The progressive darkening of inland waters globally has been attributed to increasing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, yet this phenomenon remains understudied in tropical systems. This research investigated DOC's influence on the limnochemical characteristics of a tropical endorheic wetland through two sampling campaigns during different hydrological periods. DOC was measured alongside key limnological variables, with relationships analyzed through descriptive statistics and principal component analysis. Results demonstrated significant positive correlations between DOC and electrical conductivity (r=0.78, p<0.001) and turbidity (r=0.74, p<0.001), while inverse correlations emerged with bicarbonates (r=-0.80, p<0.001), ORP (r=-0.61, p<0.001), and chlorophyll-a (r=-0.75, p<0.001). However, these associations likely reflect synchronous responses to increasing water levels rather than direct DOC effects. Our findings suggest DOC potentially regulates phytoplankton biomass and optical properties in this tropical wetland system.
López et al. (Mon,) studied this question.