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- H21W-1284: Hydroclimatic and Ecological Controls on Dissolved Organic Carbon Fluxes in North Florida Forests
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Board 1284‚ Hall EFG (Poster Hall)NOLA CC
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Andrew Lebowitz, University of Florida (First Author, Presenting Author)
Joshua Epstein, University of Florida
Seyed Mohammad Moein Sadeghi, University of Florida
Katherine Wardinski, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Forests play an important role in shaping the chemistry of water that flows into nearby wetlands, rivers, and groundwater. One key part of this process is the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which is initiated when rain interacts with leaves, bark, and other organic materials. This study compared two types of forests in northern Florida: pine forests with sparse canopies and oak forests with dense, Spanish moss covered trees. Over the course of a year, we collected rainwater from various points as it moved through the forest, and also soaked forest materials in water to see how much DOC they released. In the field, we observed that large storms move more DOC into the soil and eventually into nearby water bodies. Additionally, Oak forests release greater yields of DOC than pine forests. In the soaking experiment, we found that even after 24 hours of submergence, forest materials continued to release carbon, suggesting these sources are inexhaustible in any rainstorm size. Further, although rain flowing down tree trunks (stemflow) is less common, it contains greater DOC concentrations than rain that drips from leaves (throughfall). These findings indicate forest type, structure, and meteorology greatly influence water quality of surrounding ecosystems.
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