GENERAL INFORMATION Title of Dataset: Biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) and associated physical and chemical measurements from a boreal first-order stream reach. Author/Principal Investigator Information Name: Melissa Reidy ORCID: 0009-0003-7148-9691 Institution: Department of ecology and environmental science, Umeå University Address: Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå Email: melissa.reidy@gmail.com Date of data collection: 2022-07-04 to 2022-10-24 Geographic location of data collection: Svartberget Research Station/Krycklan Catchment Study 64°14ʹN, 19°46ʹE, Vasterbottens lan, Sweden. Site specific location information: Samples were collected from the Stortjärnbäcken stream reach within the Krycklan Catchment Study site, inclusive of samples taken from Stortjärnen Lake. Information about funding sources that supported the collection of the data: Funding for Melissa Reidy and this research was through the Swedish Research Council (VR, Grant number 2018-04395_VR) The Krycklan Catchment Study infrastructure are funded by the Swedish Research Council (VR; SITES, Grant number 2021-00164_VR) SHARING/ACCESS INFORMATION Licenses/restrictions placed on the data: Biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) and associated physical and chemical measurements from a boreal first-order stream reach. © 2025 by Melissa Reidy is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Links/relationships to ancillary data sets: None Links to other publicly accessible locations of the data: None Was data derived from another source? If yes, list source(s): Precipitation, temperature and C6 outlet flow data was obtained from the SITES data portal (https://data.fieldsites.se) PID for Precipitation and temperature: 11676.1/ztFYjWV-ljPFra7V0z7NKHvg PID for C6 outlet flow data: 11676.1/9wYSOiK6gIbSu2UAiTSHwjPU Recommended citation for this dataset: Reidy, M. (2025). Biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) and associated physical and chemical measurements from a boreal first-order stream reach. (Version 1) [Data set]. Umeå University. DOI: Available after publication. COMMON ABBREVIATIONS USED: DOC: Dissolved organic carbon DOM: Dissolved organic matter C: Carbon N: Nitrogen O2: Oxygen TDN: Total dissolved nitrogen NO3: Nitrate NH4: Ammonium DIN: Dissolved inorganic nitrogen DON: Dissolved organic nitrogen PO4: Phosphate Cd: Cadmium bDOC: Biodegradable dissolved organic carbon NA: Not applicable DATA & FILE OVERVIEW File List: Landscape.csv Soil.csv Groundwater.csv Streamwater.csv Lakewater.csv Incubation duration.csv Relationship between files, if important: Categorical variables are identified by Sample date, Site Number and Site Type, which is consistent across all data sets with the exception of Landscape.csv. Additional related data collected that was not included in the current data package: NA METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION Riparian site type classification. To encompass the variability of the northern growing season, we sampled on 8 occasions between July to October, 2022. The Stortjärnbäcken reach has an existing riparian groundwater well infrastructure and Leach et al., (2017) and Ploum et al., (2020) have instrumented several riparian sites, variable in terms of drainage size and groundwater dynamics. Our sampling of nine riparian sites was designed to capture this variability by distinguishing zones with major, minor and intermediate hydrological connection to the stream. This included 3 sites with major connections to the stream, termed ‘High’, with relatively large sub-basin (or contributing hillslope) areas (0.5–5.5 ha) and stable and high groundwater levels (average depth: +1 cm above soil surface, max depth: -10 cm). We also sampled 3 ‘Low’ sites, having small contributing hillslope areas (0.0008–0.004 ha) and persistently deep and relatively stable groundwater tables (average depth: -38 cm, max: -61 cm; %CV of water level height: 14–24%, n = 22 manual observations per site). Finally, we sampled 3 ‘Dynamic’ sites, with intermediate-sized contributing areas (0.03–2.6 ha), and more shallow and variable water table heights (average depth: -24 cm, max depth: -49 cm; %CV: 29–59%, n = 22). Low and Dynamic sites were further distinguished by where in the soil profile groundwater fluctuations occur; for Low sites, the groundwater