Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yanyu Song, Lei Jiang, Changchun Song, Xianwei Wang, Xiuyan Ma, Hao Zhang, Wenwen Tan, Jinli Gao, Aixin Hou
Summary: Soil microbes and enzymes in permafrost peatland are sensitive to temperature changes, with long-term warming leading to increased microbial abundance, accelerated carbon cycling, and enhanced nitrogen availability. The study results provide new insights into the response of plant-soil-microbe interactions in permafrost peatlands to climate change.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(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)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Adrianna C. Foster, Jonathan A. Wang, Gerald Frost, Scott J. Davidson, Elizabeth Hoy, Kevin W. Turner, Oliver Sonnentag, Howard Epstein, Logan T. Berner, Amanda H. Armstrong, Mary Kang, Brendan M. Rogers, Elizabeth Campbell, Kimberley R. Miner, Kathleen M. Orndahl, Laura L. Bourgeau-Chavez, David A. Lutz, Nancy French, Dong Chen, Jinyang Du, Tatiana A. Shestakova, Jacquelyn K. Shuman, Ken Tape, Anna-Maria Virkkala, Christopher Potter, Scott Goetz
Summary: Ecosystems in the North American Arctic-Boreal Zone (ABZ) are experiencing increasing disturbances due to climate warming and human activity. However, many of these disturbances are understudied, leading to uncertainty in their impacts on vegetation dynamics and interactions between disturbance types. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the current knowledge of ABZ disturbances and their impacts, as well as identifying gaps in knowledge and priorities for future research.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ken D. Tape, Jason A. Clark, Benjamin M. Jones, Seth Kantner, Benjamin Gaglioti, Guido Grosse, Ingmar Nitze
Summary: Recent findings show that beavers have moved into the Arctic tundra and are controlling surface water dynamics through the construction of beaver ponds. The rapid expansion of beaver engineering is important for understanding permafrost thawing and the exacerbation of climate change effects.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dmitry A. Streletskiy, Sonia Clemens, Jean-Pierre Lanckman, Nikolay Shiklomanov
Summary: Climate change has negative impacts on Arctic ecosystems and northern communities, including disruptions in subsistence practices and threats to infrastructure. This study examines the effects of permafrost degradation on infrastructure in the Arctic region. Using climate models, the researchers estimate the changes in permafrost bearing capacity and ground subsidence, and identify infrastructure at risk. The results show significant costs associated with permafrost degradation, particularly in Russia. However, reducing greenhouse gas emissions can help mitigate these damages and inform adaptation strategies in Arctic states.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Eric B. Borth, Heather D. Alexander, Nikita Zimov, Ryan W. McEwan
Summary: The goal of this project was to assess sources of regeneration limitation in L.cajanderi forests in northeastern Siberia. We focused on the regeneration potential of stands varying in tree density and analyzing seedling establishment patterns in relation to microsite conditions. The results showed that tree density was negatively related to cone production, and moderate density stands produced more cones. Safe sites in the landscape facilitated L.cajanderi seedling establishment, particularly in lowland areas. These findings suggest complex linkages between forest density, propagule availability, fire, safe sight colonization, and seedling establishment in the understudied L.cajanderi forests of the Siberian Arctic.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mariana Kluge, Christian Wurzbacher, Maxime Wauthy, Karina Engelbrecht Clemmensen, Jeffrey Alistair Hawkes, Karolina Einarsdottir, Jan Stenlid, Sari Peura
Summary: This study collected samples from five permafrost sites across the circumpolar Arctic to analyze the DNA of aquatic fungi. The research found that thermokarst activity has an impact on fungal communities, contributing to the recycling of ancient carbon.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Anders Dalhoff Bruhn, Colin A. Stedmon, Jerome Comte, Atsushi Matsuoka, Niek Jesse Speetjens, George Tanski, Jorien E. Vonk, Johanna Sjostedt
Summary: Climate warming accelerates coastal erosion, leading to increased supply of organic matter and nutrients. The study shows that different types of DOM impact marine microbial communities, affecting carbon channeling in the Arctic coastal zone.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Donatella Zona, Peter M. Lafleur, Koen Hufkens, Beniamino Gioli, Barbara Bailey, George Burba, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Jennifer D. Watts, Kyle A. Arndt, Mary Farina, John S. Kimball, Martin Heimann, Mathias Gockede, Martijn Pallandt, Torben R. Christensen, Mikhail Mastepanov, Efren Lopez-Blanco, Albertus J. Dolman, Roisin Commane, Charles E. Miller, Josh Hashemi, Lars Kutzbach, David Holl, Julia Boike, Christian Wille, Torsten Sachs, Aram Kalhori, Elyn R. Humphreys, Oliver Sonnentag, Gesa Meyer, Gabriel H. Gosselin, Philip Marsh, Walter C. Oechel
