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The effect of permafrost thaw on old carbon release and net carbon exchange from tundra

Author

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  • Edward A. G. Schuur

    (University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA)

  • Jason G. Vogel

    (University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA)

  • Kathryn G. Crummer

    (University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA)

  • Hanna Lee

    (University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA)

  • James O. Sickman

    (University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA)

  • T. E. Osterkamp

    (Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775, USA)

Abstract

Permafrost carbon release The enormous amounts of carbon stored deep in permafrost soils — permafrost ecosystems contain almost twice as much carbon as is present in the atmosphere — have the potential to create a positive feedback to climate change if released into a warming world. The bulk of the permafrost carbon pool consists of 'old' carbon, accumulated over thousands of years, but the rate of carbon release from these soils is highly uncertain. Schuur et al. report data on net ecosystem carbon exchange and the radiocarbon age of ecosystem respiration from a long-term monitoring site in Alaska where permafrost temperatures have been directly measured since 1985, and observed to warm since then. They find significant losses of soil carbon with permafrost thaw that, over decadal timescales, overwhelms increased plant carbon uptake at rates that could make permafrost a large biospheric carbon source in a warmer world.

Suggested Citation

  • Edward A. G. Schuur & Jason G. Vogel & Kathryn G. Crummer & Hanna Lee & James O. Sickman & T. E. Osterkamp, 2009. "The effect of permafrost thaw on old carbon release and net carbon exchange from tundra," Nature, Nature, vol. 459(7246), pages 556-559, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:459:y:2009:i:7246:d:10.1038_nature08031
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08031
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Creelman, Chance & Risk, Dave, 2011. "Network design for soil CO2 monitoring of the northern North American region," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 222(18), pages 3421-3428.
    2. Christopher Poeplau & Julia Schroeder & Ed Gregorich & Irina Kurganova, 2019. "Farmers’ Perspective on Agriculture and Environmental Change in the Circumpolar North of Europe and America," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-18, December.
    3. E. Schuur & B. Abbott & W. Bowden & V. Brovkin & P. Camill & J. Canadell & J. Chanton & F. Chapin & T. Christensen & P. Ciais & B. Crosby & C. Czimczik & G. Grosse & J. Harden & D. Hayes & G. Hugelius, 2013. "Expert assessment of vulnerability of permafrost carbon to climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 119(2), pages 359-374, July.
    4. Timur Nizamutdinov & Evgeny Abakumov & Eugeniya Morgun & Rostislav Loktev & Roman Kolesnikov, 2021. "Agrochemical and Pollution Status of Urbanized Agricultural Soils in the Central Part of Yamal Region," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-18, July.
    5. Alexander I. Kizyakov & Alexander A. Ermolov & Alisa V. Baranskaya & Mikhail N. Grigoriev, 2023. "Morphodynamic Types of the Laptev Sea Coast: A Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-20, May.
    6. Louise Kessler, 2015. "Estimating the economic impact of the permafrost carbon feedback," GRI Working Papers 219, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    7. Haruko M. Wainwright & Rusen Oktem & Baptiste Dafflon & Sigrid Dengel & John B. Curtis & Margaret S. Torn & Jessica Cherry & Susan S. Hubbard, 2021. "High-Resolution Spatio-Temporal Estimation of Net Ecosystem Exchange in Ice-Wedge Polygon Tundra Using In Situ Sensors and Remote Sensing Data," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-19, July.
    8. Ben Bond-Lamberty & Andrew G Bunn & Allison M Thomson, 2012. "Multi-Year Lags between Forest Browning and Soil Respiration at High Northern Latitudes," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(11), pages 1-9, November.

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