level was nearly always within lower conductance zones deeper in the soil profile, whereas for Dynamic sites, these fluctuations occurred largely within more surficial soil strata with greater transmissivity (Bishop et al. 2004). Groundwater level and temperature measurements. On five occasions, 3 sites each representative of these different hydrogeomorphologies were used for sample collection. On three occasions, we increased the number of sites sampled from each hydrogeomorphology to 3, totaling 9 riparian sites. On each of the 8 occasions, lake water and stream water, from each riparian site type, was sampled and groundwater collected from riparian wells. Each riparian groundwater well was established within 1-2 m of the stream and made of fully screened PVC of 30 mm diameter with a mean depth to ground surface of 91 cm. At three riparian sites, each representative of one ‘class’ of hydrological connection to the stream, we measured soil temperature at 3 depths using TEROS 06 (MeterGroup®) temperature probes connected to ZL6 (MeterGroup®) data loggers. In our data analyses we assumed that temperature at one site would be largely representative of similar riparian site types, due to similarities in soil properties and groundwater height fluctuations. Stream flow and average precipitation data was obtained for the Svartberget catchment area from the SITES data portal (SITES, 2024). Soil and water sampling and extraction. Soil was sampled from three depth increments from surface level to 50 cm deep (shallow: 0-15 cm, mid-depth: 15–30 cm, deep: 30-50 cm) and kept in plastic air-tight bags and chilled (°4C) until processing within 24 hours. We sampled riparian groundwater with a peristaltic pump affixed to a drill and groundwater height was measured manually. Due to low groundwater levels at some sites, we were unable to take a large enough sample for incubation and analysis on certain occasions. Stream samples were taken from the middle of the stream nearest to the riparian well with an additional sample from Stortjärnen Lake taken from the same location each time. Water samples were filtered (0.45 μm Filtropur S; Sarstedt AG), then stored at +4°C or -18°C depending on subsequent analysis. Samples for DOC analysis were acidified with 4% HCl prior to chilling. The method for extracting soil water from fresh riparian soils was adapted from Werdin-Pfisterer et al., (2009) and Rousk and Jones (2010). To minimize degradation of the labile soil DOM pool the extraction process was started within 4-6 hours of the samples being taken from the site. 24 g fresh soil and 180 ml Milli-Q water were combined in 250 ml Nalgene® centrifuge bottles then shaken with orbital shaker at 260 rpm for 10 minutes then centrifuged for 15 minutes at 4°C and 14000 rpm using the AvantiTM J-20 XP centrifuge (Beckman Coulter). Soil extracts in solution were syringe filtered from the bottle (0.45 μm Filtropur S; Sarstedt AG) and then stored at +4°C or -18°C for future analysis. Samples for DOC analysis were acidified with 4% HCl prior to chilling. Biodegradable dissolved organic carbon incubations. Soil extracts, streamwater, groundwater and lake water were prepared for incubations using adapted methods from Koehler et al. (2012). 100 ml of filtered sample was aliquoted to a 200 ml pre-autoclaved amber glass bottle. To ensure each bottle had a microbial population representative of the riparian area, an inoculum of subsamples from all lake, groundwater and streamwater from the day of sampling was collected and filtered through Whatman GF/C filters (1.2 μm pore size) and added to incubation vials at a ratio of 5 % of total incubation volume. Four blank incubations of 100 ml of Milli-Q with inoculum added were included in each bioassay. Incubation bottles were kept capped and in a light proof container at ambient temperature for the duration of 28 days. At intervals of 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after incubation start, 15 ml of sample from the incubation bottle was syringe-filtered (0.45 μm Filtropur S; Sarstedt AG), to remove microbial biomass from subsamples, acidified with 4% HCl at a ratio of 100 μl HCl to 10 ml filtered sample, then all samples chilled until DOC analysis. Analytical methods. Soil organic matter content was measured as loss on ignition (%LOI) over 5 hours at 550 °C. Mass fractions of soil C and N were