Summary: Long-term records of atmospheric CO2 concentration indicate a decrease in the positive effect of warming on carbon uptake in high-latitude regions since the 1990s. This study used data from permafrost tundra sites across the circumpolar Arctic to examine the temperature responses of ecosystem carbon fluxes and their relationship with soil moisture. The results suggest that reduced soil moisture during peak summer may limit plant productivity and carbon sequestration in tundra ecosystems.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Heather Kropp, Michael M. Loranty, Susan M. Natali, Alexander L. Kholodov, Adrian Rocha, Isla Myers-Smith, Benjamin W. Abbot, Jakob Abermann, Elena Blanc-Betes, Daan Blok, Gesche Blume-Werry, Julia Boike, Amy L. Breen, Sean M. P. Cahoon, Casper T. Christiansen, Thomas A. Douglas, Howard E. Epstein, Gerald Frost, Mathias Goeckede, Toke T. Hoye, Steven D. Mamet, Jonathan A. O'Donnell, David Olefeldt, Gareth K. Phoenix, Verity G. Salmon, A. Britta K. Sannel, Sharon L. Smith, Oliver Sonnentag, Lydia Smith Vaughn, Mathew Williams, Bo Elberling, Laura Gough, Jan Hjort, Peter M. Lafleur, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Monique M. P. D. Heijmans, Elyn R. Humphreys, Hiroki Iwata, Benjamin M. Jones, M. Torre Jorgenson, Inge Gruenberg, Yongwon Kim, James Laundre, Marguerite Mauritz, Anders Michelsen, Gabriela Schaepman-Strub, Ken D. Tape, Masahito Ueyama, Bang-Yong Lee, Kirsty Langley, Magnus Lund
Summary: Soils are warming in the Arctic and Boreal region as temperature rises, with tall shrubs and trees expanding in the tundra. Ecosystems with tall-statured shrubs and trees have warmer shallow soils compared to short-statured tundra vegetation, indicating that ground thermal regimes in the cold season are critical for predicting soil warming. The expansion of tall shrubs and trees into tundra regions can amplify shallow soil warming and increase potential for increased seasonal thaw depth, soil carbon cycling rates, carbon dioxide loss, and permafrost thaw.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Jeffrey M. McKenzie, Barret L. Kurylyk, Michelle A. Walvoord, Victor F. Bense, Daniel Fortier, Christopher Spence, Christophe Grenier
Summary: As permafrost thaws in the Arctic, new subsurface pathways open for the transport of groundwater, energy, and solutes, leading to increased contaminant transport, modification to water resources, and infrastructure damage. Groundwater is a catalyst of change in Arctic regions and cryohydrogeology should be more prominently included in research initiatives to understand these environmental and societal changes.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Rebecca Rolph, Pier Paul Overduin, Thomas Ravens, Hugues Lantuit, Moritz Langer
Summary: Studies have shown that climate change is intensifying Arctic coastal erosion, necessitating numerical models to understand its impact. ArcticBeach v1.0 is a potential starting point for Arctic erosion modeling that can be applied on different types of Arctic coastlines.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Fabrice Lacroix, Soenke Zaehle, Silvia Caldararu, Joerg Schaller, Peter Stimmler, David Holl, Lars Kutzbach, Mathias Goeckede
Summary: Increased nutrient availability following permafrost thawing affects the biogeochemical cycling, greenhouse gas exchange, and nitrous oxide emissions in high Arctic ecosystems. However, there is a weak fertilization effect due to a mismatch between the timing of peak vegetative growth and peak thaw depth, resulting in incomplete plant use of nutrients near the permafrost table.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
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
E. E. Webb, M. M. Loranty, J. W. Lichstein
Summary: The study shows that changes in surface water significantly alter the albedo in the Arctic-boreal region and explain up to 27% of the spatial variation in monthly albedo change from 2000 to 2019. The increase in radiative forcing due to changes in surface water extent is most pronounced in the continuous permafrost zone, contributing to a positive feedback between permafrost thaw and climate change.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Oscar Rindt, Christoph Rosinger, Michael Bonkowski, Christian Rixen, Nicolas Brueggemann, Tim Urich, Anna Maria Fiore-Donno
Summary: A study in the Central Alps found that the microbial biomass and dissolved C in the soil increased during snowmelt and from spring to summer. The absence of soil freezing in winter and the rise in dissolved C supported a continued growth of the microbial biomass, without any sudden collapse. These findings highlight the importance of the insulating effect of seasonal snow cover for microbial dynamics.
