Preliminary biogeochemical investigations of small rivers in the Franconian Alb to lay foundations for detailed investigations of turnover and origin of high carbon in the Main River system

研究河流系统中的碳循环对于勾勒出陆地生物圈和大气之间的相互作用是重要的。它们还可以量化流向更大河流系统并最终流向海洋的碳通量。这有助于限制陆地碳循环，而陆地碳循环又通过提供源和汇对大气中的二氧化碳产生强烈影响。河流的碳通量速率也有助于为气候模型提供边界参数。在这方面，河流是重要的不可或缺的信息来源，因为它们是陆地系统和海洋之间的关键纽带。另一方面，大多数河流积极地以二氧化碳的形式向大气释放相当数量的碳。尽管如此，其来源来自土壤、地下水或河流内部周转的定义并不明确。这些方面计划在佛朗柯尼安白垩纪的S-1流量小于12立方米的小河系统中进行调查。这类小溪调查有望更好地量化过程和机制，包括地质、农业和城市对河流碳循环的影响。这项工作开启了对主河水系进行生物地球化学调查的机会，该水系是莱茵河的主要支流之一，莱茵河是欧洲的主要水道之一。它被放在国际背景下，允许对不同国家的其他河流系统进行比较。

Investigations of the carbon cycle in river systems are important to outline interactions between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere. They also allow quantification of carbon fluxes to larger river systems and ultimately the ocean. This helps to constrain terrestrial carbon cycles that in turn have strong influences on the atmospheric CO2 through providing sources and sinks. Flux rates of carbon by rivers can also help to provide boundary parameters for climate models. In this context, rivers act as important integral information sources because they are key links between terrestrial systems and oceans. On the other hand, most rivers actively release considerable amounts of carbon to the atmosphere in the form of CO2. Nonetheless, its sources from soils, groundwater or river internal turnover are poorly defined. These aspects are planned to be investigated in small river systems of less than 12 m3 s-1 discharge in the Franconian Alb. Such small stream investigations holds promise to better quantify processes and mechanisms including geological, agricultural and urban influences on riverine carbon cycles. This work opens the opportunity to start biogeochemical investigations on the Main River System that is one of the major tributairies of the Rhine, one of the major waterways in Europe. It is placed in international context by allowing comparison to work on other river systems in various countries.