measured using an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (DeltaV,Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bremen, Germany) and elemental analyzer (Flash EA 2000, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bremen, Germany). DOC analysis was measured by combustion (870 ºC) of acidified water samples (bubbled with O2), and then analyzed with an infrared gas analyzer. The samples are analyzed on a Formacs HT-I from Skalar. TDN was analyzed on an ND25 unit connected to the Fomacs using a chemiluminescent detector. Dissolved and total nutrients was analyzed by measuring color on a photometer in a segmented flow analyzer, after various reagents have been added. NO3 (NO3+NO2) after reagents and samples passed a copperized Cd reduction coil to form an azo dye [method: MT3B Q-126-12 Rev 1]. NH4 with the salicylate method [method: Q-033-04 Rev. 8] and PO4 with the molybdenum blue method [method: MT3A Q-125-12 Rev 1]. DIN was calculated as the sum of NO3- and NH4+. Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) was calculated by subtracting DIN from TDN. We measured DOC quality using an Aqualog spectrophotometer (200-600 nm, 1 nm increments) of all soil extractions and water samples from each initial sampling point, in 1 cm quartz cuvettes. All spectra were corrected for blank absorption (Milli-Q). We used absorbance data to calculate SUVA254 (specific ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm) and the absorbance ratio of A254:A365. SUVA254 is an indicator of the aromaticity of DOC, with lower values indicative of fresher, less aromatic DOC and higher values the opposite (Weishaar et al. 2003). The absorbance ratio of A254:A365 is a complementary indicator of DOC quality, with higher values indicative of lower molecular weight DOC (Dahlén et al. 1996) and positive correlations with bacterial productivity (Ågren et al. 2008). Phospholipid Fatty Acid Analysis (PLFA). We used PLFA analysis to capture snapshots of microbial biomass (a proxy) and functional groups (Frostegård et al. 2011). We analyzed PLFA composition from all depths and sites for each of the 4 previously detailed sampling occasions, plus 5 additional timepoints throughout the season. Prior to analysis, samples were stored frozen and then freeze-dried. Samples were extracted with a modified method of Bligh and Dyer (1959) and White et al. (1979). For analysis, samples were injected by the means of splitless injection and separated on a 60 m x 0.25 mm x 0.20 µm ZB-FAME column (Phenomenex, USA) and measured on a single quadrupole mass spectrometer. Concentrations are reported in nmol/g soil. PLFA markers used to represent functional groups were selected based on Högberg et al. (2003) and Moon et al. (2016). Total PLFA’s were calculated from the sum of all identified PLFA markers after analysis. The PLFA’s 18:1ω9 and 18:2ω6 were used to calculate total fungal contribution to the microbial community. Terminally branched saturated PLFA’s i-15:0, a-15:0, i-16:0 and i-17:0 were used to estimate total gram positive (GP) bacterial contribution and the monounsaturated markers cy17, cy19 and 18:1ω7 used to estimate total gram negative (GN) bacterial contribution. GP, GN and 15:0 were summed to represent total bacterial PLFAs. The fungal bacterial ratio (F:B) was calculated as total fungal contributions: total bacterial PLFAs. Extracellular Enzyme Analysis. β-Glucosidase: β-Glucosidase activity was measured using an adapted method from Deng and Popova (2011). To 1 g of fresh soil, 0.2 mL of toluene was added to cease any microbial activity. After 15 minutes, 4 mL of Modified Universal Buffer (MUB), ph. 6, and 1 mL of p-Nitrophenyl-β-d-glucoside (PNG) solution was added. After shaking at room temperature for 1 hour, 1 mL of 0.5 M CaCl2 solution and 4 mL of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane buffer (THAM), pH 12, was added to the sample. Samples were centrifuged for 3 minutes at 3000 RPM and 100 μl of supernatant analysed for absorbance at 405 nm. Activity is expressed as μmol p-Nitrophenol g-1 dry soil h-1. Cellulase: Cellulase activity was measured with a modified method from Deng & Popova (2011). To 1 g of fresh soil, 0.2 mL of toluene was added. After 15 minutes, 20 mL of 2% carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) solution was added and samples shaken at room temperature for 24 