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Using catchment characteristics to model seasonality of dissolved organic carbon fluxes in semi-arid mountainous headwaters

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Abstract

Prediction of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) based on catchment characteristics is a useful tool for efficient and effective water management, but in the case of arid and semi-arid regions, such predictive capacity is scarce. Accordingly, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the significance of principal components for predicting DOC concentrations and fluxes in nine headwater catchments of the Hiv catchment located in the Southern Alborz Mountains in the west of Tehran, Iran. To achieve this aim, data were assembled on 24 headwater catchment characteristics comprising soil properties, physiography, seasonal rainfall, and flow attributes, as well as estimates of DOC concentrations and fluxes across four seasons. The results revealed a major positive correlation between DOC and soil organic matter parameters related to soil biological processes. Using general linear modelling, an organic matter component related to soil biology, a seasonal component related to the dummy effect of sampling seasons, and a soil physical component related to soil texture were found to be the best predictors for DOC responses in the study area.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This project was funded by a grant (grant number 600.4452) from the research council of Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. KN has been funded to work at Water and Soil Resources Research, the Institut für Geographie, Universität Augsburg, Germany, by the Georg Forster Research Fellowships program, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. ALC was supported by strategic funding from the UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC grant BBS/E/C/000I0330; Soil to Nutrition project 3).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, 1983969411, Iran

    Kazem Nosrati

  2. Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, EX20 2SB, UK

    Adrian L. Collins

  3. Water and Soil Resources Research, Institut für Geographie, Universität Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany

    Peter Fiener

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  1. Kazem Nosrati
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Nosrati, K., Collins, A.L. & Fiener, P. Using catchment characteristics to model seasonality of dissolved organic carbon fluxes in semi-arid mountainous headwaters. Environ Monit Assess 192, 674 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08626-2

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