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Abstract. Arctic warming and permafrost degradation are modifying northernecosystems through changes in microtopography, soil water dynamics, nutrientavailability, and vegetation succession. Upon permafrost degradation, therelease of deep stores of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, fromnewly thawed permafrost stimulates Arctic vegetation production. Morespecifically, wetter lowlands show an increase in sedges (as part ofgraminoids), whereas drier uplands favor shrub expansion. These shifts inthe composition of vegetation may influence local mineral element cyclingthrough litter production. In this study, we evaluate the influence ofpermafrost degradation on mineral element foliar stocks and potential annualfluxes upon litterfall. We measured the foliar elemental composition (Al,Ca, Fe, K, Mn, P, S, Si, and Zn) of ∼ 500 samples of typicaltundra plant species from two contrasting Alaskan tundra sites, i.e., anexperimental sedge-dominated site (Carbon in Permafrost Experimental Heating Research, CiPEHR) and natural shrub-dominated site(Gradient). The foliar concentration of these mineral elements was species specific, with sedge leaves having relatively high Si concentration andshrub leaves having relatively high Ca and Mn concentrations. Therefore,changes in the species biomass composition of the Arctic tundra in responseto permafrost thaw are expected to be the main factors that dictate changesin elemental composition of foliar stocks and maximum potential foliarfluxes upon litterfall. We observed an increase in the mineral elementfoliar stocks and potential annual litterfall fluxes, with Si increasingwith sedge expansion in wetter sites (CiPEHR), and Ca and Mn increasing withshrub expansion in drier sites (Gradient). Consequently, we expect thatsedge and shrub expansion upon permafrost thaw will lead to changes inlitter elemental composition and therefore affect nutrient cycling acrossthe sub-Arctic tundra with potential implications for further vegetationsuccession.