hours. After 24 hours, samples were centrifuged at 3000 RPM for 3 minutes and 1 mL supernatant aliquoted and frozen until colorimetric analysis. Samples were assayed using a Glucose Assay Kit (Sigma Aldrich) with recommended protocol and analysed at 570 nm. Protease: Protease activity was measured with a modified method from Kandeler et al. (1996). To 0.5 g fresh soil, 2.5 mL casein substrate solution and 2.5 mL of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS) buffer, pH 8.1 was added. Samples were shaken at room temperature for 2 hours. After incubation, 2.5 μl Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) was added and samples centrifuged for 3 minutes at 3000 RPM. Supernatant was aliquoted and frozen for later analysis. For the colorimetric assay, samples were thawed and measured at 750 nm. Protease activity is expressed as ug Tyrosine g-1 dry soil h-1. Phenol Oxidase and Peroxidase: Phenol Oxidase and Peroxidase activity were measured simultaneously with a method modified from Saiya-Cork et al. (2002) and Prosser et al. (2011). To 1 g fresh soil, 3 mL of 50 mM Sodium Acetate buffer (ph. 5) was added. For Phenol Oxidase analysis, 2 mL of 10 mM L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) was added. For Peroxidase analysis, 2 mL of L-DOPA solution and 0.2 mL 0.3% Peroxide (H2O2) solution was added. Samples were shaken for 2 hours at room temperature, then centrifuged at 3000 RPM for 3 minutes. 100 μl was analysed for absorbance at 450 nm. Phenol Oxidase activity is expressed as nmols L-DOPA g -1 dry soil h-1. Peroxidase activity is expressed as nmols L-DOPA g -1 dry soil h-1 after subtraction of Phenol Oxidase activity. Methods for processing the data: We use the term ‘biodegradable’ DOC (bDOC) instead of other terms, as our methods measure the reduction in DOC concentration, but do not assume that it is lost from the system. In a similar vein, we choose not to use the term ‘reactive’ or ‘mineralization’ as our methods do not measure changes in state of DOC and accumulation of products (Vonk et al., 2015). We report bDOC using two measurements. First, for all landscape components, we calculated the percentage loss of the initial DOC pool after a period of time (%bDOC) as %bDOC = (DOC mg/L_initial – DOC mg/L_final) / (DOC mg/L_initial) x 100 where DOC_initial and DOC_final are DOC concentrations in the soil water extractions, groundwater, stream water or lake water at the beginning (initial) and end (final) of the incubation period, respectively. For soils, we also calculated the mass loss of bDOC (‘mass_bDOC’ in mg/g soil). This term is applicable for soils only as it accounts for the variation in initial dry mass of soils, which may differ between sites due to sample water content. This calculation uses the constant 0.18 to account for the 0.18 L of Milli-Q water added during the extraction process. Using the massbDOC term allows us to move beyond a compositional assessment (i.e., %bDOC) and consider the capacity of a given soil to yield a mass of useable DOC. mass_bDOC = (DOC x 0.18) / dry weight (g) where DOC is the concentration in the soil water extraction and weighht is the initial dry mass of soil. mass_bDOC = massDOC(initial) - massDOC(final) where massDOC(initial) and massDOC(final) are the soil DOC concenrations at the beginning (initial) and end (final) of the incubation period respectively. Prior to analysis, we removed incubation results where, due to unknown factors, all of the incubation timepoints yielded negative results (i.e., indicating DOC production). Such negative values were usually found in samples that had very low DOC concentrations at the initial timepoint. Incubation results were also deemed unreliable if associated chemical analyses produced unrealistic outlier values. This resulted in a deletion of 14 samples from the data set and their corresponding chemical analyses, with 204 samples remaining. In cases that from an individual sample, negative bDOC values were measured at one incubation duration, but not others, the negative value was not included in the statistical test, in part due to the effect of initially low bDOC concentrations in some samples and because we could not specify the sample-specific cause of error. References Bishop, K., J. Seibert, S. Köhler, and H. Laudon. 