Inferring Ecosystem Function from Dissolved Organic Matter Optical Properties: A Critical Review.

Over the last 30 years, the optical property community has shifted from conducting dissolved organic matter (DOM) measurements on new complex mixtures in natural and engineered systems to furthering ecosystem understanding in the context of past, present, and future carbon (C) cycling regimes. However, the appropriate use of optical properties to understand DOM behavior in complex biogeochemical systems is of recent debate. This critical review provides an extensive survey of DOM optical property literature across atmospheric, marine, and terrestrial biospheres using a categorical approach that probes each biosphere and its subdivisions.