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Title: Dynamic soil columns simulate Arctic redox biogeochemistry and carbon release during changes in water saturation

Journal Article · · Scientific Reports

Thawing Arctic permafrost can induce hydrologic change and alter redox conditions, shifting the balance of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. There remains uncertainty about how soil saturation and redox transitions impact dissolved and gas phase carbon fluxes, and efforts to link hydrobiogeochemical processes to ecosystem-scale models are limited. This study evaluates SOM decomposition of Arctic tundra soils using column experiments, water chemistry measurements, microbial community analysis, and a PFLOTRAN reactive transport model. Soil columns from a thermokarst channel (TC) and an upland tundra (UC) were exposed to cycles of saturation and drainage, which controlled carbon emissions. During saturation, an outflow of dissolved organic carbon from the UC soil correlated with elevated reduced iron and decreased pH; during drainage, UC carbon dioxide fluxes were 70% higher than TC fluxes. Intermittent methane release was observed for TC, consistent with higher methanogen abundance. Slower drainage in the TC soil correlated with more subtle biogeochemical changes. PFLOTRAN simulations captured experimental trends in soil carbon fluxes, oxygen concentrations, and water contents. The model was then used to evaluate additional soil water drainage rates. This study emphasizes the importance of considering hydrologic change when evaluating and simulating SOM decomposition in dynamic Arctic tundra environments.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357; AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
2538311
Journal Information:
Scientific Reports, Journal Name: Scientific Reports Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 15; ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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  • Chafe, Oriana; Shirley, Ian; Wullschleger, Stan
  • Next Generation Ecosystems Experiment - Arctic, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (US) https://doi.org/10.5440/1765733
dataset January 2023

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