2004. Resolving the Double Paradox of rapidly mobilized old water with highly variable responses in runoff chemistry. Hydrological Processes, 18:185-189. Bligh, E.G., and W.G. Dyer. 1959. A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification, Canadian Journal of Biochemistry and Physiology, 37: 911-917. Dahlén, J., Bertilsson, S., Pettersson, C.:1996. Effects of UV-A irradiation on dissolved organic matter in humic surface waters., Environment International, 22, 501-506. Deng, S., and I. Popova. Carbohydrate hydrolases. Pages 185-209. In R.P. Dick (Ed), Methods of Soil Enzymology. Frostegård, Å., A. Tunlid, and E. Bååth. 2011. Use and misuse of PLFA measurements in soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 43: 1621-1625. Högberg, M.N., E. Bååth, A. Nordgren, K. Arnebrant, and P. Högberg. 2003. Contrasting effects of nitrogen availability on plant carbon supply to mycorrhizal fungi and saprotrophs – a hypothesis based on field observations in boreal forest. New Phytologist, 160: 225-238. Kandeler, E., C. Kampichler, and O. Horak. 1996. Influence of heavy metals on the functional diversity of soil microbial communities. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 23: 299-306. Koehler, B., von Wachenfeldt, E., Kothawala, D., and Tranvik, L.J. 2012. Reactivity continuum of dissolved organic carbon decomposition in lake water, Journal of Geophysical Research, 117: G01024. Leach, J.A., W. Lidberg, L. Kuglerová, A. Peralta-Tapia, A. Ågren, and H. Laudon. 2017. Evaluating topography-based predictions of shallow lateral groundwater discharge zones for a boreal lake-stream system. Water Resources Research, 53: 5420-5437 Moon, J.B., D.H. Wardrop, M.V. Bruns, R.M. Miller, and K.J. Naithani. 2016. Land-use and land-cover effects on soil microbial community abundance and composition in headwater riparian wetlands. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 97: 215-233. Ploum, S.W., H. Laudon, A. Peralta-Tapia, and L. Kuglerová. 2020. Are dissolved organic carbon concentrations in riparian groundwater linked to hydrological pathways in the boreal forest? Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 24: 1709-1720 Prosser, J.A., T.W. Speir, and D.E. Stott. 2011. Soil oxidoreductases and FDA hydrolysis. Pages 103-124. In R.P. Dick (Ed), Methods of Soil Enzymology. Reidy,M., Berggren, M., Lupon, A., Laudon, H., & Sponseller, R.A. (In review). Riparian zone heterogeneity influences the production and fate of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon at the land-water interface. Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences. Rousk, J., and D.L. Jones. 2010. Loss of low molecular weight dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON) in H20 and 0.5 M K2S04 soil extracts. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 42: 2331-2335. Saiya-Cork, K.R., R.L. Sinsabaugh, and D.R. Zak. 2002. The effects of long term nitrogen deposition on extracellular enzyme activity in an Acer saccharum forest soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 34: 1309-1315. Vonk, J.E., Tank, S.E., Mann, P.J., Spencer, R.G.M., Treat, C.C., Striegl, R.G., Abbott, B.W., Wickland, K.P.: 2015. Biodegradability of dissolved organic carbon in permafrost soils and aquatic systems: a meta-analysis, Biogeosciences, 12, 6915-6930. Weishaar, JL., Aiken, GR., Bergamaschi, BA., Fram, MA., Fujii, R., Mopper, K.: 2003. Evaluation of specific ultraviolet absorbance as an indicator o the chemical composition and reactivity of dissolved organic carbon., Environmental Science and Technology, 37, 4702-4708. Werdin-Pfisterer, N.R., K. Kielland, and R.D. Boone. 2009. Soil amino acid composition across a boreal forest successional sequence. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 41: 1210-1220. White, D.C., W.M. Davis, J.S. Nickels, J.D. King, and R.J. Bobbie. 