Additional Funding Sources
This research project is supported by the National Science Foundation S-STEM Gateway Scholarships in Biological Sciences under Grant Award No. DUE-1644233 to Boise State University and the College of Arts and Sciences. Support was provided by the Institutional Development Awards (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Grant Nos. P20GM103408 and P20GM109095. We also acknowledge support from the Biomolecular Research Center at Boise State with funding from the National Science Foundation, Grant Nos. 0619793 and 0923535, the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, and the Idaho State Board of Education.
Abstract
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important component of aquatic ecosystems, and the source and quality of DOM affects its ecological role. We examined the impact of nutrient additions on the bioavailability of DOM from aquatic and terrestrial sources in Gibson Jack Creek, located near Pocatello. We asked: how does the bioavailability of DOM vary among different sources, and is DOM bioavailability nutrient limited? To answer this question we gathered terrestrial, aquatic, and riparian samples such as leaves, pine cones, and riparian soil, leached them in water, and then analyzed the samples on a fluorometer. We found that different sources have a variable fluorescence patterns that indicated a different quality of DOM. To assess bioavailability, we measured change in DOM concentration and quality over 10 days, with and without a nutrient addition. We expect that bioavailability and nutrient limitation will vary among sources and be related to organic matter quality.
Fluorescence and Bioavailability of Dissolved Organic Matter Among Terrestrial and Aquatic Sources
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important component of aquatic ecosystems, and the source and quality of DOM affects its ecological role. We examined the impact of nutrient additions on the bioavailability of DOM from aquatic and terrestrial sources in Gibson Jack Creek, located near Pocatello. We asked: how does the bioavailability of DOM vary among different sources, and is DOM bioavailability nutrient limited? To answer this question we gathered terrestrial, aquatic, and riparian samples such as leaves, pine cones, and riparian soil, leached them in water, and then analyzed the samples on a fluorometer. We found that different sources have a variable fluorescence patterns that indicated a different quality of DOM. To assess bioavailability, we measured change in DOM concentration and quality over 10 days, with and without a nutrient addition. We expect that bioavailability and nutrient limitation will vary among sources and be related to organic matter quality.