Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kazumichi Fujii, Koh Yasue, Yojiro Matsuura
Summary: This study provides evidence that tree leaning and soil hummock formation have accelerated due to climate warming. Tree leaning events synchronize with the development of soil hummocks as recorded in tree rings. Recent permafrost warming has induced rapid hummock formation, threatening the stability of drunken forests and organic carbon in soil hummocks.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Felix Panis, Annette Rompel
Summary: Wetlands have accumulated a significant amount of carbon over the past millennia, with phenolic compounds playing a key role in inhibiting soil organic matter degradation. Climate change threatens to alter anoxic conditions in wetland soils, potentially impacting the release of stored carbon back into the atmosphere.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Thomas G. Sim, Graeme T. Swindles, Paul J. Morris, Andy J. Baird, Claire L. Cooper, Angela Gallego-Sala, Dan J. Charman, Thomas P. Roland, Werner Borken, Donal J. Mullan, Marco A. Aquino-Lopez, Mariusz Galka
Summary: Permafrost peatlands in high-latitude regions store significant amounts of soil organic carbon but are now experiencing rapid warming causing permafrost thaw and carbon release. Recent research in northern Sweden shows that different peatlands are responding differently to climate change, with some becoming wetter leading to reduced carbon sequestration while others becoming drier without a clear relationship. Bryophyte-dominated vegetation in these peatlands demonstrates resistance and in some cases, resilience, to climatic and hydrological shifts.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Nitin Chaudhary, Wenxin Zhang, Shubhangi Lamba, Sebastian Westermann
Summary: In this study, the peatland-vegetation model (LPJ-GUESS) was used to simulate peatland carbon dynamics under different future climate conditions. It was found that under less pronounced warming, peatlands may enhance their carbon sink capacity and buffer the effects of climate change. However, in a warmer world, higher respiration rates will dominate the carbon dynamics and reduce the carbon sink capacity.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yanyu Song, Chao Liu, Changchun Song, Xianwei Wang, Xiuyan Ma, Jinli Gao, Siqi Gao, Lili Wang
Summary: The study found that temperature and sampling sites significantly influenced SOC mineralization in permafrost peatlands, with elevated temperatures increasing the rate of carbon mineralization. The mineralization of soil carbon was positively correlated with the concentrations of soil dissolved organic carbon, NH4+-N, NO3--N, as well as the abundances of bacteria, fungi, methanotrophs and nirK denitrifiers in the soil.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christopher W. Callahan, Chen Chen, Maria Rugenstein, Jonah Bloch-Johnson, Shuting Yang, Elisabeth J. Moyer
Summary: The impact of climate warming on ENSO amplitude is uncertain, but studies suggest that on a long-term scale, CO2 forcing dampens ENSO.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Sizhong Yang, Susanne Liebner, Josefine Walz, Christian Knoblauch, Till L. Bornemann, Alexander J. Probst, Dirk Wagner, Mike S. M. Jetten, Michiel H. in 't Zandt
Summary: Permafrost-affected soils in the Arctic store a significant amount of soil organic carbon, which becomes vulnerable to microbial decomposition with PF warming. This study showed that long-term warming led to continuous greenhouse gas production, along with a decrease in major metabolic pathway genes and an increase in carbohydrate-active enzyme classes, indicating a shift in organic matter degradation processes.
PERMAFROST AND PERIGLACIAL PROCESSES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fujun Zhou, Miaomiao Yao, Xingwen Fan, Guoan Yin, Xianglian Meng, Zhanju Lin
Summary: This study examines the changes in climate and permafrost temperatures in different regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The results show that the temperature has been gradually increasing while precipitation has been slowly increasing during the past few decades. Ground temperatures and active-layer thickness have also been increasing. The study predicts that permafrost temperatures and active-layer thickness will continue to increase in the next 100 years.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hanna N. Kreplin, Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira, Georgia Destouni, Saskia D. Keesstra, Luca Salvati, Zahra Kalantari
Summary: Arctic wetlands are impacted by warming and hydrological changes, with key factors being permafrost thaw and concurrent hydrological changes leading to shrinkage and expansion of wetland areas. Various factors interact with warming, hydrological changes, and permafrost thaw in altering the Arctic wetland systems, ultimately affecting the global carbon cycle.
WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-WATER
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Ming Guo, Yan Lu, Wenbing Yu, Lilin Xu, Da Hu, Lin Chen
Summary: Climate warming exacerbates infrastructure and environmental risks in permafrost regions. This study quantitatively investigates the impacts of runway and climate on permafrost in the northernmost part of China, using long-term field monitoring, remote sensing, and comparative analysis. It also analyzes the engineering problems associated with permafrost degradation.