1979. Determination of the sedimentary microbial biomass by extractible lipid phosphate. Oecologica, 40: 51-62. Ågren, A., Berggren, M., Laudon, H., Jansson, M.: Terrestrial export of highly bioavailable carbon from small boreal catchments in spring floods, Freshwater Biology, 53, 964-972, 2008. Instrument- or software-specific information needed to interpret the data: NA Environmental/experimental conditions: See description of methods. Describe any quality-assurance procedures performed on the data: See description of methods. People involved with sample collection, processing, analysis and/or submission: Sample collection: Melissa Reidy Data processing: Melissa Reidy Analysis and submission: Melissa Reidy DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Landscape.csv Number of variables: 4 Number of cases/rows: 8 Variable List: Sample date: date of sample collection Discharge_C6 [m3 s-1]: average stream discharge from the C6 (Stortjärnbäcken) outlet for the 3 days prior to sampling. Precipitation [mm]: average precipitation for the Svartberget Research Station for the 3 days prior to sampling. Air temperature [°C] daily average air temperature taken on the day of sampling. Missing data codes: NA Specialized formats or other abbreviations used: NA indicates missing data DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Soil.csv Number of variables: 25 Number of cases/rows: 102 Variable List: Sample date: date of sample collection Site number: riparian site number Site type: type of sample collection site Depth: depth of sample collection Soil Temperature [°C]: Average daily soil temperature from day of sampling taken at specific depth. Site Groundwater Level Height [cm]: Groundwater level height taken on day of sampling measured as below ground surface. Sample Depth to Groundwater Level [cm] : Depth to groundwater level height of day of sampling that the soil sample was taken from. SUVA254nm: Specific UV Absorbance at 254 nm calculated as: Absorbance at 254nm / DOC (mg/l) * 100. A254A365: Ratio of Absorbance at 254 nm and Absorbance at 365 nm. DOC [mg/l]: Dissolved organic carbon concentration taken on day of sampling. DON [µg/l]: Dissolved organic nitrogen concentration taken on day of sampling. DIN [µg/l]: Dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration calculated from NO3 and NH4 taken from day of sampling. PO4 [µg/l]: Soluble Reactive Phosphorous concentration taken on day of sampling. DOC:DON: Ratio of DOC to DON taken on day of sampling. %BDOC T14 : Percent bDOC degradation calculated after 14 days of incubation length. massBDOC T14 : Mass bDOC degradation calculated after 14 days of incubation length. β-Glucosidase activity [μmol p-Nitrophenol g-1 dry soil h-1] : Activity of β-Glucosidase measured from soil. Cellulase activity [μmol Glucose g-1 dry soil h-1] : Activity of Cellulase measured from soil. Protease activity [μg Tyrosine g-1 dry soil h-1] : Activity of Protease measured from soil. Phenol oxidase activity [nmol L-DOPA g -1 dry soil h-1] : Activity of Phenol oxidase measured from soil. Peroxidase activity [nmol L-DOPA g -1 dry soil h-1] : Activity of Peroxidase measured from soil. GP:GN: Ratio of Gram Positive PLFA markers identified to Gram Negative PLFA markers identified. Total Bacterial PLFA [nmol g-1] : Total Bacterial PLFA markers in soil. Total Fungal PLFA [nmol g-1] : Total Fungal PLFA markers in soil. Total PLFA [nmol g-1] : Total PLFA markers in soil calculated from Total Bacterial PLFA + Total Fungal PLFA. Missing data codes: NA indicates missing data. Specialized formats or other abbreviations used: Sample date: Date is in format YYYY-MM-DD Site number: Indicates the riparian site number used for identification. Site type: Indicates the riparian site type classification as a categorical variable. 1 - High riparian site type 2 - Low riparian site type 3 - Dynamic riparian site type Depth: Indicates the depth at which the soil sample was collected from as a categorical variable. 1 - Shallow (0 - 15 cm below surface) 2 - Mid Depth (15 - 30 cm below surface) 3 - Deep (30 - 50 cm below surface) NA indicates missing data DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Groundwater.csv Number of variables: 11 Number of cases/rows: 39 Variable List: Sample date: date of sample collection Site number: riparian site number Site type: type of sample collection site SUVA254nm: Absorbance at 254nm / DOC [mg/l] * 100. A254A365: Ratio of Absorbance at 254 nm and Absorbance at 365 nm. DOC [mg/l]: Dissolved organic carbon concentration taken on day of sampling. DON [µg/l]: Dissolved organic nitrogen concentration taken on day of sampling. DIN [µg/l]: Dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration calculated from NO3 and NH4 taken from day of sampling. PO4 [µg/l]: Soluble Reactive Phosphorous concentration taken on day of sampling. DOC:DON: Ratio of DOC to DON from day 1 of sampling. %BDOC T14: Percent bDOC degradation calculated after 14 days of incubation length. Missing data codes: NA indicates missing data. Specialized formats or other abbreviations used: Sample date: Date is in format YYYY-MM-DD Site number: Indicates the riparian site number used for identification. Site type: Indicates the riparian site type classification as a categorical variable. 