scholarly journals Organic matter storage and decomposition in the hyporheic zone of a mountain stream

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-203
Author(s):  
Tomoya KUBO ◽  
Tamao KASAHARA ◽  
Masaaki CHIWA ◽  
Kyouichi OTSUKI
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Mountain Stream

Functional role of earthworms to control the hydraulic conductivity of constructed wetlands 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Océane Gilibert ◽  
Dan Tam Costa ◽  
Sabine Sauvage ◽  
Didier Orange ◽  
Yvan Capowiez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Constructed Wetlands ◽  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Riparian Zone ◽  
Water Flux ◽  
Sediment Surface ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Organic Matter Input

<p>Wetlands are known for their natural service of water quality regulation. The hyporheic zones of the rivers filter and purify the surface water from the stream and infiltrated waters in soil nearby through the riparian zone. This purification service occurs because of a synergy between the substrate and its biodiversity (including plants, bacteria and other invertebrates). Our study deals with constructed wetlands (CW) as a nature-based solution mimicking wetlands water purification process, to purify wastewaters. The REUSE technology of CW is based on the use of specific layers of gravels and sands inside a close concrete structure, planted with specific sub-aquatic plants, where wastewaters or runoff of stormwaters are introduced to be filtered. The technology of Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands (VFCW) reproduces the water flux observed in the riparian zone with a gravity flow of water. It is composed of reeds planted on a sandy layer (Ø 0-4 mm) and succession of gravel layers. This substrate can be saturated or unsaturated to reproduce the functioning of the hyporheic zone or the riparian zone respectively. By the time, the substrate is colonized by a community of bacteria producing biofilms which capture the residual organic matter from wastewaters to mineralize them. However, the VFCW substrates tend to clog over time due to the accumulation of organic matter and biofilms. Many studies consider earthworms as one of the solutions to alleviate this clogging, thanks to their burrows recreating macropores and preferential channels which help to improve the dispersion of water into the deep soil. The main goal of this study is to assess the impact of earthworm activities on the hydraulic conductivity of columns composed with the same substrate used in the VFCW. Different densities of earthworms (Eisenia fetida) were introduced (0, 100, 500, 1000 g of earthworms/m²) in these columns to be monitored for 37 days. The hydraulic conductivity was measured every 7 days, aside from day 23 with the addition of 40 g of peat bedding on column surfaces to simulate a high organic matter input. Columns with earthworm density superior to 500 g/m² shows an amelioration of their hydraulic conductivity after 21 days. These densities are also able to restore the hydraulic conductivity of the column in less than 7 days after the setting of clogged condition due to the organic matter input (peat bedding) at the sediment surface. This study showed that the burrowing activity of E. fetida improves the hydraulic flux of a sandy substrate and this impact is dependent on the earthworm density introduced. So, the addition of earthworms in the VFCW could serve as a prevention against clogging.</p>

scholarly journals Functional and Structural Responses of Hyporheic Biofilms to Varying Sources of Dissolved Organic Matter

2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (19) ◽  
pp. 6004-6012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karoline Wagner ◽  
Mia M. Bengtsson ◽  
Katharina Besemer ◽  
Anna Sieczko ◽  
Nancy R. Burns ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
16S Rrna ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Priority Effects ◽  
Stream Ecosystems ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Structural Responses

ABSTRACTHeadwater streams are tightly connected with the terrestrial milieu from which they receive deliveries of organic matter, often through the hyporheic zone, the transition between groundwater and streamwater. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) from terrestrial sources (that is, allochthonous) enters the hyporheic zone, where it may mix with DOM fromin situproduction (that is, autochthonous) and where most of the microbial activity takes place. Allochthonous DOM is typically considered resistant to microbial metabolism compared to autochthonous DOM. The composition and functioning of microbial biofilm communities in the hyporheic zone may therefore be controlled by the relative availability of allochthonous and autochthonous DOM, which can have implications for organic matter processing in stream ecosystems. Experimenting with hyporheic biofilms exposed to model allochthonous and autochthonous DOM and using 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA (targeting the “active” community composition) and of the 16S rRNA gene (targeting the “bulk” community composition), we found that allochthonous DOM may drive shifts in community composition whereas autochthonous DOM seems to affect community composition only transiently. Our results suggest that priority effects based on resource-driven stochasticity shape the community composition in the hyporheic zone. Furthermore, measurements of extracellular enzymatic activities suggest that the additions of allochthonous and autochthonous DOM had no clear effect on the function of the hyporheic biofilms, indicative of functional redundancy. Our findings unravel possible microbial mechanisms that underlie the buffering capacity of the hyporheic zone and that may confer stability to stream ecosystems.

