Quantifying Dissolved Organic Carbon Efflux from Drained Peatlands in Hemiboreal Latvia

Raitis Normunds Meļņiks (), Emīls Mārtiņš Upenieks, Aldis Butlers, Arta Bārdule, Santa Kalēja and Andis Lazdiņš ()
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Raitis Normunds Meļņiks: Latvian State Forest Research Institute ‘Silava’ (LSFRI Silava), Rigas Str. 111, LV-2169 Salaspils, Latvia
Emīls Mārtiņš Upenieks: Latvian State Forest Research Institute ‘Silava’ (LSFRI Silava), Rigas Str. 111, LV-2169 Salaspils, Latvia
Aldis Butlers: Latvian State Forest Research Institute ‘Silava’ (LSFRI Silava), Rigas Str. 111, LV-2169 Salaspils, Latvia
Arta Bārdule: Latvian State Forest Research Institute ‘Silava’ (LSFRI Silava), Rigas Str. 111, LV-2169 Salaspils, Latvia
Santa Kalēja: Latvian State Forest Research Institute ‘Silava’ (LSFRI Silava), Rigas Str. 111, LV-2169 Salaspils, Latvia
Andis Lazdiņš: Latvian State Forest Research Institute ‘Silava’ (LSFRI Silava), Rigas Str. 111, LV-2169 Salaspils, Latvia

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 6, 1-19

Abstract: This study evaluated the impact of different land use types on groundwater dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and annual DOC efflux from drained peatlands to catchment runoff, providing insights into the mechanisms of carbon stock changes in peatland soils. We measured groundwater chemical properties and various environmental variables, and calculated daily runoff and evapotranspiration for 2021 to estimate monthly and annual DOC efflux and analyzed main affecting factors in different peatland land use types. The highest DOC concentrations in groundwater were found in Scots pine forests and active peat extraction sites, with values of 113.7 mg L −1 and 109.7 mg L −1 , respectively, and the lowest in silver birch forests and croplands, at 51.9 mg L −1 and 18.6 mg L −1 , respectively. There were statistically significant correlations, including a strong negative correlation between DOC concentrations and several groundwater chemical properties, such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), Ca, Mg, and K concentrations. The concentrations of DOC in the groundwater of drained peatland showed significant variation between different land use types. The highest annual DOC efflux was observed in active peat extraction sites, at 513.1 kg ha −1 y −1 , while the lowest was in grasslands, at 61.9 kg ha −1 y −1 , where Ca and Mg concentrations, as well as EC, were the highest. Continuous monitoring of these concentration patterns is essential.

Keywords: dissolved organic carbon; runoff; evapotranspiration; groundwater; peatland (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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