Mechanisms of carbon storage in mountainous headwater rivers

Ellen Wohl (), Kathleen Dwire, Nicholas Sutfin, Lina Polvi and Roberto Bazan
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Ellen Wohl: Colorado State University
Kathleen Dwire: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station
Nicholas Sutfin: Colorado State University
Lina Polvi: Colorado State University
Roberto Bazan: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station

Nature Communications, 2012, vol. 3, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Published research emphasizes rapid downstream export of terrestrial carbon from mountainous headwater rivers, but little work focuses on mechanisms that create carbon storage along these rivers, or on the volume of carbon storage. Here we estimate organic carbon stored in diverse valley types of headwater rivers in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, USA. We show that low-gradient, broad valley bottoms with old-growth forest or active beaver colonies store the great majority of above- and below-ground carbon. These laterally unconfined valley segments constitute

Date: 2012
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2274

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