Correction
Environmental Sciences
Milan Varsadiya, Patrick Liebmann, Sebastian Petters, Gustaf Hugelius, Tim Urich, Georg Guggenberger, Jiri Barta
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anna Scaini, Giulia Vico, Josefin Thorslund, Gustaf Hugelius, Stefano Manzoni
Summary: In arable systems, nutrient losses due to hydroclimatic processes have negative impacts on agricultural productivity and the environment. This study quantifies the effects of water availability, irrigation, agricultural practices, and soil conditions on nutrient use efficiencies in 110 agricultural catchments in the United States. The results show that climatic conditions and crop choice are important drivers of nutrient use efficiencies in agricultural catchments.
GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Uta Kloenne, Alexander Nauels, Pam Pearson, Robert M. M. DeConto, Helen S. Findlay, Gustaf Hugelius, Alexander Robinson, Joeri Rogelj, Edward A. G. Schuur, Julienne Stroeve, Carl-Friedrich Schleussner
Summary: Taking into account uncertainties in the cryosphere and climate warming, there is a significantly higher risk of threshold crossing in the cryosphere, even with lower emissions. This emphasizes the need to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030 in order to meet the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit set by the Paris Agreement.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Mathilde Borg Dahl, Juergen Kreyling, Sebastian Petters, Haitao Wang, Martin Steen Mortensen, Lorrie Maccario, Soren J. Sorensen, Tim Urich, Robert Weigel
Summary: In temperate regions, climate warming has implications for soil microorganisms and soil nutrient dynamics during winter. This study investigated the winter climate change responses in the soil microbiome of European beech forests. The results suggest a strong link between changes in the microbiomes and changes in environmental processes, such as nitrogen dynamics.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Haitao Wang, Gerald Jurasinski, Jana Taeumer, Andreas W. Kuss, Verena Gross, Daniel Koehn, Anke Guenther, Tim Urich
Summary: Using a quantitative metatranscriptomic approach, this study investigated the changes in the transcript abundances of methanogen and methanotroph rRNA, as well as mcrA and pmoA mRNA, during a summer drought in rewetted peatlands in northern Germany. The results showed that drought altered the community structure of methane-cycling microbiomes, decreased CH4 fluxes and transcript abundances of methanogens and methanotrophs, and there was no recovery or increase after the drought ended. Importantly, the study revealed that the relationship between methanogens and methanotrophs is the key determinant of CH4 turnover.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Alexmar Cordova-Gonzalez, Daniel Birgel, Max Wisshak, Tim Urich, Florian Brinkmann, Yann Marcon, Gerhard Bohrmann, Joern Peckmann
Summary: Methane seeps lead to the formation of carbonate corrosion surfaces and secondary porosity, likely caused by microbial carbonate dissolution. This study conducted a carbonate corrosion experiment in the REGAB Pockmark, Gabon-Congo-Angola passive margin, and found a new type of microbioerosion on marble cubes exposed to active seepage. The biofilms on the bioeroded marble were mainly composed of aerobic methanotrophic bacteria, specifically the uncultured Hyd24-01 clade, suggesting that they are the main drivers of carbonate dissolution.
