Hydrological connectivity controls dissolved organic carbon exports in a peatland-dominated boreal catchment stream

Abstract Q) and a delayed DOC concentration increase, typical of lateral subsurface flow. The magnitude of the WTD increase played a crucial role in influencing the quantity of DOC exported. Based on the observations that the peatland is the most important contributor to DOC exports at the catchment scale and that other DOC sources were negligible during high-flow periods, we propose a new approach to estimate the specific DOC exports attributable to the peatland by distinguishing between the surfaces used for calculation during high-flow and low-flow periods. In 2018–2019, 92.6 % of DOC was exported during flood events despite the fact that these flood events accounted for 59.1 % of the period. In 2019–2020, 93.8 % of DOC was exported during flood events, which represented 44.1 % of the period. Our analysis of individual flood events revealed three types of events and DOC mobilization patterns. The first type is characterized by high rainfall, leading to an important WTD increase that favours the connection between the peatland and the stream and leading to high DOC exports. The second is characterized by a large WTD increase succeeding a previous event that had depleted DOC available to be transferred to the stream, leading to low DOC exports. The third type corresponds to low rainfall events with an insufficient WTD increase to reconnect the peatland and the stream, leading to low DOC exports. Our results suggest that DOC exports are sensitive to hydroclimatic conditions; moreover, flood events, changes in rainfall regime, ice-free season duration, and porewater temperature may affect the exported DOC and, consequently, partially offset the net carbon sequestration potential of peatlands.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Hydrological connectivity controls dissolved organic carbon exports in a peatland-dominated boreal catchment stream ; volume:27 ; number:21 ; year:2023 ; pages:3935-3955 ; extent:21 ; Hydrology and earth system sciences ; 27, Heft 21 (2023), 3935-3955 (gesamt 21)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Prijac, Antonin ; Gandois, Laure ; Taillardat, Pierre ; Bourgault, Marc-André ; Riahi, Khawla ; Ponçot, Alex ; Tremblay, Alain ; Garneau, Michelle

Further information

• DOI: 10.5194/hess-27-3935-2023
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2023110903145511490074
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:51 AM CEST