Predicting Future Trends of Terrestrial Dissolved Organic Carbon Transport to Global River Systems

A fraction of CO2 uptake by terrestrial ecosystems is exported as organic carbon (C) through the terrestrial-aquatic continuum. This translocated C plays a significant role in the terrestrial C balance; however, obtaining global assessments remains challenging due to the predominant reliance on empirical approaches. Leaching of dissolved organic C (DOC) from soils to rivers represents an important fraction of this C export and is assumed to drive a large proportion of the net-heterotrophy of river systems and the related CO2 emissions. Using the model JULES-DOCM, we projected DOC leaching trends over the 21st century based on three scenarios with high (RCP 2.6), intermediate (RCP 4.5), and low (RCP 8.5) climate mitigation efforts. The RCP 8.5 scenario led to the largest DOC leaching increase of +42% to 395 Tg C yr-1 by 2100. In comparison, RCP 2.6 and RCP 4.5 led to increases of 10% and 21%, respectively. Under RCP 8.5, the sub-tropical zone showed the highest relative increase of 50% above current levels. In the boreal and tropical zones, the simulations revealed similar increases of 48% and 41%, respectively. However, given the pre-eminence of the tropics in DOC leaching, the absolute increment is markedly substantial from this region (+59 Tg C yr-1). The temperate zone displayed the lowest relative increase with 35%. Our analysis identified the rising atmospheric CO2 concentration and its fertilizing effect on terrestrial NPP as the main reason for the future increase in DOC leaching. Terrestrial ecosystems absorb CO2 and some of this is transformed into dissolved organic carbon (DOC) that leaches from soils to inland waters, driving aquatic CO2 emissions. Using the JULES-DOCM model, we analyzed future DOC leaching trends under different climate scenarios. The scenario of low climate change mitigation led to the most significant leaching increase by the end of the century. Among various regions, the sub-tropical areas showed the greatest relative growth in DOC leaching, with the tropics also seeing a substantial rise. This increase in DOC leaching is mainly driven by rising atmospheric CO2 levels, which boosts plant growth and productivity on land. We predict an increase of global soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leaching of up to 42% or 395 Tg C yr-1 by 2100 The sub-tropical zone experienced the greatest relative DOC leaching growth, while the tropics had a notable absolute increase The primary driver for the future surge in DOC leaching is the rising atmospheric CO2 and its fertilizing effect on terrestrial NPP