Low-temperature biodegradation of freshwater dissolved organic matter during winter-to-spring transition

The composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) directly affects the biological degradation processes and its persistence in aquatic systems. Spring floods export large amounts of DOM from land into aquatic systems, yet its lability remains largely unknown. This study uniquely investigates the bio...

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Main Authors: Corentin Bouvet, Pascale B. Beauregard, Céline Guéguen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Environmental Science
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1524626/full
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author Corentin Bouvet
Pascale B. Beauregard
Céline Guéguen
author_facet Corentin Bouvet
Pascale B. Beauregard
Céline Guéguen
author_sort Corentin Bouvet
collection DOAJ
description The composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) directly affects the biological degradation processes and its persistence in aquatic systems. Spring floods export large amounts of DOM from land into aquatic systems, yet its lability remains largely unknown. This study uniquely investigates the biodegradation of DOM during the critical winter-to-spring transition in seasonally ice-covered marsh and lake environments. We employed a four-bacteria strain inoculum (Arthrobacter phenanthrenivorans, Bacillus licheniformis, Exiguobacterium sibiricum, and Paracoccus denitrificans) to degrade DOM collected during this period. Using advanced optical and molecular characteristics techniques, we demonstrated significant DOM bioalteration at low temperatures (4°C), which are naturally associated with early spring in cold temperate lakes and wetlands. Despite limited degradation of colored and fluorescent DOM (CDOM and FDOM, respectively), 84% of the mass-to-charge (m/z) peaks detected using positive ion mass spectrometry were lost in winter DOM after 28-day incubation. Biodegradation ranged from 74% to 77% during the spring freshet, with the lowest microbial alteration observed in DOM collected downstream of a marsh at the end of the spring melt season, likely due to increased primary production. These findings highlight the critical role of microbial processes in DOM transformation during periods of rapid hydrological change, providing insights into carbon cycling and ecosystem dynamics in cold aquatic environments.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2296-665X
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publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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series Frontiers in Environmental Science
spelling doaj-art-67dd6a562b64417fb8a7521b83bc9d642025-02-12T07:26:06ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2025-02-011210.3389/fenvs.2024.15246261524626Low-temperature biodegradation of freshwater dissolved organic matter during winter-to-spring transitionCorentin Bouvet0Pascale B. Beauregard1Céline Guéguen2Département de Chimie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, CanadaDépartement de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, CanadaDépartement de Chimie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, CanadaThe composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) directly affects the biological degradation processes and its persistence in aquatic systems. Spring floods export large amounts of DOM from land into aquatic systems, yet its lability remains largely unknown. This study uniquely investigates the biodegradation of DOM during the critical winter-to-spring transition in seasonally ice-covered marsh and lake environments. We employed a four-bacteria strain inoculum (Arthrobacter phenanthrenivorans, Bacillus licheniformis, Exiguobacterium sibiricum, and Paracoccus denitrificans) to degrade DOM collected during this period. Using advanced optical and molecular characteristics techniques, we demonstrated significant DOM bioalteration at low temperatures (4°C), which are naturally associated with early spring in cold temperate lakes and wetlands. Despite limited degradation of colored and fluorescent DOM (CDOM and FDOM, respectively), 84% of the mass-to-charge (m/z) peaks detected using positive ion mass spectrometry were lost in winter DOM after 28-day incubation. Biodegradation ranged from 74% to 77% during the spring freshet, with the lowest microbial alteration observed in DOM collected downstream of a marsh at the end of the spring melt season, likely due to increased primary production. These findings highlight the critical role of microbial processes in DOM transformation during periods of rapid hydrological change, providing insights into carbon cycling and ecosystem dynamics in cold aquatic environments.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1524626/fullbiodegradationstandard bacterial inoculum (SBI)bioresistant DOMicecovered marshcold environment
spellingShingle Corentin Bouvet
Pascale B. Beauregard
Céline Guéguen
Low-temperature biodegradation of freshwater dissolved organic matter during winter-to-spring transition
Frontiers in Environmental Science
biodegradation
standard bacterial inoculum (SBI)
bioresistant DOM
icecovered marsh
cold environment
title Low-temperature biodegradation of freshwater dissolved organic matter during winter-to-spring transition
title_full Low-temperature biodegradation of freshwater dissolved organic matter during winter-to-spring transition
title_fullStr Low-temperature biodegradation of freshwater dissolved organic matter during winter-to-spring transition
title_full_unstemmed Low-temperature biodegradation of freshwater dissolved organic matter during winter-to-spring transition
title_short Low-temperature biodegradation of freshwater dissolved organic matter during winter-to-spring transition
title_sort low temperature biodegradation of freshwater dissolved organic matter during winter to spring transition
topic biodegradation
standard bacterial inoculum (SBI)
bioresistant DOM
icecovered marsh
cold environment
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1524626/full
work_keys_str_mv AT corentinbouvet lowtemperaturebiodegradationoffreshwaterdissolvedorganicmatterduringwintertospringtransition
AT pascalebbeauregard lowtemperaturebiodegradationoffreshwaterdissolvedorganicmatterduringwintertospringtransition
AT celinegueguen lowtemperaturebiodegradationoffreshwaterdissolvedorganicmatterduringwintertospringtransition