Masiello, Caroline A.2013-03-082013-03-082011Zeng, Fan-Wei. "The Effects of Land Use and Human Activities on Carbon Cycling in Texas Rivers." (2011) Diss., Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/70513">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/70513</a>.https://hdl.handle.net/1911/70513I investigated how land use and human activities affect the sources and cycling of carbon (C) in subtropical rivers. Annually rivers receive a large amount of terrestrial C, process a portion of this C and return it to the atmosphere as CO 2 . The rest is transported to the ocean. Land use and human activities can affect the sources and fate of terrestrial C in rivers. However, studies on these effects are limited, especially in the humid subtropics. I combined measurements of the partial pressure of dissolved CO 2 (pCO 2 ), C isotopes ( 13 C and 14 C) and solid-state 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to study C cycling in three subtropical rivers in Texas, two small rivers (Buffalo Bayou and Spring Creek) and a midsized river (the Brazos). My pCO 2 data show that small humid subtropical rivers are likely a large source of atmospheric CO 2 in the global C cycle. My measurements on pCO 2 , C isotopic and chemical composition of dissolved inorganic C (DIC) and particulate organic C (POC) revealed four types of effects of land use and human activities on river C cycling. First, oyster shells and crushed carbonate minerals used in road construction are being dissolved and slowly drained into Buffalo Bayou and the lower Brazos and may be a source of river CO 2 released to the atmosphere. Second, river damming and nutrient input from urban treated wastewater stimulate algal growth and reduce CO 2 evasion of the middle Brazos. Third, urban treated wastewater discharge is adding old POC to the middle Brazos and decomposition of the old POC adds to the old riverine DIC pool. Fourth, agricultural activities coupled with high precipitation enhance loss of old organic C (OC) from deep soils to the lower Brazos, and decomposition of the old soil OC contributes to the old CO 2 evaded. I document for the first time the river C cycling effects of the use of carbonate minerals in construction and the riverine discharge of urban wastewater. Results presented here indicate the need to study disturbed river systems to better constrain the global C budget.151 p.application/pdfengCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.Health sciencesEnvironmental scienceEarth sciencesCarbon cyclesGulf of MexicoCarbon dioxide emissionsLimestoneBiochemistryGeochemistryThesisZengFTHESIS GEOL. 2011 ZENG