Changes in discharge affect more surface than subsurface breakdown of organic matter in a mountain stream

2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (12) ◽  
pp. 1826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Libe Solagaistua ◽  
Maite Arroita ◽  
Ibon Aristi ◽  
Aitor Larrañaga ◽  
Arturo Elosegi
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Water Depth ◽  
Alnus Glutinosa ◽  
Mountain Stream ◽  
Litter Breakdown ◽  
Lotic Ecosystems ◽  
Leaf Litter Breakdown ◽  
Discharge Fluctuations ◽  
Breakdown Rates ◽  
Dry Out

Discharge fluctuations modify water depth and velocity in streams and this can affect leaf litter breakdown, which is an important ecosystem function. Both during droughts, when parts of the surface dry out, and during floods, which scour the benthic surface, macroinvertebrates can seek refuge in the subsurface. Therefore, as an important part of them depend on organic matter, the effects of discharge fluctuations on leaf breakdown might be greater on the surface than in the subsurface of lotic ecosystems. To test this hypothesis, we measured microbial and total breakdown rates of alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertner) both on the surface and in the subsurface in two areas of a stream, namely, the permanently wet channel and the parafluvial areas. Reduced discharge dried out only the surface of the parafluvial areas, and thus, breakdown rates were reduced only in this habitat. In contrast, breakdown rates were similar in both habitats of the permanently wet channel, but also in the subsurface of the parafluvial area. The subsurface can mitigate the effects of discharge alterations on the breakdown of organic matter in streams, which might be critical for the productivity of these ecosystems under increased drought frequencies.

Nutrient and organic matter retention in the hyporheic zone during drying and rewetting in a mesocosm experiment.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Pucher ◽  
Thomas Hein ◽  
Gabriele Weigelhofer
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Algal Blooms ◽  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Nutrient Retention ◽  
Mesocosm Experiment ◽  
Intermittent Streams ◽  
Flow Reactors ◽  
Water Abstraction ◽  
Mediterranean Regions

<p><span>In intermittent streams, microbes in the sediments are challenged by extremely low water availability during dry periods. Microbes are responsible for the retention and degradation of nutrients. Reduced retention in headwaters can lead to nutrient and DOM accumulation in receiving downstream water bodies and can lead to eutrophication and algal blooms. Some research was done in Mediterranean regions, but we found little studies from temperate regions. There, droughts and water abstraction increased over the last years and caused sensitive headwater streams to shift from perennial to intermittent. In an experiment, we measured the effects of desiccation and re-wetting on nutrients (N, P) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) uptake by biofilms in the hyporheic zone. By that, we address two questions: (1) how do intermittent and perennial reaches differ in their response to desiccation and (2) which parameters can strengthen the resilience of hyporheic processes towards desiccation?</span></p><p><span>We performed a mesocosm experiment with sediments collected from 20 streams of 4 different regions in Austria. Both historically perennial and intermittent streams were sampled in each region. The sediments were filled into up-flow reactors and connected to a water supply to mimic conditions in the hyporheic zone. After an acclimatisation phase of 2 weeks and a dry period of 7 weeks, the sediments were rewetted. During the acclimatisation and the rewetting phase, we performed N, P and DOM plateau additions to measure the retention behaviour and the influence of drying on that behaviour. N was measured as NH</span><sub><span>4</span></sub><span>, NO</span><sub><span>2</span></sub><span> and NO</span><sub><span>3</span></sub><span>, P as soluble reactive phosphate and DOM as dissolved organic carbon, via absorption parameters and via fluorescence parameters including a PARAFAC analysis. Additionally, we monitored the extracellular enzymatic activity, the water content and other sediment parameters.</span></p><p><span>We</span><span> found that the low moisture content, that is left in sediments of temperate streams even after long drought periods, is sufficient for microbes to recover quickly afterwards. We measured a peak of nutrients and DOC right after rewetting. Nutrient and DOC retention was reduced immediately after rewetting, but recovered fast. We could not see any microbial adaption of historically intermittent streams to desiccation. Thus, differences between regions were much larger than those between perennial and intermittent streams. We can verify the results from our experiment by field data we collected in parallel.</span></p><p><span>O</span><span>ur study clearly highlights the necessity to protect hyporheic microbes from desiccation effects by ensuring enough moisture content during dry periods. Management methods, such as shading or a reasonable amount of residual flow, can ensure healthy biofilms and reduce effects of prolonged drought periods on in-stream nutrient retention. </span></p>

