Variation of dissolved of organic carbon concentration in stream water is a consequence of process changes in the surrounding terrestrial environment. This study will focus on 1) Identify significant environmental factors controlling the spatial and temporal variation of DOC in terrestrial ecosystems of a watershed southeast of Boston, Massachusetts; 2) Model the DOC leaching from different land cover and examine the relationship between leaching flux and in-stream DOC. Our hypothesis is variations of in stream DOC is closely related to watershed properties and environmental factors at annual, seasonal, and daily scales, especially land cover type, watershed size and hydrology. To explore the relationship of hydrology and DOC variation at ungauged sub-basin, we examined the effectiveness of using simulated stream flow from Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to study terrestrial DOC dynamics. Our results demonstrated that streamflow, drainage area, and percent of wetland and forest were particularly strong predictors in watersheds with a large proportion of developed area. The resulting linear model is able to explain about 70.2% (R2=0.702) and 65.1% (R2=0.651) of the variance of in-stream DOC concentrations at seasonal and annual scales respectively. Results also suggest that more frequent DOC sampling is necessary to establish the quantitative relationship between simulated stream flows from the SWAT and in-stream DOC concentrations at daily scale. The physically based ecosystem model developed in this study shows that DOC leaching from various land cover are highly correlated (up to 80%) with in-stream DOC by using ecological process with incorporated different hydrological pathways. It shows that leaching of DOC from soil is a significant contributor to the in-stream DOC. The production of DOC is largely controlled by the vegetation type and soil texture. Considering the hydrologic control on DOC transport with different pathways of water at finer spatial and temporal scale highlights the need to identify the quantitative relationships between water and carbon flux.

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leached from the O horizon of forest soils is a major source of soil organic carbon in the mineral soil, where a major proportion of the organic carbon in forest ecosystems is located. The relative contribution of recent litter and humified organic matter to the leaching of DOC from the O horizon is still being debated. In the present work, I studied the sources of DOC leached from the O horizon by manipulating the amounts of litter and humus and measuring DOC concentrations and fluxes, isotopic composition (13C and 14C) and chemical characteristics (measured by NMR, UV absorbance and fractionation into hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds). A computer model (DyDOC) was used to simulate the DOC leaching processes. Furthermore, DOC was measured at different soil moisture conditions at three sites along a climate gradient in Sweden. In addition, 14C measurements of DOC were made at two of these sites to reveal the fate of the DOC leached from the O horizon. I concluded that about half or more of the DOC leached from recent litter is lost during passage through the O horizon. Despite this, both recent litter in the Oi horizon and more humified organic matter in the Oe and Oa horizons contribute significantly to the DOC leaving the O horizon, but with the major proportion coming from the Oe and Oa horizons. To successfully model DOC leaching, the DyDOC model had to be modified to allow DOC to also be leached from recent litter. Measurements along the climatic gradient showed that the concentration and fluxes were highest in the south and lowest in the north. I suggest that these differences can be related to differences in net primary production. Both differences in mean annual temperature and the gradient in nitrogen status from south to north contribute to this effect of net primary production. Soil moisture had no effect on DOC leaching out of the O horizon. The DOC concentration in the B horizon, which is a sink for DOC, is largely go

The study of estuaries and coasts has seen enormous growth in recent years, since changes in these areas have a large effect on the food chain, as well as on the physics and chemistry of the ocean. As the coasts and river banks around the world become more densely populated, the pressure on these ecosystems intensifies, putting a new focus on environmental, socio-economic and policy issues. Written by a team of international expert scientists, under the guidance of Chief Editors Eric Wolanski and Donald McClusky, the Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science, Ten Volume Set examines topics in depth, and aims to provide a comprehensive scientific resource for all professionals and students in the area of estuarine and coastal science Most up-to-date reference for system-based coastal and estuarine science and management, from the inland watershed to the ocean shelf Chief editors have assembled a world-class team of volume editors and contributing authors Approach focuses on the physical, biological, chemistry, ecosystem, human, ecological and economics processes, to show how to best use multidisciplinary science to ensure earth's sustainability Provides a comprehensive scientific resource for all professionals and students in the area of estuarine and coastal science Features up-to-date chapters covering a full range of topics

The common idea for many people is that forests are just a collection of trees. However, they are much more than that. They are a complex, functional system of interacting and often interdependent biological, physical, and chemical components, the biological part of which has evolved to perpetuate itself. This complexity produces combinations of climate, soils, trees and plant species unique to each site, resulting in hundreds of different forest types around the world. Logically, trees are an important component for the research in forest ecosystems, but the wide variety of other life forms and abiotic components in most forests means that other elements, such as wildlife or soil nutrients, should also be the focal point in ecological studies and management plans to be carried out in forest ecosystems. In this book, the readers can find the latest research related to forest ecosystems but with a different twist. The research described here is not just on trees and is focused on the other components, structures and functions that are usually overshadowed by the focus on trees, but are equally important to maintain the diversity, function and services provided by forests. The first section of this book explores the structure and biodiversity of forest ecosystems, whereas the second section reviews the research done on ecosystem structure and functioning. The third and last section explores the issues related to forest management as an ecosystem-level activity, all of them from the perspective of the "other" parts of a forest.