Size‐based characterization of freshwater dissolved organic matter finds similarities within a waterbody type across different Canadian ecozones

Abstract 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 chr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pieter J. K. Aukes, Sherry L. Schiff, Jason J. Venkiteswaran, Richard J. Elgood, John Spoelstra
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-04-01
Series:Limnology and Oceanography Letters
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10180
Description
Summary:Abstract 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.
ISSN:2378-2242