ferruginol, ursolic acid) and depleted δ 13C values were observed from the Pinelands (δ 13C sed=-34.6‰) to mid river (δ 13C sed=-32.0‰; δ 13C POC=-30.8‰), clearly demonstrating the transport of terrestrial material farther down river. However, downstream of this point, the occurrence of the terrestrial material strongly decreased, demonstrating that terrestrial plant biomarkers were not transported in significant amounts to the estuarine region, even at high river discharge. Since the mid river site is situated in the upper limit of salt water intrusions, it is likely that flocculation and sedimentation provide a depositional sink for terrestrial OC in the mid Mullica River, thereby depleting the terrigenous signature in downstream OC.
AB - The relative importance of hydrological conditions and upstream processes on the input and transport of organic carbon from land to sea was investigated in the Mullica River, a small system located in the southeastern New Jersey (USA), using molecular and δ 13C compositions. Sediment and particulate organic carbon (POC) samples were collected along the river, from upstream (draining predominantly pine-oak forests) in the Pinelands to the Great Bay Estuary (bordered by salt marshes) under normal and high flow conditions. During base river flow, terrestrial biomarkers (e.g., diterpenoids - conifer biomarkers) were detected predominantly upstream and sharply decreased downstream. From mid to down river sites, a mixture of higher plants (primarily from the salt marsh vegetation) and microbial biomarkers (e.g., mycose, cholesterol) predominated. δ 13C abundances of individual fatty acids presented a consistent pattern, with depleted values (e.g., δ 13C sed=-30.9‰ on average) upstream, becoming heavier toward the Great Bay (e.g., δ 13C sed=-23.1‰; δ 13C POC=-22.8‰). During the high discharge event, significant amounts of upland biomarkers (e.g., pimaric acid, ferruginol, ursolic acid) and depleted δ 13C values were observed from the Pinelands (δ 13C sed=-34.6‰) to mid river (δ 13C sed=-32.0‰; δ 13C POC=-30.8‰), clearly demonstrating the transport of terrestrial material farther down river. However, downstream of this point, the occurrence of the terrestrial material strongly decreased, demonstrating that terrestrial plant biomarkers were not transported in significant amounts to the estuarine region, even at high river discharge. Since the mid river site is situated in the upper limit of salt water intrusions, it is likely that flocculation and sedimentation provide a depositional sink for terrestrial OC in the mid Mullica River, thereby depleting the terrigenous signature in downstream OC.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.gca.2011.11.020
DO - 10.1016/j.gca.2011.11.020
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:83455178261
SN - 0016-7037
VL - 77
SP - 317
EP - 334
JO - Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
JF - Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
ER -
