ARS | Publication request: LOSS OF DISSOLVED ORGANIC CARBON FROM WATERSHEDS IN NORTHEASTERN INDIANA, USA

Submitted to: International Soil Conservation Organization Conference Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 15, 2006
Publication Date: May 14, 2006
Citation: Stott, D.E., Huang, C., Livingston, S.J., Bucholtz, D.L. 2006. Loss of dissolved organic carbon from watersheds in Northeastern Indiana, USA. In: International Soil Conservation Organization Conference Abstracts. May 14-19, 2006, Marrakech, Morocco. 2006 CDROM.

Technical Abstract: Transport of carbon from hillslopes to adjacent ditches, streams, and watersheds can represent a significant loss of C. While carbon associated with eroding sediments is often measured, the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in runoff water is rarely measured. As part of a larger project, nine subwatersheds in the St. Joseph River watershed were instrumented to collect runoff into agricultural drainage ditches before water entered creeks and streams. Runoff samples were acidified, frozen, and transported to the lab for analysis. Carbon concentrations were measured in base flows as well as from flows during rainfall events. In one example from the 2004 season, 5-25 g C s-1 were lost from the large experimental watersheds in base flow discharge into the ditch receiving drainage from a 4650 ha watershed. Base flow was almost continuous during early April to mid-November during 2004. This translates to 96,768 to 483,840 kg C lost as DOC during the season from the watershed, or 2-10 g C m2. Data from three years (2003-2005) of DOC measurements from the nine subwatersheds will be presented. [GRACEnet Publication]