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  • Hydrology, rather than wildfire burn extent, determines post‐fire organic and black carbon export from mountain rivers in central coastal California
Title: Hydrology, rather than wildfire burn extent, determines post‐fire organic and black carbon export from mountain rivers in central coastal California
Abstract Coastal mountain rivers export disproportionately high quantities of terrestrial organic carbon (OC) directly to the ocean, feeding microbial communities and altering coastal ecology. To better predict and mitigate the effects of wildfires on aquatic ecosystems and resources, we must evaluate the relationships between fire, hydrology, and carbon export, particularly in the fire‐prone western United States. This study examined the spatiotemporal export of particulate and dissolved OC (POC and DOC, respectively) and particulate and dissolved black carbon (PBC and DBC, respectively) from five coastal mountain watersheds following the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fires (California, USA). Despite high variability in watershed burn extent (20–98%), annual POC, DOC, PBC, and DBC concentrations remained relatively stable among the different watersheds. Instead, they correlated significantly with watershed discharge. Our findings indicate that hydrology, rather than burn extent, is a primary driver of post‐fire carbon export in coastal mountain watersheds.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2101885
PAR ID:
10565628
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
ASLO
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Limnology and Oceanography Letters
Volume:
9
Issue:
1
ISSN:
2378-2242
Page Range / eLocation ID:
70 to 80
Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
Wildfire, hydrology, black carbon, fire, watershed, disturbance, climate change, watershed
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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