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Mathematical Modelling of Arctic Polygonal Tundra with Ecosys: 2. Microtopography Determines How CO2 and CH4 Exchange Responds to Changes in Temperature and Precipitation

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JG004037· OSTI ID:1433102
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (Canada). Dept. of Renewable Resources
  2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Earth Science Division
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Differences of surface elevation in arctic polygonal landforms cause spatial variation in soil water contents (θ), active layer depths (ALD), and thereby in CO2 and CH4 exchange. In this paper, we test hypotheses in ecosys for topographic controls on CO2 and CH4 exchange in trough, rim, and center features of low- and flat-centered polygons (LCP and FCP) against chamber and eddy covariance (EC) measurements during 2013 at Barrow, Alaska. Larger CO2 influxes and CH4 effluxes were measured with chambers and modeled with ecosys in LCPs than in FCPs and in lower features (troughs) than in higher (rims) within LCPs and FCPs. Spatially aggregated CO2 and CH4 fluxes from ecosys were significantly correlated with EC flux measurements. Lower features were modeled as C sinks (52–56 g C m-2 yr-1) and CH4 sources (4–6 g C m-2 yr-1), and higher features as near C neutral (-2–15 g C m-2 yr-1) and CH4 neutral (0.0–0.1 g C m-2 yr-1). Much of the spatial and temporal variations in CO2 and CH4 fluxes were modeled from topographic effects on water and snow movement and thereby on θ, ALD, and soil O2 concentrations. Model results forced with meteorological data from 1981 to 2015 indicated increasing net primary productivity in higher features and CH4 emissions in some lower and higher features since 2008, attributed mostly to recent rises in precipitation. Finally, small-scale variation in surface elevation causes large spatial variation of greenhouse gas (GHG) exchanges and therefore should be considered in estimates of GHG exchange in polygonal landscapes.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1433102
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1414484
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 122; ISSN 2169-8953
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (11)

Accelerated Nutrient Cycling and Increased Light Competition Will Lead to 21st Century Shrub Expansion in North American Arctic Tundra journal May 2018
Modeling Climate Change Impacts on an Arctic Polygonal Tundra: 1. Rates of Permafrost Thaw Depend on Changes in Vegetation and Drainage journal May 2019
Modeling Climate Change Impacts on an Arctic Polygonal Tundra: 2. Changes in CO 2 and CH 4 Exchange Depend on Rates of Permafrost Thaw as Affected by Changes in Vegetation and Drainage journal May 2019
Methane Production Pathway Regulated Proximally by Substrate Availability and Distally by Temperature in a High‐Latitude Mire Complex journal October 2019
Mechanistic Modeling of Microtopographic Impacts on CO 2 and CH 4 Fluxes in an Alaskan Tundra Ecosystem Using the CLM‐Microbe Model journal December 2019
21st century tundra shrubification could enhance net carbon uptake of North America Arctic tundra under an RCP8.5 climate trajectory journal May 2018
Impacts of temperature and soil characteristics on methane production and oxidation in Arctic tundra journal January 2018
Ground subsidence effects on simulating dynamic high-latitude surface inundation under permafrost thaw using CLM5 journal January 2019
Pathways of ice-wedge degradation in polygonal tundra under different hydrological conditions journal January 2019
Large carbon cycle sensitivities to climate across a permafrost thaw gradient in subarctic Sweden journal January 2019
Ground subsidence effects on simulating dynamic high-latitude surface inundation under permafrost thaw using CLM5 text January 2019

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
ecosys
greenhouse gas exchange
microtopography
modeling
polygonal tundra