Date of Award
Summer 8-9-2022
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Geosciences
First Advisor
Dr. Sarah H Ledford
Second Advisor
Dr. Luke Pangle
Abstract
Impervious surfaces prevent infiltration and deliver stormwater directly to streams and rivers. This limits precipitation-soil interactions and reduces the input of terrestrial DOM. Thus, urban streams are dominated DOM generated in situ. Stormwater ponds contain nutrient-rich runoff making them hotspots for primary production, increasing autochthonous DOM concentrations. When beavers construct a dam in a stream, the channel floods, creating a pond that retains water and nutrients. The subsequent inundation of soil and reconnection with the floodplain adds terrestrial carbon to the water. I hypothesized that beaver dams in urban streams introduce a new source of DOM not found in stormwater ponds, increasing allochthonous organic matter concentrations, and altering the quantity and bioavailability of carbon. My results indicate that all stormwater ponds significantly increase the quantity and uptake of DOC, but beaver ponds have the potential to decrease DOC concentration and consumption while significantly increasing the SUVA of a DOM pool.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/30395609
Recommended Citation
Sheppy, Julian, "Comparing the Quantity, Source, and Biodegradability of Dissolved Organic Matter in Urban Stormwater Ponds to Beaver Ponds in the Greater Atlanta Area." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2022.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/30395609
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