Dissolved organic matter transformation in the hyporheic zone of a small lowland river

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) changes in porewaters that occur over a small scale (cm) in the hyporheic zone (HZ) of a lowland stream in the Knyszynska Forest in northeast Poland. Hyporheic zone porewaters were sampled at different depths of 10, 30, 50, 70 cm at two study sites with different sediment material. The results showed significant differences in DOC concentrations between the upper and lower stream HZ. The current results indicate that small lowland sediments provide both a source and a sink of DOC for stream water, depending on the river course. The higher DOC level observed in the hyporheic zone suggests that porewater can be an autonomic site of biogeochemical changes of dissolved organic matter, which is very clear in the SUVA fluctuations. Copyright © by Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Poland.