Vertically stratified water source characteristics and associated driving mechanisms of particulate organic carbon in a large floodplain lake system.

Particulate organic carbon (POC) is an important component of lake organic carbon (C) pools, of which different factors drive vertical distributions and sources. This study used the dual stable isotope (δC and δN) approach to investigate vertical POC sources and drivers in a large floodplain lake system. Findings showed that POC composition gradually changed from endogenous dominant to exogenous dominant sequentially from the surface layer to the bottom layer of Lake Poyang.