Seasonal, hydrological, and land management factors controlling dissolved organic carbon concentrations in the loch fleet catchments, Southwest Scotland

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Abstract
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was measured at hourly or two‐hourly intervals during more than 30 events in one forested and two moorland subcatchments of the Loch Fleet catchment in southwest Scotland. The dominantly peaty soils in the catchments resulted in small discharge‐related DOC variations within individual events, with a maximum range of about 2 mg 1−1. Seasonal variations were larger with an amplitude of 8‐9 mg 1−1 and maximum concentrations in the summer months. The forested stream had the highest mean DOC, twice as large as the comparable moorland stream in the preliming phase. Applications of lime to the catchments increased stream DOC concentrations, with the largest increases in the moorland catchments.