Abstract

To evaluate the scale-dependent spatial variability of water chemistry within two Swedish boreal catchments (subcatchment areas 0.01-78 km(2)), samples were taken at every junction in the stream network during June 2000 and August 2002. The values of most chemical constituents spanned more than an order of magnitude, and the range was similar to that found in all of Northern Sweden by the national stream survey in 2000. According to the official assessment tools used in Sweden, the entire range of environmental status (for pH, absorbance, alkalinity, dissolved organic carbon (DOC)) and human acidification influence existed within these two study catchments. The water chemistry parameters were relatively stable at catchment areas greater than 15 km(2). Sampling at that scale maybe adequate if generalized values for the landscape are desired. However the chemistry of headwaters, where much of the stream length and aquatic ecosystem is found would not be characterized. Map parameters correlated to the variability in a key chemical parameter, DOC, but the best predictive map parameters differed markedly between catchments. This study highlights the importance of accounting for headwater spatial variability in environmental assessments of running waters, even in relatively pristine areas. The nature of drainage networks with many headwaters and progressively fewer downstream watercourses makes this a considerable challenge.

Keywords

DISSOLVED ORGANIC-CARBON; NORTHERN SWEDEN; WATER; SCALES; MATTER; EXPORT; ECOSYSTEMS; NUTRIENT; RUNOFF; FLUXES

Published in

Environmental Science and Technology
2005, Volume: 39, number: 6, pages: 1463-1469

SLU Authors

• Bishop, Kevin

  • Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Oceanography, Hydrology, Water Resources
Environmental Sciences
Fish and Aquacultural Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/es040045q

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/42965