TRANSPORTATION GEOTECHNICS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ping Wang, Qiwei Huang, Shiqi Liu, Hongyan Cai, Jingjie Yu, Tianye Wang, Xiaolong Chen, Sergey P. Pozdniakov
Summary: The warming rates of permafrost zones in the northern mid-high latitudes are faster than those of non-permafrost zones, especially during the cool season. However, the maximum and minimum temperatures have shown decreasing trends in non-permafrost areas over the past decade, and the exposure to solar radiation is not higher in faster-warming permafrost regions compared to slower-warming non-permafrost regions.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Xiaorong Zhou, Xianke Chen, Xiangning Qi, Yiyuan Zeng, Xiaowei Guo, Guoqiang Zhuang, Anzhou Ma
Summary: In this study, the main bacteria taxa contributing to soil multi-nutrient cycling under long-term warming in an alpine meadow were determined. The results showed that Gemmatimonadetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria were the main contributors to the soil multi-nutrient cycling and played pivotal roles as keystone nodes and biomarkers throughout the entire soil profile. This study highlights the importance of keystone bacteria in the multi-nutrient cycling of alpine ecosystems under climate warming.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Wei Li, Rui Shi, Lingchen Yuan, Xianli Lan, Defeng Feng, Huai Chen
Summary: This study investigated the effects of short-term climate change and drought on methanogens in degraded peatlands on the Zoige Plateau of China. The results showed that methanogens are insensitive to short-term climate change, with no significant differences in community structure and abundance among different treatments.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tao Bao, Gensuo Jia, Xiyan Xu
Summary: Pristine wetlands have the potential to mitigate climate change, but their role as a greenhouse gas sink or source under warming is uncertain. Observations from 167 sites reveal that wetlands' global warming potential increased by 57% due to a temperature increase of 1.5-2.0 degrees C. The differences in dominant plant types contribute to emission uncertainties. Warming reduces the greenhouse gas sink of pristine wetlands, especially in permafrost areas dominated by vascular plants.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2023)
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yongjian Ding, Cuicui Mu, Tonghua Wu, Guojie Hu, Defu Zou, Dong Wang, Wangping Li, Xiaodong Wu
Summary: The cryosphere is an important component of the global climate system and is sensitive to climate warming. Hazards from atmospheric, oceanic, and land cryosphere were summarized, revealing that these hazards may increase in the future due to climate change. The study highlights potential increases in extreme cold events, sea ice decline, glacier collapse, and snowmelt floods as notable impacts of cryospheric changes.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sanna R. Piilo, Minna M. Valiranta, Matt J. Amesbury, Marco A. Aquino-Lopez, Dan J. Charman, Angela Gallego-Sala, Michelle Garneau, Natalia Koroleva, Mai Karppa, Anna M. Laine, A. Britta K. Sannel, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Hui Zhang
Summary: Climate warming leads to permafrost thaw in northern peatlands, increasing surface wetness and methane emissions. Hydrology plays a key role in peatland vegetation composition, which affects carbon dynamics. Peatland carbon budgets may become uncertain due to the accelerated plant production and peat decomposition caused by warming.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jessica Williams-Mounsey, Alistair Crowle, Richard Grayson, Richard Lindsay, Joseph Holden
Summary: Temporary permissions are often granted for track use on peatlands, but even with mesh systems, linear disturbances may still have persistent impacts on peatland structure. In a study conducted in northern England, the surface peatland structure of five abandoned tracks was evaluated, and it was found that all tracks showed a simplification of the surface nanotopography compared to surrounding control areas. The frequency of previous usage was not a significant factor in determining nano-topographic loss.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Editorial Material
Geography, Physical
Graeme T. T. Swindles, Thomas P. P. Roland, Alastair Ruffell
JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Salim Goudarzi, David Milledge, Joseph Holden
Summary: This paper discusses the lack of Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) models in numerical hydrology and the problems with fixed timestep techniques. By reformulating Dynamic-TOPMODEL into a constraint-handling ODE form and developing the Generalized Multistep Dynamic TOPMODEL, the authors improve the applicability and performance of the models. The results show that adaptive timestepping can significantly improve model runtime, and the iso-basin spatial discretization and improved TI classification method also enhance model performance.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2023)
Correction
Ecology
Lee E. Brown, Kieran Khamis, Martin Wilkes, Phillip Blaen, John E. E. Brittain, Jonathan L. L. Carrivick, Sarah Fell, Nikolai Friberg, Leopold Fureder, Gisli M. M. Gislason, Sarah Hainie, David M. M. Hannah, William H. M. James, Valeria Lencioni, Jon S. Olafsson, Christopher T. Robinson, Svein J. Saltveit, Craig Thompson, Alexander M. Milner
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Julien Arsenault, Julie Talbot, Lee E. Brown, Manuel Helbig, Joseph Holden, Jorge Hoyos-Santillan, Emilie Jolin, Roy Mackenzie, Karla Martinez-Cruz, Armando Sepulveda-Jauregui, Jean-Francois Lapierre
Summary: Peatland pools are dynamic aquatic ecosystems that contribute to biogeochemical cycles, but their response to environmental change is poorly understood. This study analyzed pool biogeochemical data from multiple locations to determine the drivers of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus dynamics in peatland pools. Climate and terrain were found to explain variations in pool biogeochemistry, with climate driving spatial differences in dissolved organic carbon concentration. The study also demonstrated the reactivity of peatland pools to local and global environmental change. These findings highlight the importance of understanding and monitoring peatland pool dynamics as potential climate sentinels.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Water Resources
Chansheng He, Carol P. P. Harden, Joseph Holden, Anna Mdee
Summary: Despite advancements in hydrological science and water resources management, the world still faces a water-supply crisis. Watershed Science is proposed as a solution to address the missing links of effective collaborations and interdisciplinary working. It promotes water governance, partnerships, and participatory decision making to address the global water crisis.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sani Idris Garba, Susanna K. Ebmeier, Jean-Francois Bastin, Danilo Mollicone, Joseph Holden
Summary: This study used Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 imagery, supported by 1500 control points, to detect the spatial coverage and type of wetlands in southern Nigeria. The wetland area was estimated to be 29,924 km(2), with smaller patches of wetland observed compared to previous studies. 20% of the wetland patches were found to be clustered around urban areas, indicating anthropogenic wetland fragmentation. This research fills a data gap for land-surface climate models and wetland conservation.
WETLANDS ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Emmanouil Tyllianakis, Julia Martin-Ortega, Guy Ziv, Pippa J. Chapman, Joseph Holden, Michael Cardwell, Duncan Fyfe
Summary: Ensuring global food security and halting ecosystem degradation by securing environmental public goods from agriculture is crucial. Agri-environment schemes play a key role in transitioning to sustainable food production. Our study with AES-inclined land managers in post-Brexit UK suggests that they are likely to support result-based, collaborative schemes aligned with net zero agendas. However, challenges exist in attracting less AES-prone land managers.
Article
Geology
Matthew J. Westoby, Stuart A. Dunning, Jonathan L. Carrivick, Thomas J. Coulthard, Kalachand Sain, Amit Kumar, Etienne Berthier, Umesh K. Haritashya, David E. Shean, Mohd. Farooq Azam, Kavita Upadhyay, Michele Koppes, Harley R. McCourt, Dan H. Shugar
Summary: We reconstructed the short-term geomorphological response of river channels directly affected by the ice-rock avalanche-debris flow in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India using satellite remote sensing, numerical modeling, and field observations. The flow deposited a significant amount of sediment and required complete fluvial re-establishment. In the post-event period, a large portion of the deposit volume was removed by river flows, resulting in potential disruptions to water quality and downstream hydropower projects.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joshua F. Dean, Michael F. Billett, T. Edward Turner, Mark H. Garnett, Roxane Andersen, Rebecca M. McKenzie, Kerry J. Dinsmore, Andy J. Baird, Pippa J. Chapman, Joseph Holden
Summary: Peatlands are globally important stores of soil carbon, and pools within peatlands have high concentrations of carbon, including greenhouse gases. Our study shows that the carbon in the pools is mostly derived from contemporary primary production, rather than from deep peat layers. Restoration pools are effective at preventing the release of deep, old carbon, but millennial-aged carbon can be emitted through CH4 ebullition.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jessica Williams-Mounsey, Alistair Crowle, Richard Grayson, Joseph Holden
Summary: The practice of allowing temporary mesh tracks on peatlands needs to be revised from a biodiversity conservation perspective. Additional conservation interventions are necessary to minimize the impact on peatland habitats.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Mads Domgaard, Kristian K. Kjeldsen, Flora Huiban, Jonathan L. Carrivick, Shfaqat A. Khan, Anders A. Bjork
Summary: Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) from ice-dammed lakes in Greenland have significant impacts on local ice dynamics, geomorphological changes, and flooding hazards. This study reconstructed the volume changes of 14 GLOFs between 2007 and 2021 at Russell Glacier in West Greenland using high-resolution digital elevation models and aerial surveys. The results provide one of the most comprehensive and longest records of ice-dammed lake drainages in Greenland to date. The study also highlights the thinning of the local ice dam and the potential changes in drainage routes and volumes.
Article
Geography, Physical
Liss M. Andreassen, Benjamin A. Robson, Kamilla H. Sjursen, Hallgeir Elvehoy, Bjarne Kjollmoen, Jonathan L. Carrivick
Summary: The Jostedalsbreen ice cap, Europe's largest ice cap, has significant implications for global sea-level rise and local water management, hydropower, and tourism. This study reveals a decreasing trend in the ice cap area, with a reduction of 8.4% over the past few decades. Variability in glacial mass balance is also observed across different glaciers.
ANNALS OF GLACIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Richard E. Fewster, Paul J. Morris, Graeme T. Swindles, Andy J. Baird, T. Edward Turner, Ruza F. Ivanovic
Summary: This study examined the hydraulic properties of a degrading Swedish palsa mire and found that depth, humification, and dry bulk density are the main controls on hydraulic conductivity (K-h). The site-specific model performed better in predicting K-h compared to the multi-site model, possibly due to differences in peat compaction, floristic composition, and climate. However, the multi-site model still showed low bias and could be useful for estimating peat K-h at high latitudes. Permafrost peatlands are currently underrepresented in multi-site models, and studies like this could help improve future iterations.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2023)