Articles | Volume 23, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-3981-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-3981-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
17 Jun 2026
Research article |
| 17 Jun 2026
| 17 Jun 2026
Point-scale organic-matter decomposition in streambeds is weakly associated with reach-scale respiration
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
Morgan Barnes
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
Dillman Delgado
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
Brieanne Forbes
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
Vanessa A. Garayburu-Caruso
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
Amy E. Goldman
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
Maggi Laan
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
University of California, Riverside, CA, United States
Sophia McKever
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
Peter Regier
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
Lupita Renteria
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
Scott D. Tiegs
Oakland University, Rochester, MI, United States
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Firnaaz Ahamed, James C. Stegen, Emily B. Graham, Timothy D. Scheibe, and Hyun-Seob Song
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.08.11.607483, https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.08.11.607483, 2026
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This research examines how labile organic matter influences the breakdown of complex organic matter (termed priming). Using a new modeling method, the study shows how microbial growth traits and interactions determine whether priming effects are positive or negative. By identifying microbial strategies as critical drivers of decomposition, this work provides a unified framework to improve predictions of nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration across diverse ecosystems.
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Preprint archived
Short summary
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As dissolved organic matter (DOM) is transported from land to the ocean through rivers, it interacts with the environment and some is converted to CO2. We used high-resolution carbon analysis to show that DOM from seven rivers exhibited ecological patterns particular to the corresponding river. These results indicate that local processes play an outsized role in shaping DOM. By understanding these interactions across environments, we can predict DOM across spatial scales or under perturbations.
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Short summary
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Short summary
Short summary
Natural organic matter (NOM) is often studied via Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS), which identifies organic molecules as mass spectra peaks. The intensity of peaks is data that is often discarded due to technical concerns. We review the theory behind these concerns and show they are supported empirically. However, simulations show that ecological analyses of NOM data that include FTMS peak intensities are often valid. This opens a path for robust use of FTMS peak intensities for NOM.
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-3038, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-3038, 2024
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
This research examines oxygen use in rivers, which is central to the carbon cycle and water quality. The study focused on an environmentally diverse river basin in the western United States and found that oxygen use in river water was very slow and influenced by factors like water temperature and concentrations of nutrients and carbon in the water. Results suggest that in the study system, most of the oxygen use occurs via mechanisms directly or indirectly associated with riverbed sediments.
Emily B. Graham, Hyun-Seob Song, Samantha Grieger, Vanessa A. Garayburu-Caruso, James C. Stegen, Kevin D. Bladon, and Allison N. Myers-Pigg
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Short summary
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James C. Stegen, Vanessa A. Garayburu-Caruso, Robert E. Danczak, Amy E. Goldman, Lupita Renteria, Joshua M. Torgeson, and Jacqueline Hager
Biogeosciences, 20, 2857–2867, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2857-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2857-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Chemical reactions in river sediments influence how clean the water is and how much greenhouse gas comes out of a river. Our study investigates why some sediments have higher rates of chemical reactions than others. We find that to achieve high rates, sediments need to have two things: only a few different kinds of molecules, but a lot of them. This result spans about 80 rivers such that it could be a general rule, helpful for predicting the future of rivers and our planet.
James C. Stegen, Sarah J. Fansler, Malak M. Tfaily, Vanessa A. Garayburu-Caruso, Amy E. Goldman, Robert E. Danczak, Rosalie K. Chu, Lupita Renteria, Jerry Tagestad, and Jason Toyoda
Biogeosciences, 19, 3099–3110, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3099-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3099-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Rivers are vital to Earth, and in rivers, organic matter (OM) is an energy source for microbes that make greenhouse gas and remove contaminants. Predicting Earth’s future requires understanding how and why river OM is transformed. Our results help meet this need. We found that the processes influencing OM transformations diverge between river water and riverbed sediments. This can be used to build new models for predicting the future of rivers and, in turn, the Earth system.
Aditi Sengupta, Sarah J. Fansler, Rosalie K. Chu, Robert E. Danczak, Vanessa A. Garayburu-Caruso, Lupita Renteria, Hyun-Seob Song, Jason Toyoda, Jacqueline Hager, and James C. Stegen
Biogeosciences, 18, 4773–4789, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4773-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4773-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Conceptual models link microbes with the environment but are untested. We test a recent model using riverbed sediments. We exposed sediments to disturbances, going dry and becoming wet again. As the length of dry conditions got longer, there was a sudden shift in the ecology of microbes, chemistry of organic matter, and rates of microbial metabolism. We propose a new model based on feedbacks initiated by disturbance that cascade across biological, chemical, and functional aspects of the system.
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Short summary
Streams move and break down organic material, but it is unclear how small-scale decomposition relates to larger scale respiration. We used cotton strips at 48 sites in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, to measure decomposition and different components of river respiration. Decomposition tracked whole-river respiration more than local sediment activity, showing that spatial variation in decomposition results from integrated watershed features.
Streams move and break down organic material, but it is unclear how small-scale decomposition...
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