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Scott Kelsey_MS Thesis_FINAL.pdf (1.51 MB)

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Impact of Land Use on Headwater Stream Organic and Inorganic Carbon Export in a Temperate Midwestern Experimental Watershed

Kelsey, Scott Alan
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0389-1246
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1460651004

Abstract Details

2016, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology.
Terrestrial land use is intimately connected to the amounts and characteristics of organic and inorganic carbon (C) exported to aquatic ecosystems. However, the effect of land use on the contributions of various potential C sources to headwater streams is poorly established quantitatively. In this study we examined the fluxes and δ13C and Δ14C signatures of dissolved inorganic C (DIC), dissolved organic C (DOC), and particulate organic C (POC) exported from headwater streams of six watersheds of differing land use in a long-term experimental watershed. We employed Bayesian modeling (MixSIR) to determine relative contributions of potential C sources to DIC, DOC, and POC. Agricultural activity (i.e., tilled and non-tilled corn planting) increased watershed C export fluxes by 50-400% due to a 4-9-fold greater export of terrestrial plant-derived biomass C and a 5-15-fold greater export of soil C, compared to all other land uses (i.e., pasture, mixed land use, and forested). In addition, the sources of C contributing to exports from the forested watershed differed from watersheds with both agricultural land uses and those with pasture or mixed land uses. By scaling our results to the Mississippi River Basin watershed, we estimate that historic conversion of land to tilled agricultural practices may have increased the terrestrial-aquatic C flux by 11.4 ± 0.5 Tg•C•yr-1 (nearly six-fold). If non-tilled practices were implemented across all agricultural land in the Mississippi watershed, we estimate that C exports to inland waters and subsequent CO2 release to the atmosphere could be reduced by as much as 60%.
James Bauer (Advisor)
Andréa Grottoli (Advisor)
Peter Curtis (Committee Member)
Kathleen Knight (Committee Member)
89 p.
Biogeochemistry; Environmental Science; Freshwater Ecology
biogeochemistry; land use; carbon; carbon-13; carbon-14; dissolved inorganic carbon; dissolved organic carbon; particulate organic carbon; watershed

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kelsey, S. A. (2016). Impact of Land Use on Headwater Stream Organic and Inorganic Carbon Export in a Temperate Midwestern Experimental Watershed [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1460651004

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kelsey, Scott. Impact of Land Use on Headwater Stream Organic and Inorganic Carbon Export in a Temperate Midwestern Experimental Watershed. 2016. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1460651004.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kelsey, Scott. "Impact of Land Use on Headwater Stream Organic and Inorganic Carbon Export in a Temperate Midwestern Experimental Watershed." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1460651004

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1460651004
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.