Permafrost thaw and soil moisture driving CO 2 and CH 4 release from upland tundra

Natali, Susan M.; Schuur, Edward A. G.; Mauritz, Marguerite; Schade, John D.; Celis, Gerardo; Crummer, Kathryn G.; Johnston, Catherine; Krapek, John; Pegoraro, Elaine; Salmon, Verity G.; Webb, Elizabeth E.

doi:10.1002/2014JG002872

Permafrost thaw and soil moisture driving CO ₂ and CH ₄ release from upland tundra

Journal Article · Wed Mar 25 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JG002872· OSTI ID:1402186

Natali, Susan M. ^[1]; Schuur, Edward A. G. ^[2]; Mauritz, Marguerite ^[2]; Schade, John D. ^[3]; Celis, Gerardo ^[2]; Crummer, Kathryn G. ^[4]; Johnston, Catherine ^[5]; Krapek, John ^[6]; Pegoraro, Elaine ^[2]; Salmon, Verity G. ^[7]; Webb, Elizabeth E. ^[7]

Woods Hole Research Center Falmouth Massachusetts USA
Biology Department University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA, Center for Ecosystem Science and Society Northern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona USA
Woods Hole Research Center Falmouth Massachusetts USA, Biology Department St. Olaf College Northfield Minnesota USA
Biology Department University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA, School of Forest Resources and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
School of Marine Sciences University of Maine Orono Maine USA
School of Natural Resources and Extension University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska USA
Biology Department University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA

Abstract

As permafrost degrades, the amount of organic soil carbon (C) that thaws during the growing season will increase, but decomposition may be limited by saturated soil conditions common in high‐latitude ecosystems. However, in some areas, soil drying is expected to accompany permafrost thaw as a result of increased water drainage, which may enhance C release to the atmosphere. We examined the effects of ecosystem warming, permafrost thaw, and soil moisture changes on C balance in an upland tundra ecosystem. This study was conducted at a water table drawdown experiment, established in 2011 and located within the Carbon in Permafrost Experimental Heating Research project, an ecosystem warming and permafrost thawing experiment in Alaska. Warming and drying increased cumulative growing season ecosystem respiration by ~20% over 3 years of this experiment. Warming caused an almost twofold increase in decomposition of a common substrate in surface soil (0–10 cm) across all years, and drying caused a twofold increase in decomposition (0–20 cm) relative to control after 3 years of drying. Decomposition of older C increased in the dried and in the combined warmed + dried plots based on soil pore space ¹⁴ CO ₂ . Although upland tundra systems have been considered CH ₄ sinks, warming and ground thaw significantly increased CH ₄ emission rates. Water table depth was positively correlated with monthly respiration and negatively correlated with CH ₄ emission rates. These results demonstrate that warming and drying may increase loss of old permafrost C from tundra ecosystems, but the form and magnitude of C released to the atmosphere will be driven by changes in soil moisture.

View Accepted Manuscript (Publisher)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0006982

OSTI ID:: 1402186

Journal Information:: Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 120; ISSN 2169-8953

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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