Unified understanding of intrinsic and extrinsic controls of dissolved organic carbon reactivity in aquatic ecosystems
Journal article, 2022
Despite our growing understanding of the global carbon cycle, scientific consensus on the drivers and mechanisms that control dissolved organic carbon (DOC) turnover in aquatic systems is lacking, hampered by the mismatch between research that approaches DOC reactivity from either intrinsic (inherent chemical properties) or extrinsic (environmental context) perspectives. Here we propose a conceptual view of DOC reactivity in which the combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors controls turnover rates and determines which reactions will occur. We review three major types of reactions (biological, photochemical, and flocculation) from an intrinsic chemical perspective and further define the environmental features that modulate the expression of chemically inherent reactivity potential. Finally, we propose hypotheses of how extrinsic and intrinsic factors together shape patterns in DOC turnover across the land-to-ocean continuum, underscoring that there is no intrinsic DOC reactivity without environmental context. By acknowledging the intrinsic–extrinsic control duality, our framework intends to foster improved modeling of DOC reactivity and its impact on ecosystem services.
dissolved organic carbon
sorption
photoreactivity
bioreactivity
Author
Martin Berggren
Lund University
François Guillemette
University of Quebec at Trois-Rivieres
Interuniversity Research Group in Limnology (GRIL)
Magdalena Bieroza
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
Ishi Buffam
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
Anne Deininger
Norwegian Institute for Water Research
University of Agder
Jeffrey A. Hawkes
Uppsala University
Dolly N. Kothawala
Uppsala University
Richard LaBrie
TU Bergakademie Freiberg
Université de Montréal
Interuniversity Research Group in Limnology (GRIL)
Jean François Lapierre
Université de Montréal
Interuniversity Research Group in Limnology (GRIL)
Kathleen Murphy
Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering
Enass S. Al-Kharusi
Lund University
Mayra P.D. Rulli
Lund University
Geert Hensgens
Lund University
Hani Younes
Lund University
Urban Wuensch
Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Water Environment Technology
Ecology
0012-9658 (ISSN) 19399170 (eISSN)
Vol. 103 9 e3763Subject Categories
Other Engineering and Technologies not elsewhere specified
Physical Geography
Environmental Sciences
DOI
10.1002/ecy.3763
PubMed
35612376