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Organic particles in a shallow sediment trap: Substantial loss to the dissolved phase
Author(s) -
Kähler Paul,
Bauerfeind Eduard
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.2001.46.3.0719
Subject(s) - sediment trap , flux (metallurgy) , organic matter , fraction (chemistry) , total organic carbon , sediment , trap (plumbing) , dissolved organic carbon , solubilization , nitrogen , phase (matter) , environmental science , environmental chemistry , chemistry , geology , chromatography , environmental engineering , geomorphology , organic chemistry , biochemistry
We used multivariate statistics to divide the solubilized organic matter in a shallow time‐series trap into fractions derived from swimmers and from the passive flux. Most of the dissolved organic matter in the traps originated from swimmers, but the contribution from passively trapped material was also substantial. Accounting for this fraction attributable to the passively trapped material yields a vertical organic carbon flux 2.7 times larger than the conventional estimate, which is based on recovered particles only. For organic nitrogen, this correction is even greater (six times). Solubilization is a fast process that is significant within a few days.