Origin and fate of organic carbon in the freshwater part of the Scheldt Estuary as traced by stable carbon isotope composition

Abstract

We investigated the seasonal and geographical variation in the stable carbon isotope ratios of total dissolved inorganic carbon (δ¹³ c_dic) and suspended matter(δ ¹³ C_POC) in the freshwater part of the River Scheldt. Two major sources of particulate organic matter (POM) occur in this riverine system: riverine phytoplankton and terrestrial detritus. In winter the lowest δ¹³ c_dic values are observed due to enhanced input of CO₂ from decomposition of¹³C-depleted terrestrial plant detritus (average δ13C_dic=-14.3‰). During summer, when litter input from terrestrial flora is the lowest, water column respiration on POM of terrestrial origin is also the lowest as evidenced by less negative δ13C_dic values (average δ13C_dic =−9.9‰). In winter the phytoplankton biomass is low, as indicated by low chlorophyll a concentrations (Chl a < 4.5 μgl⁻¹), compared to summer when chlorophyll a concentrations can rise to a maximum of 54 μgl⁻¹. Furthermore, in winter the very narrow range of δ13 C_poc (from -26.5 to -27.6‰) is associated with relatively high C/N ratios (C/N > 9) suggesting that in winter a major fraction of POC is derived from allochthonous matter. In summer δ13 c_poc exhibits a very wide range of values, with the most negative values coinciding with high Chl a concentrations and low C/N ratios (C/N< 8). This suggests predominance of phytoplankton carbon in the total particulate carbon pool, utilising a dissolved inorganic carbon reservoir, which is already significantly depleted in¹³C. Using a simple two source mixing approach a reconstruction of the relative importance of phytoplankton to the total POC pool and of¹³C/¹²C fractionation by phytoplankton is attempted.