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Dissolved organic carbon dynamics in two streams draining forested catchments at loch ard, Scotland
Author(s) -
Grieve Ian C.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
hydrological processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.222
H-Index - 161
eISSN - 1099-1085
pISSN - 0885-6087
DOI - 10.1002/hyp.3360080508
Subject(s) - dissolved organic carbon , hydrology (agriculture) , streams , drainage basin , environmental science , wetland , geology , ecology , geography , oceanography , computer network , geotechnical engineering , cartography , computer science , biology
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was measured at four or eight hour intervals between mid‐1989 and mid‐1991 in two catchments in west central Scotland. The experimental catchment had been recently clear‐felled and the control remained under forest. The amount of DOC varied during individual storm events following the stream hydro‐graph. Maximum variations were found in the summer half‐year and in the clear‐felled catchment. There was also evidence of the exhaustion of DOC in the later events of a sequence. Differences between the catchments were related to catchment characteristics and to land‐use change. The reduced magnitude of variation in DOC with discharge in the control stream was due to the influence of a wetland area through which the stream flowed. The mean DOC concentrations were similar in the two streams and annual exports were 15 g m −2 from the control and 16g m −2 from the felled catchment. The stream draining the clear‐felled catchment had greater high flow DOC concentrations in the summer half‐year, probably due to the effect of greater mean summer temperatures on DOC release and of the greater supply of organic debris in the stream channel.