scholarly journals Hydrology controls dissolved organic matter export and composition in an Alpine stream and its hyporheic zone

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 558-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Fasching ◽  
Amber J. Ulseth ◽  
Jakob Schelker ◽  
Gertraud Steniczka ◽  
Tom J. Battin
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Hyporheic Zone ◽  
Alpine Stream

scholarly journals The mass distribution of coarse particulate organic matter exported from an alpine headwater stream

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Turowski ◽  
A. Badoux ◽  
K. Bunte ◽  
C. Rickli ◽  
N. Federspiel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Mass Distribution ◽  
Particulate Organic Matter ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Mountain Stream ◽  
Scaling Exponent ◽  
Coarse Particulate Organic Matter ◽  
Average Value ◽  
Substrate Properties ◽  
Strong Control

Abstract. Coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) particles span sizes from 1 mm, with masses less than 1 mg, to large logs and whole trees, which may have masses of several hundred kilograms. Different size and mass classes play different roles in stream environments, from being the prime source of energy in stream ecosystems to macroscopically determining channel morphology and local hydraulics. We show that a single scaling exponent can describe the mass distribution of CPOM transported in the Erlenbach, a steep mountain stream in the Swiss Prealps. This exponent takes an average value of −1.8, is independent of discharge and valid for particle masses spanning almost seven orders of magnitude. Together with a rating curve of CPOM transport rates with discharge, we discuss the importance of the scaling exponent for measuring strategies and natural hazard mitigation. Similar to CPOM, the mass distribution of in-stream large woody debris can likewise be described by power law scaling distributions, with exponents varying between −1.8 and −2.0, if all in-stream material is considered, and between −1.4 and −1.8 for material locked in log jams. We expect that scaling exponents are determined by stream type, vegetation, climate, substrate properties, and the connectivity between channels and hillslopes. However, none of the descriptor variables tested here, including drainage area, channel bed slope and forested area, show a strong control on exponent value. The number of streams studied in this paper is too small to make final conclusions.

scholarly journals Coarse and Fine Particulate Organic Matter Transport by a Fourth-Order Mountain Stream to Lake Bourget (France)

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 2783
Author(s):  
Jérémie Gaillard ◽  
Vincent Chanudet ◽  
Guillaume Cunillera ◽  
Etienne Dambrine
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Particulate Organic Matter ◽  
Mountain Stream ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Fine Particulate Organic Matter ◽  
Litter Accumulation ◽  
Fine Particulate ◽  
Matter Transport ◽  
Lakes And Reservoirs ◽  
Lake Bourget

Transport of coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) derived from forest litterfall has been hardly studied in rivers, unlike fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) or dissolved organic matter (DOM). Yet, many rivers are dammed or run into lakes, and there is growing evidence that CPOM accumulation in river delta participates substantially in ecological processes such as greenhouse gas emissions of lakes and reservoirs. We investigated the transport of CPOM and FPOM by the Leysse River (discharge from 0.2 to 106 m3 s−1) to Lake Bourget (France) in relation to aerial litter deposition, river network length, and discharge. Over a 19-month study period, the volume-weighted mean CPOM and FPOM concentrations were 1.3 and 7.7 g m−3, respectively. Most CPOM and FPOM transport occurred during major flood events, and there were power relationships between maximum discharge and particulate organic matter (POM) transport during these events. The annual export of CPOM (190 t AFDM) was 85% of the litter accumulation in autumn on permanent sections of the riverbed (224 t AFDM), which suggests that export is a major process compared to breakdown. Export of CPOM was 1.25 t yr−1 km−2 of the forested catchment area. This study highlights the need to account for long-range CPOM transport to describe the fate of litter inputs to streams and to quantify the organic matter input and processing in lakes and reservoirs.

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