The magnitude of future emissions of greenhouse gases from the northern permafrost region depends crucially on the mineralization of soil organic carbon (SOC) that has accumulated over millennia in these perennially frozen soils. Many recent studies have used radiocarbon (14C) to quantify the release of this “old” SOC as CO2or CH4to the atmosphere or as dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC and POC) to surface waters. We compiled ~1,90014C measurements from 51 sites in the northern permafrost region to assess the vulnerability of thawing SOC in tundra, forest, peatland, lake, and river ecosystems. We found that growing season soil14C‐CO2emissions generally had a modern (post‐1950s) signature, but that well‐drained, oxic soils had increased CO2emissions derived from older sources following recent thaw. The age of CO2and CH4emitted from lakes depended primarily on the age and quantity of SOC in sediments and on the mode of emission, and indicated substantial losses of previously frozen SOC from actively expanding thermokarst lakes. Increased fluvial export of aged DOC and POC occurred from sites where permafrost thaw caused soil thermal erosion. There was limited evidence supporting release of previously frozen SOC as CO2, CH4, and DOC from thawing peatlands with anoxic soils. This synthesis thus suggests widespread but not universal release of permafrost SOC following thaw. We show that different definitions of “old” sources among studies hamper the comparison of vulnerability of permafrost SOC across ecosystems and disturbances. We also highlight opportunities for future14C studies in the permafrost region.
Experimental and ambient warming of Arctic tundra results in emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, contributing to a positive feedback to climate warming. Estimates of gas emissions from lakes and terrestrial tundra confirm the significance of aquatic fluxes in greenhouse gas budgets, whereas few estimates describe emissions from fluvial networks. We measured dissolved gas concentrations and estimated emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) from water tracks, vegetated depressions that hydrologically connect hillslope soils to lakes and streams. Concentrations of trace gases generally increased as ground thaw deepened through the growing season, indicating active production of greenhouse gases in thawed soils. Wet antecedent conditions were correlated with a decline in CO2and CH4concentrations. Dissolved N2O in excess of atmospheric equilibrium occurred in drier water tracks, but on average water tracks took up N2O from the atmosphere at low rates. Estimated CO2emission rates for water tracks were among the highest observed for Arctic aquatic ecosystems, whereas CH4emissions were of similar magnitude to streams. Despite occupying less than 1% of total catchment area, surface waters within water tracks were an estimated source of up to 53–85% of total CH4emissions from their catchments and offset the terrestrial C sink by 5–9% during the growing season. Water tracks are abundant features of tundra landscapes that contain warmer soils and incur deeper thaw than adjacent terrestrial ecosystems and as such might contribute to ongoing and accelerating release of greenhouse gases from permafrost soils to the atmosphere.
more » « less- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10453507
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
- Volume:
- 125
- Issue:
- 12
- ISSN:
- 2169-8953
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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