Hydrology and Earth System Sciences www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net 1027-5606 1607-7938 13 9 2009 10.5194/hess-13-1567-2009 http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/13/1567/2009/ http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/13/1567/2009/hess-13-1567-2009.html http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/13/1567/2009/hess-13-1567-2009.pdf 1567 1582 2009-09-03 Landscape scale patterns in the character of natural organic matter in a Swedish boreal stream network J. Temnerud Johan.Temnerud@vatten.slu.se A. Düker S. Karlsson B. Allard S. Köhler K. Bishop Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden Dept. of Applied Geosciences, Technical University of Graz, Graz, Austria Dept. of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden present address: Dept. of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7050, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden This paper defines landscape-scale patterns in the character of natural organic matter (NOM) and tests for relationships to catchment soil, vegetation and topography. The drainage network of a boreal catchment, subcatchment size 0.12–78 km², in Northern Sweden was sampled in August 2002 during a period of stable low water flow. The NOM was characterized with UV/Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence, XAD-8 fractionation (%humic substances), gel permeation chromatography (apparent molecular weight), and elemental composition (C:N). The largest spatial variation was found for C:N, absorbance ratio, and specific visible absorptivity. The lowest variation was in fluorescence index, %humic substances and molecular retention time. The variation in total organic carbon (TOC), iron and aluminium concentration was more than twice that of C:N. Between headwater and downstream sites no significant changes were distinguished in the NOM character. 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