Spatiotemporal variations in dissolved organic carbon in China's major river basins and their associations with climate change and human activities.

ABSTRACT: Riverine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is a vital element of regional carbon cycling, yet its magnitude and influencing factors remain poorly quantified. Existing large uncertainties in the distribution, trends, and drivers of DOC compromise the accuracy of terrestrial carbon budget estimations. This study compiled 1922 DOC data points from literature on four major Chinese river basins (i.e., the Songhua River Basin, Yellow River Basin, Yangtze River Basin, and Pearl River Basin) for the period 1997-2023. The spatiotemporal patterns and driving mechanisms of DOC in these basins were quantified and systematically analyzed. Key results are as follows: [1] Spatially, DOC concentration (C_DOC) exhibited a distinct "north high, south low" pattern nationally, while DOC flux (F_DOC

SUBMITTER: Sun Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12853768 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature