Dissolved organic carbon analyzer

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Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) plays an important role in surface water chemistry and ecology and trends in DOC concentration also have been associated with shifts in terrestrial carbon pools. Recently, a number of studies have reported that DOC concentrations in surface waters are increasing, and a variety of potential regional-scale drivers have been proposed, including increasing carbon dioxide (CO2), climate warming, hydrologic change, continued nitrogen deposition and decreased sulphate deposition. Positive trends in DOC concentration have been observed at our study sites in south-central Ontario, and we have identified a number of testable hypotheses to explain these trends. Changes in DOC concentration and flux over time also impact trace metal movement in catchments, recovery from acidification and CO2 evolution from lakes. This proposal seeks funds to purchase a DOC analyzer, which will allow us to measure DOC concentrations in water samples and understand (a) the drivers of trends in DOC concentration, and (b) the implication(s) of changes in DOC for forested catchments.