1 - High riparian site type 2 - Low riparian site type 3 - Dynamic riparian site type NA indicates missing data DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Stream water.csv Number of variables: 11 Number of cases/rows: 40 Variable List: Sample date: date of sample collection Site number: riparian site number Site type: type of sample collection site SUVA254nm: Absorbance at 254nm / DOC [mg/l] * 100. A254A365: Ratio of Absorbance at 254 nm and Absorbance at 365 nm. DOC [mg/l]: Dissolved organic carbon concentration taken on day of sampling. DON [µg/l]: Dissolved organic nitrogen concentration taken on day of sampling. DIN [µg/l]: Dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration calculated from NO3 and NH4 taken from day of sampling. PO4 [µg/l]: Soluble Reactive Phosphorous concentration taken on day of sampling. DOC:DON: Ratio of DOC to DON from day 1 of sampling. %BDOC T14: Percent bDOC degradation calculated after 14 days of incubation length. Missing data codes: NA indicates missing data. Specialized formats or other abbreviations used: Sample date: Date is in format YYYY-MM-DD Site number: Indicates the riparian site number used for identification. Site type: Indicates the riparian site type classification as a categorical variable. 1 - High riparian site type 2 - Low riparian site type 3 - Dynamic riparian site type NA indicates missing data DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Lakewater.csv Number of variables: 11 Number of cases/rows: 8 Variable List: Sample date: date of sample collection Site number: riparian site number Site type: type of sample collection site SUVA254nm: Absorbance at 254nm / DOC [mg/l] * 100. A254A365: Ratio of Absorbance at 254 nm and Absorbance at 365 nm. DOC [mg/l]: Dissolved organic carbon concentration taken on day of sampling. DON [µg/l]: Dissolved organic nitrogen concentration taken on day of sampling. DIN [µg/l]: Dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration calculated from NO3 and NH4 taken from day of sampling. PO4 [µg/l]: Soluble Reactive Phosphorous concentration taken on day of sampling. DOC:DON: Ratio of DOC to DON from day 1 of sampling. %BDOC T14: Percent bDOC degradation calculated after 14 days of incubation length. Missing data codes: NA indicates missing data. Specialized formats or other abbreviations used: Sample date: Date is in format YYYY-MM-DD Site number: Indicates the riparian site number used for identification. Site type: Indicates the site type classification as a categorical variable 4 - Lake NA indicates missing data DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Incubation duration.csv Number of variables: 7 Number of cases/rows: 189 Variable List: Sample date: date of sample collection Site number: riparian site number Site type: type of sample collection site Depth: depth of sample collection %BDOC T7: Percent bDOC degradation calculated after 7 days of incubation length. %BDOC T14 : Percent bDOC degradation calculated after 14 days of incubation length. %BDOC T28 : Percent bDOC degradation calculated after 28 days of incubation length. Missing data codes: NA indicates data removed from analyses due to negative values at individual timepoints as described in associated paper. Specialized formats or other abbreviations used: Sample date: Date is in format YYYY-MM-DD Site number: Indicates the riparian site number used for identification. Site type: Indicates the riparian site type classification. 1 - High riparian site type 2 - Low riparian site type 3 - Dynamic riparian site type 4 - Lake water sample Depth: Indicates the depth at which the soil sample was collected from. Note that Groundwater, Streamwater and Lake water were not collected at a specific depth, but have been assigned a categorical number for consistency. 1 - Shallow (0 - 15 cm below surface) 2 - Mid Depth (15 - 30 cm below surface) 3 - Deep (30 - 50 cm below surface) 4 - Groundwater sample from riparian well 5 - Stream water sample from adjacent stream 6 - Lake water sample taken from lake NA indicates missing data