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Loss of Soil Carbon to the Atmosphere via Inland Surface Waters

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Ecosystem Services and Carbon Sequestration in the Biosphere

Abstract

Within the global carbon (C) cycle, there is still much debate as to the magnitude, location and turnover of the terrestrial C sinks (and sources). One of the major keys to closing this knowledge gap is that globally, the amount of C entering oceans maybe only ca. 33 % of the total C transported from terrestrial ecosystems to inland surface waters. Streams, lakes, rivers and transitional waters are areas for the active transformation and recycling of terrestrially-derived C indirectly back to the atmosphere (estimated range of 25–44 %). Understanding processes that control soil C losses to and its fate in surface waters is not only important in establishing accuracy of C fluxes, feedbacks and tradeoffs but also providing evidence to limit terrestrial ecosystem C contributions to atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2).

The relationship between inland surface waters and C cycling are controlled by biogeochemical, physical and hydrometeorological metrics that integrate both lateral (soil to water) and longitudinal (along the riverine continuum) processes during C transport in its different forms, i.e., particulate, dissolved and gaseous C species. This chapter outlines processes affecting compositional “quality” of C within surface waters and in-stream physico-chemical and biotic mechanisms that are instrumental to understanding losses of C via the soil-surface water-atmosphere pathway.

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Abbreviations

C:

Carbon

CH4 :

Methane

CO2 :

Carbon Dioxide

DIC:

Dissolved Inorganic Carbon

DOC:

Dissolved Organic Carbon

DOM:

Dissolved Organic Matter

FT-IR:

Fourier Transform Infrared

GHG:

Greenhouse Gas

GPP:

Gross Primary Production

OM:

Organic Matter

N2O:

Nitrous Oxide

NEE:

Net Ecosystem Exchange

PIC:

Particulate Inorganic Carbon

POC:

Particulate Organic Carbon

POM:

Particulate Organic Matter

SOC:

Soil Organic Carbon

SOM:

Soil Organic Matter

UV:

Ultra-Violet

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Acknowledgements 

The author would like to thank the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) Division for funding. Thanks to Pete Smith, Chris Soulsby at the University of Aberdeen and Mike Billett, CEH Edinburgh for helpful advice in relation to studies undertaken by the author contributing to this chapter. Finally, thanks to Marc Stutter (James Hutton Institute) for constructive comments.

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  1. Environmental and Biochemical Sciences Group, The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK

    Julian J. C. Dawson

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Ohio State University, Coffey Road Kottman Hall 422B 2021, Columbus, 43210, Ohio, USA

    Rattan Lal

  2. , Global Soil Forum, IASS Inst. for Adv. Sust. Studies, Berliner Str. 130, Potsdam, 14467, Brandenburg, Germany

    Klaus Lorenz

  3. , Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, 14473, Germany

    Reinhard F. Hüttl

  4. , Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg 309G, Potsdam, 14473, Brandenburg, Germany

    Bernd Uwe Schneider

  5. Universität Bonn, Walter-Flex-Str. 3, Bonn, 53113, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

    Joachim von Braun

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Dawson, J.J.C. (2013). Loss of Soil Carbon to the Atmosphere via Inland Surface Waters. In: Lal, R., Lorenz, K., Hüttl, R., Schneider, B., von Braun, J. (eds) Ecosystem Services and Carbon Sequestration in the Biosphere. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6455-2_9

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