Drainage enhances modern soil carbon contribution but reduces old soil carbon contribution to ecosystem respiration in tundra ecosystems

Kwon, Min Jung; Natali, Susan M.; Hicks Pries, Caitlin E.; Schuur, Edward A. G.; Steinhof, Axel; Crummer, K. Grace; Zimov, Nikita; Zimov, Sergey A.; Heimann, Martin; Kolle, Olaf; Göckede, Mathias

doi:10.1111/gcb.14578

Title: Drainage enhances modern soil carbon contribution but reduces old soil carbon contribution to ecosystem respiration in tundra ecosystems

Journal Article · Mon Feb 25 00:00:00 EST 2019 · Global Change Biology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14578· OSTI ID:1496656

^[1]; Natali, Susan M. ^[2]; Hicks Pries, Caitlin E. ^[3]; Schuur, Edward A. G. ^[4]; Steinhof, Axel ^[5]; Crummer, K. Grace ^[6]; Zimov, Nikita ^[7]; Zimov, Sergey A. ^[7]; Heimann, Martin ^[8]; Kolle, Olaf ^[5]; Göckede, Mathias ^[5]

Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena Germany, Korea Polar Research Institute Incheon South Korea
Woods Hole Research Center Falmouth Massachusetts
Earth Sciences Division Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley California, Department of Biological Sciences Dartmouth College Hanover New Hampshire
Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, and Department of Biological Sciences Northern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena Germany
Department of Biology University of Florida Gainesville Florida
North‐East Science Station, Pacific Institute for Geography Far‐Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Science Chersky Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Russia
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena Germany, Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Physics Helsinki University Helsinki Finland

Abstract Warming temperatures are likely to accelerate permafrost thaw in the Arctic, potentially leading to the release of old carbon previously stored in deep frozen soil layers. Deeper thaw depths in combination with geomorphological changes due to the loss of ice structures in permafrost, may modify soil water distribution, creating wetter or drier soil conditions. Previous studies revealed higher ecosystem respiration rates under drier conditions, and this study investigated the cause of the increased ecosystem respiration rates using radiocarbon signatures of respired CO ₂ from two drying manipulation experiments: one in moist and the other in wet tundra. We demonstrate that higher contributions of CO ₂ from shallow soil layers (0–15 cm; modern soil carbon) drive the increased ecosystem respiration rates, while contributions from deeper soil (below 15 cm from surface and down to the permafrost table; old soil carbon) decreased. These changes can be attributed to more aerobic conditions in shallow soil layers, but also the soil temperature increases in shallow layers but decreases in deep layers, due to the altered thermal properties of organic soils. Decreased abundance of aerenchymatous plant species following drainage in wet tundra reduced old carbon release but increased aboveground plant biomass elevated contributions of autotrophic respiration to ecosystem respiration. The results of this study suggest that drier soils following drainage may accelerate decomposition of modern soil carbon in shallow layers but slow down decomposition of old soil carbon in deep layers, which may offset some of the old soil carbon loss from thawing permafrost.

View Accepted Manuscript (Publisher)

Cite

Export

Save

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0006982

OSTI ID:: 1496656

Journal Information:: Global Change Biology, Journal Name: Global Change Biology Vol. 25 Journal Issue: 4; ISSN 1354-1013

Publisher:: Wiley-BlackwellCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

Citation Metrics:

Cited by: 23 works

Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (62)

Thermal Properties of Soils as affected by Density and Water Content Abu-Hamdeh, Nidal H. Biosystems Engineering, Vol. 86, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/S1537-5110(03)00112-0	journal	September 2003
Temperature sensitivity of organic matter decomposition of permafrost-region soils during laboratory incubations Bracho, Rosvel; Natali, Susan; Pegoraro, Elaine Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 97 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2016.02.008	journal	June 2016
Limited release of previously-frozen C and increased new peat formation after thaw in permafrost peatlands Estop-Aragonés, Cristian; Cooper, Mark D. A.; Fisher, James P. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 118 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2017.12.010	journal	March 2018
Glucose addition increases the magnitude and decreases the age of soil respired carbon in a long-term permafrost incubation study Pegoraro, Elaine; Mauritz, Marguerite; Bracho, Rosvel Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 129 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.10.009	journal	February 2019
Release of Carbon Dioxide from Frozen Soil to the Arctic Atmosphere Coyne, P. I.; Kelley, J. J. Nature, Vol. 234, Issue 5329 https://doi.org/10.1038/234407a0	journal	December 1971
Carbon dioxide sources from Alaska driven by increasing early winter respiration from Arctic tundra Commane, Róisín; Lindaas, Jakob; Benmergui, Joshua Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 114, Issue 21 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1618567114	journal	May 2017
Ecological Response to Permafrost Thaw and Consequences for Local and Global Ecosystem Services Schuur, Edward A. G.; Mack, Michelle C. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, Vol. 49, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-121415-032349	journal	November 2018
Climate change and the permafrost carbon feedback Schuur, E. A. G.; McGuire, A. D.; Schädel, C. Nature, Vol. 520, Issue 7546 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14338	journal	April 2015
Recently amplified arctic warming has contributed to a continual global warming trend Huang, Jianbin; Zhang, Xiangdong; Zhang, Qiyi Nature Climate Change, Vol. 7, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-017-0009-5	journal	November 2017
Impacts of summer warming on the energy and water balance of wetland tundra Rouse, Wayne R.; Carlson, Derek W.; Weick, E. J. Climatic Change, Vol. 22, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00142431	journal	December 1992
Predicting long-term carbon mineralization and trace gas production from thawing permafrost of Northeast Siberia Knoblauch, Christian; Beer, Christian; Sosnin, Alexander Global Change Biology, Vol. 19, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12116	journal	January 2013
Changing sources of soil respiration with time since fire in a boreal forest Czimczik, Claudia I.; Trumbore, Susan E.; Carbone, Mariah S. Global Change Biology, Vol. 12, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2006.01107.x	journal	June 2006
Physical and ecological changes associated with warming permafrost and thermokarst in Interior Alaska Osterkamp, T. E.; Jorgenson, M. T.; Schuur, E. A. G. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, Vol. 20, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.656	journal	July 2009
Future Arctic climate changes: Adaptation and mitigation time scales Overland, James E.; Wang, Muyin; Walsh, John E. Earth's Future, Vol. 2, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/2013EF000162	journal	February 2014
Thermal acclimation and the dynamic response of plant respiration to temperature Atkin, O. Trends in Plant Science, Vol. 8, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1016/S1360-1385(03)00136-5	journal	July 2003
The Effects of Permafrost Thaw on Soil Hydrologic, Thermal, and Carbon Dynamics in an Alaskan Peatland O’Donnell, Jonathan A.; Jorgenson, M. Torre; Harden, Jennifer W. Ecosystems, Vol. 15, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-011-9504-0	journal	November 2011
Nitrogen availability increases in a tundra ecosystem during five years of experimental permafrost thaw Salmon, Verity G.; Soucy, Patrick; Mauritz, Marguerite Global Change Biology, Vol. 22, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13204	journal	February 2016
Long-distance transport of gases in plants: a perspective on internal aeration and radial oxygen loss from roots Colmer, T. D. Plant, Cell and Environment, Vol. 26, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3040.2003.00846.x	journal	January 2003
Effects of elevated nitrogen and temperature on carbon and nitrogen dynamics in Alaskan arctic and boreal soils Lavoie, M.; Mack, M. C.; Schuur, E. A. G. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 116, Issue G3 https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JG001629	journal	January 2011
Permafrost thaw and resulting soil moisture changes regulate projected high-latitude CO ₂ and CH ₄ emissions Lawrence, D. M.; Koven, C. D.; Swenson, S. C. Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 10, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/9/094011	journal	September 2015
An oxygen-mediated positive feedback between elevated carbon dioxide and soil organic matter decomposition in a simulated anaerobic wetland Wolf, Amelia A.; Drake, Bert G.; Erickson, John E. Global Change Biology, Vol. 13, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2007.01407.x	journal	September 2007
Steady-State Aerobic Microbial Activity as a Function of Soil Water Content Skopp, J.; Jawson, M. D.; Doran, J. W. Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 54, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1990.03615995005400060018x	journal	January 1990
Growth responses of littoral mayflies to the phosphorus content of their food Frost, P. C.; Elser, J. J. Ecology Letters, Vol. 5, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1461-0248.2002.00307.x	journal	March 2002
Permafrost thaw and soil moisture driving CO ₂ and CH ₄ release from upland tundra Natali, Susan M.; Schuur, Edward A. G.; Mauritz, Marguerite Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, Vol. 120, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JG002872	journal	March 2015
Increased wintertime CO ₂ loss as a result of sustained tundra warming : Tundra Wintertime CO Webb, Elizabeth E.; Schuur, Edward A. G.; Natali, Susan M. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, Vol. 121, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JG002795	journal	February 2016
Plant respiration and photosynthesis in global-scale models: incorporating acclimation to temperature and CO ₂ Smith, Nicholas G.; Dukes, Jeffrey S. Global Change Biology, Vol. 19, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02797.x	journal	September 2012
The effect of permafrost thaw on old carbon release and net carbon exchange from tundra Schuur, Edward A. G.; Vogel, Jason G.; Crummer, Kathryn G. Nature, Vol. 459, Issue 7246 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08031	journal	May 2009
Wintertime CO2 Emission from Soils of Northeastern Siberia Zimov, S. A.; Semiletov, I. P.; Daviodov, S. P. ARCTIC, Vol. 46, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic1344	journal	January 1993
Pan-Arctic ice-wedge degradation in warming permafrost and its influence on tundra hydrology Liljedahl, Anna K.; Boike, Julia; Daanen, Ronald P. Nature Geoscience, Vol. 9, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2674	journal	March 2016
Plants, microorganisms, and soil temperatures contribute to a decrease in methane fluxes on a drained Arctic floodplain Kwon, Min Jung; Beulig, Felix; Ilie, Iulia Global Change Biology, Vol. 23, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13558	journal	November 2016
Contrasted effects of water limitation on leaf functions and growth of two emergent co-occurring plant species, Cladium mariscus and Phragmites australis Saltmarsh, Anna; Mauchamp, André; Rambal, Serge Aquatic Botany, Vol. 84, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2005.09.010	journal	April 2006
The rate of permafrost carbon release under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and its potential effects on climate Lee, Hanna; Schuur, Edward A. G.; Inglett, Kanika S. Global Change Biology, Vol. 18, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02519.x	journal	September 2011
Observational Evidence of Recent Change in the Northern High-Latitude Environment Serreze, M. C.; Walsh, J. E.; Chapin III, F. S. Climatic Change, Vol. 46, Issue 1/2, p. 159-207 https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005504031923	journal	January 2000
Decadal warming causes a consistent and persistent shift from heterotrophic to autotrophic respiration in contrasting permafrost ecosystems Hicks Pries, Caitlin E.; van Logtestijn, Richard S. P.; Schuur, Edward A. G. Global Change Biology, Vol. 21, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13032	journal	September 2015
Estimated stocks of circumpolar permafrost carbon with quantified uncertainty ranges and identified data gaps Hugelius, G.; Strauss, J.; Zubrzycki, S. Biogeosciences, Vol. 11, Issue 23 https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-6573-2014	journal	January 2014
Abrupt increase in permafrost degradation in Arctic Alaska Jorgenson, M. Torre; Shur, Yuri L.; Pullman, Erik R. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 33, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL024960	journal	January 2006
Eriophorum Angustifolium Roth Phillips, Marie E. The Journal of Ecology, Vol. 42, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.2307/2256893	journal	July 1954
Eriophorum Vaginatum L. Wein, Ross W. The Journal of Ecology, Vol. 61, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.2307/2259047	journal	July 1973
Mixed effects models and extensions in ecology with R Zuur, Alain F.; Ieno, Elena N.; Walker, Neil Statistics for Biology and Health https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-87458-6	book	January 2009
Growth, Turnover, and Respiration Rates of Roots and Tillers in Tundra Graminoids Billings, W. D.; Peterson, K. M.; Shaver, G. R. Vegetation and Production Ecology of an Alaskan Arctic Tundra https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-6307-4_18	book	January 1978
Rising plant-mediated methane emissions from arctic wetlands Andresen, Christian G.; Lara, Mark J.; Tweedie, Craig E. Global Change Biology, Vol. 23, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13469	journal	September 2016
Discussion: Reporting and Calibration of Post-Bomb ¹⁴C Data Radiocarbon, Vol. 46, Issue 3, p. 1299-1304 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033822200033154	journal	January 2004
Circumpolar assessment of permafrost C quality and its vulnerability over time using long-term incubation data Schädel, Christina; Schuur, Edward A. G.; Bracho, Rosvel Global Change Biology, Vol. 20, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12417	journal	October 2013
Artificial drainage and associated carbon fluxes (CO2/CH4) in a tundra ecosystem: ARTIFICIAL DRAINAGE IN A TUNDRA ECOSYSTEM Merbold, L.; Kutsch, W. L.; Corradi, C. Global Change Biology, Vol. 15, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.01962.x	journal	November 2009
Siberian CO2 efflux in winter as a CO2 source and cause of seasonality in atmospheric CO2 Zimov, S. A.; Davidov, S. P.; Voropaev, Y. V. Climatic Change, Vol. 33, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00140516	journal	May 1996
Long-term drainage reduces CO ₂ uptake and increases CO ₂ emission on a Siberian floodplain due to shifts in vegetation community and soil thermal characteristics Kwon, Min Jung; Heimann, Martin; Kolle, Olaf Biogeosciences, Vol. 13, Issue 14 https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4219-2016	journal	January 2016
Source Partitioning Using Stable Isotopes: Coping with Too Much Variation Parnell, Andrew C.; Inger, Richard; Bearhop, Stuart PLoS ONE, Vol. 5, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0009672	journal	March 2010
Plant-derived compounds stimulate the decomposition of organic matter in arctic permafrost soils Wild, Birgit; Gentsch, Norman; Čapek, Petr Scientific Reports, Vol. 6, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/srep25607	journal	May 2016
Old soil carbon losses increase with ecosystem respiration in experimentally thawed tundra Hicks Pries, Caitlin E.; Schuur, Edward A. G.; Natali, Susan M. Nature Climate Change, Vol. 6, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2830	journal	October 2015
Permafrost collapse alters soil carbon stocks, respiration, CH ₄ , and N ₂ O in upland tundra Abbott, Benjamin W.; Jones, Jeremy B. Global Change Biology, Vol. 21, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13069	journal	November 2015
Reduction in areal extent of high-latitude wetlands in response to permafrost thaw Avis, Christopher A.; Weaver, Andrew J.; Meissner, Katrin J. Nature Geoscience, Vol. 4, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1160	journal	June 2011
Thawing permafrost increases old soil and autotrophic respiration in tundra: Partitioning ecosystem respiration using δ ¹³ C and ∆ ¹⁴ C Hicks Pries, Caitlin E.; Schuur, Edward A. G.; Crummer, Kathryn G. Global Change Biology, Vol. 19, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12058	journal	November 2012
Response of root respiration to changes in temperature and its relevance to global warming: REVIEW Temperature and root respiration Atkin, Owen K.; Edwards, Everard J.; Loveys, Beth R. New Phytologist, Vol. 147, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1469-8137.2000.00683.x	journal	July 2000
Large-scale forest girdling shows that current photosynthesis drives soil respiration Högberg, Peter; Nordgren, Anders; Buchmann, Nina Nature, Vol. 411, Issue 6839 https://doi.org/10.1038/35081058	journal	June 2001
Sample Preparation at the Jena ¹⁴ C Laboratory Steinhof, A.; Altenburg, M.; Machts, H. Radiocarbon, Vol. 59, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1017/RDC.2017.50	journal	June 2017
Recovery of submilligram quantities of carbon dioxide from gas streams by molecular sieve for subsequent determination of isotopic carbon-13 and carbon-14 natural abundances Bauer, James E.; Williams, Peter M.; Druffel, Ellen R. M. Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 64, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1021/ac00031a024	journal	April 1992
Partitioning sources of soil respiration in boreal black spruce forest using radiocarbon Schuur, Edward A. G.; Trumbore, Susan E. Global Change Biology, Vol. 12, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2005.01066.x	journal	February 2006
The effects of water table manipulation and elevated temperature on the net CO ₂ flux of wet sedge tundra ecosystems Oechel, Walter C.; Vourlitis, George L.; Hastings, Steven J. Global Change Biology, Vol. 4, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2486.1998.00110.x	journal	January 1998
Input of easily available organic C and N stimulates microbial decomposition of soil organic matter in arctic permafrost soil Wild, Birgit; Schnecker, Jörg; Alves, Ricardo J. Eloy Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 75 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.04.014	journal	August 2014
Carbon respiration from subsurface peat accelerated by climate warming in the subarctic Dorrepaal, Ellen; Toet, Sylvia; van Logtestijn, Richard S. P. Nature, Vol. 460, Issue 7255 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08216	journal	July 2009
Soil moisture-temperature relationships: results from two field experiments Lakshmi, Venkat; Jackson, Thomas J.; Zehrfuhs, Diane Hydrological Processes, Vol. 17, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.1275	journal	January 2003
Reviews and syntheses: Changing ecosystem influences on soil thermal regimes in northern high-latitude permafrost regions Loranty, Michael M.; Abbott, Benjamin W.; Blok, Daan Biogeosciences, Vol. 15, Issue 17 https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5287-2018	journal	January 2018

Similar Records

Using Stable Carbon Isotopes of Seasonal Ecosystem Respiration to Determine Permafrost Carbon Loss

Journal Article · Wed Dec 19 00:00:00 EST 2018 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences · OSTI ID:1496656

Mauritz, M.; Celis, G.; Ebert, C.; +8 more

Experimental Soil Warming and Permafrost Thaw Increase CH₄ Emissions in an Upland Tundra Ecosystem

Journal Article · Sun Oct 24 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences · OSTI ID:1496656

Taylor, M. A.; Celis, G.; Ledman, J. D.; +5 more

Lower soil moisture and deep soil temperatures in thermokarst features increase old soil carbon loss after 10 years of experimental permafrost warming

Journal Article · Thu Dec 10 00:00:00 EST 2020 · Global Change Biology · OSTI ID:1496656

Pegoraro, Elaine F.; Mauritz, Marguerite E.; Ogle, Kiona; +2 more

Title: Drainage enhances modern soil carbon contribution but reduces old soil carbon contribution to ecosystem respiration in tundra ecosystems

Citation Formats

References (62)

Similar Records

Related Subjects