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Assessing effects of permafrost thaw on C fluxes based on multiyear modeling across a permafrost thaw gradient at Stordalen, Sweden

Journal Article · · Biogeosciences (Online)
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4]
  1. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States); University of New Hampshire
  2. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States)
  3. Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa ON (United States)
  4. Stockholm Univ. (Sweden)
+ Show Author Affiliations
Northern peatlands in permafrost regions contain a large amount of organic carbon (C) in the soil. Climate warming and associated permafrost degradation are expected to have significant impacts on the C balance of these ecosystems, but the magnitude is uncertain. We incorporated a permafrost model, Northern Ecosystem Soil Temperature (NEST), into a biogeochemical model, DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC), to model C dynamics in high-latitude peatland ecosystems. The enhanced model was applied to assess effects of permafrost thaw on C fluxes of a subarctic peatland at Stordalen, Sweden. DNDC simulated soil freeze–thaw dynamics, net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE), and CH4 fluxes across three typical land cover types, which represent a gradient in the process of ongoing permafrost thaw at Stordalen. Model results were compared with multiyear field measurements, and the validation indicates that DNDC was able to simulate observed differences in seasonal soil thaw, NEE, and CH4 fluxes across the three land cover types. Consistent with the results from field studies, the modeled C fluxes across the permafrost thaw gradient demonstrate that permafrost thaw and the associated changes in soil hydrology and vegetation not only increase net uptake of C from the atmosphere but also increase the annual to decadal radiative forcing impacts on climate due to increased CH4 emissions. This study indicates the potential of utilizing biogeochemical models, such as DNDC, to predict the soil thermal regime in permafrost areas and to investigate impacts of permafrost thaw on ecosystem C fluxes after incorporating a permafrost component into the model framework.
Research Organization:
Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0004632
OSTI ID:
1602266
Journal Information:
Biogeosciences (Online), Journal Name: Biogeosciences (Online) Journal Issue: 17 Vol. 11; ISSN 1726-4189
Publisher:
European Geosciences UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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  • Jackowicz-Korczyński, Marcin; Christensen, Torben R.; Bäckstrand, Kristina
  • Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, Vol. 115, Issue G2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JG000913
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Cited By (7)

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Methane Production Pathway Regulated Proximally by Substrate Availability and Distally by Temperature in a High‐Latitude Mire Complex journal October 2019
Winter precipitation and snow accumulation drive the methane sink or source strength of Arctic tussock tundra journal May 2016
Ecosystem carbon response of an Arctic peatland to simulated permafrost thaw journal February 2019
Dissolved organic carbon in streams within a subarctic catchment analysed using a GIS/remote sensing approach journal July 2018
Microbial Community Structure and Methane Cycling Potential along a Thermokarst Pond-Peatland Continuum journal October 2019
Large carbon cycle sensitivities to climate across a permafrost thaw gradient in subarctic Sweden journal January 2019

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