An analysis of the chemical character of dissolved organic matter and soluble soil organic matter within the same catchment

Trends of increasing dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentrations have been reported in many parts of the world. To better understand how organic matter is transported throughout and used within watersheds, it is important to measure not only how much there is, but to also its chemical character. In this study, spectroscopic techniques were used to analyze the DOM from Boulder Creek in Colorado, as well as the soluble organic matter in soil from a smaller catchment within the watershed. Samples from the creek were taken at regular intervals for several years and the DOM quantity and quality was analyzed to determine both seasonal impacts and the affect of Barker Dam halfway up the watershed. Observed trends followed similar patterns to that seen in other alpine ecosystems, with a peak in microbial DOM just before snowmelt, followed by increasing terrestrial input. However, the storage in the reservoir made the signal less clear below the dam. Soil organic matter samples were taken with an aim to observing both spatial and temporal patterns. A large number of both surface and deep samples were taken in one time snapshot, and surface samples were taken from the same plots over several months beginning during snowmelt and reaching the end of the growing season. Surface samples displayed a stronger correlation with DOM in the stream than samples taken at depth, indicating much of the DOM comes from overland flow. However, strong microbial signals from samples at depth indicated the possibility that microbes may be using OM as an electron acceptor during bedrock weathering processes. Little variation was shown temporally in surface samples, although there was some seen in the riparian zone during snowmelt.