Contrasting biogeochemical characteristics of the Oubangui River and tributaries (Congo River basin).

ABSTRACT: The Oubangui is a major tributary of the Congo River. We describe the biogeochemistry of contrasting tributaries within its central catchment, with watershed vegetation ranging from wooded savannahs to humid rainforest. Compared to a 2-year monitoring record on the mainstem Oubangui, these tributaries show a wide range of biogeochemical signatures, from highly diluted blackwaters (low turbidity, pH, conductivity, and total alkalinity) in rainforests to those more typical for savannah systems. Spectral analyses of chromophoric dissolved organic matter showed wide temporal variations in the Oubangui compared to spatio-temporal variations in the tributaries, and confirm that different pools of dissolved organic carbon are mobilized during different hydrological stages. δ(13)C of dissolved ino

SUBMITTER: Bouillon S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4066439 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature