Permafrost carbon−climate feedback is sensitive to deep soil carbon decomposability but not deep soil nitrogen dynamics
Abstract
Permafrost soils contain enormous amounts of organic carbon whose stability is contingent on remaining frozen. With future warming, these soils may release carbon to the atmosphere and act as a positive feedback to climate change. Significant uncertainty remains on the postthaw carbon dynamics of permafrost-affected ecosystems, in particular since most of the carbon resides at depth where decomposition dynamics may differ from surface soils, and since nitrogen mineralized by decomposition may enhance plant growth. Here we show, using a carbon–nitrogen model that includes permafrost processes forced in an unmitigated warming scenario, that the future carbon balance of the permafrost region is highly sensitive to the decomposability of deeper carbon, with the net balance ranging from 21 Pg C to 164 Pg C losses by 2300. Increased soil nitrogen mineralization reduces nutrient limitations, but the impact of deep nitrogen on the carbon budget is small due to enhanced nitrogen availability from warming surface soils and seasonal asynchrony between deeper nitrogen availability and plant nitrogen demands. The future carbon balance of this region is projected to hinge more on the rate and extent of permafrost thaw and soil decomposition than on enhanced nitrogen availability for vegetation growth resulting from permafrost thaw.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1235158
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1221823
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231; FC03-97ER62402/A010; AGS-1048996; ARC-1048987
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Journal Volume: 112 Journal Issue: 12; Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424
- Publisher:
- National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC (United States)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; carbon cycle; Earth system models; cryosphere; soil organic matter; permafrost thaw
Citation Formats
Koven, Charles D., Lawrence, David M., and Riley, William J. Permafrost carbon−climate feedback is sensitive to deep soil carbon decomposability but not deep soil nitrogen dynamics. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web. doi:10.1073/pnas.1415123112.
Koven, Charles D., Lawrence, David M., & Riley, William J. Permafrost carbon−climate feedback is sensitive to deep soil carbon decomposability but not deep soil nitrogen dynamics. United States. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1415123112
Koven, Charles D., Lawrence, David M., and Riley, William J. Mon .
"Permafrost carbon−climate feedback is sensitive to deep soil carbon decomposability but not deep soil nitrogen dynamics". United States. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1415123112.
@article{osti_1235158,
title = {Permafrost carbon−climate feedback is sensitive to deep soil carbon decomposability but not deep soil nitrogen dynamics},
author = {Koven, Charles D. and Lawrence, David M. and Riley, William J.},
abstractNote = {Permafrost soils contain enormous amounts of organic carbon whose stability is contingent on remaining frozen. With future warming, these soils may release carbon to the atmosphere and act as a positive feedback to climate change. Significant uncertainty remains on the postthaw carbon dynamics of permafrost-affected ecosystems, in particular since most of the carbon resides at depth where decomposition dynamics may differ from surface soils, and since nitrogen mineralized by decomposition may enhance plant growth. Here we show, using a carbon–nitrogen model that includes permafrost processes forced in an unmitigated warming scenario, that the future carbon balance of the permafrost region is highly sensitive to the decomposability of deeper carbon, with the net balance ranging from 21 Pg C to 164 Pg C losses by 2300. Increased soil nitrogen mineralization reduces nutrient limitations, but the impact of deep nitrogen on the carbon budget is small due to enhanced nitrogen availability from warming surface soils and seasonal asynchrony between deeper nitrogen availability and plant nitrogen demands. The future carbon balance of this region is projected to hinge more on the rate and extent of permafrost thaw and soil decomposition than on enhanced nitrogen availability for vegetation growth resulting from permafrost thaw.},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.1415123112},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
number = 12,
volume = 112,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 09 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Mon Mar 09 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
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Cited by: 205 works
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Figures / Tables:
Fig. 1: CLM near-surface permafrost area and C stock responses to forcings (combinations of changing vs. fixed CO2 and climate), and model configurations (C only and combined C−N) for the case with relatively insensitive deep C (Zτ = 0.5 m). (A) Near-surface permafrost area, defined as area with permafrost simulatedmore »
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