Dissolved organic matter composition regulates microbial degradation and carbon dioxide production in pristine subarctic rivers

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) degradation in freshwater rivers and streams plays a major role in the global carbon cycle. However, little is known about how the source and composition of riverine DOM contribute to the production of greenhouse gases, especially in high-latitude areas with a large proportion of carbon-rich peatlands. Here, we conducted for the first time the combination of molecular-level characterization of terrestrially derived DOM and the potential carbon dioxide (CO2) production measurements in pristine subarctic rivers of Finnish Lapland. 21-day incubation studies were conducted with water samples taken from two rivers differing in DOM content during spring and fall 2018. The changes in the DOM concentration and molecular composition, as well as the CO2 production, were measured. The DOM molecular characterization was carried out using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). Our results demonstrate efficient mineralization of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) into CO2 in mineral soil associated clearwater river during the incubation, while significantly lower CO2 production per DOC was observed in the brown-water river surrounded by peatlands. The limited degradability in the brown-water river was caused by a large number of terrestrial and aromatic compounds (i.e., highly unsaturated and phenolic compounds, condensed aromatics, and polyphenolics) from surrounding peatlands. In the clearwater river, the percentage of formulas assigned to aliphatics decreased over the incubation, indicating microbial utilization of biolabile DOM. This study highlights the importance of energy-rich, biolabile molecular compounds and the contribution of clearwater systems in the DOM degradation dynamics of subarctic catchments.