Review
Environmental Sciences
P. A. Hamback, L. Dawson, P. Geranmayeh, J. Jarsjo, I. Kacergyte, M. Peacock, D. Collentine, G. Destouni, M. Futter, G. Hugelius, S. Hedman, S. Jonsson, B. K. Klatt, A. Lindstrom, J. E. Nilsson, T. Part, L. D. Schneider, J. A. Strand, P. Urrutia-Cordero, D. Ahlen, I. ahlen, M. Blicharska
Summary: The wetland area in agricultural landscapes has been significantly reduced for crop production, but there is now a growing recognition of the negative consequences of wetland loss. As a result, there is a trend towards re-establishing wetlands to achieve multiple ecosystem services. This review highlights the need to focus on wetlandscapes rather than individual wetlands to achieve societal and environmental goals, and discusses key factors for planning wetland re-establishment at the landscape scale.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Birgit Wild, Sylvain Monteux, Bernd Wendler, Gustaf Hugelius, Frida Keuper
Summary: Rapid Arctic warming has both positive and negative effects on soil carbon loss and CO2 uptake by plants. While permafrost thaw enhances CO2 release from soil organic matter decomposition, plants can also stimulate decomposition near their roots. However, the sensitivity of permafrost peat soils to plant-induced priming is low, suggesting limited impact of plant-released organic compounds on peat decomposition.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Mathilde Borg Dahl, Andrea Sollinger, Paul Siguros, Josep Penueas, Ivan Janssens, Bjarni D. Sigurdsson, Andreas Richter, Alexander Tveit, Tim Urich
Summary: Soil warming significantly affects soil microbiota and can lead to a trophic downgrading in the soil microbial food web. This shift could have important implications for soil carbon sequestration and nutrient dynamics in a warming world.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Xiankun Li, Ainara Leizeaga, Johannes Rousk, Gustaf Hugelius, Stefano Manzoni
Summary: Soil microbes perceive drying and rewetting events differently based on previous soil moisture history. The severity of the event determines the microbial growth response, with 'type 1' response being rapid and 'type 2' response being delayed. This study characterizes the perceived harshness between these two responses and identifies the pedoclimatic drivers that contribute to it, such as soil moisture and pH levels. The findings highlight the impact of these factors on carbon partitioning and microbial community adaptation to drying and rewetting events.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Lukas Rimondini, Thomas Gumbricht, Anders Ahlstrom, Gustaf Hugelius
Summary: Globally, it is important to understand the spatial occurrence of northern peatlands as major carbon deposits in order to comprehend their implications for the climate system, especially in the face of degradation caused by land cover change and climate change. This study successfully mapped peatlands in Sweden's forested landscape using machine learning methods and lidar-based terrain indices, with accuracy ranging from 0.89-0.91 and Matthew's correlation coefficient ranging from 0.79-0.81 depending on the definition of peatland. The final peatland maps, publicly available, can be utilized for spatial planning, carbon stock estimation, and evaluating climate change mitigation strategies.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Daniela Guasconi, Jaanis Juhanson, Karina E. Clemmensen, Sara A. O. Cousins, Gustaf Hugelius, Stefano Manzoni, Nina Roth, Petra Fransson
Summary: The composition of fungal and bacterial communities in two Swedish grasslands is influenced by vegetation and topography, but the drivers of abundance and diversity vary between groups.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Micha Weil, Haitao Wang, Dominik Zak, Tim Urich
Summary: This study investigated the temporal and spatial dynamics of the hydrogen-dependent and methylotrophic order Methanomassiliicoccales in temperate peatlands using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The results showed that there were four phylotypes of Methanomassiliicoccales, and their distribution patterns suggested that oxygen tolerance and substrate spectrum may play important roles in their ecophysiology. Overall, this study highlights the significance of Methanomassiliicoccales for methane emissions from peatlands.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Peter Stimmler, Mathias Goeckede, Bo Elberling, Susan Natali, Peter Kuhry, Nia Perron, Fabrice Lacroix, Gustaf Hugelius, Oliver Sonnentag, Jens Strauss, Christina Minions, Michael Sommer, Joerg Schaller
Summary: Arctic soils store significant amounts of organic carbon and various elements, including amorphous silicon, calcium, iron, aluminum, and phosphorous. The Arctic is expected to experience the most prominent effects of global warming, resulting in the thawing of permafrost and altering the availability of soil elements. This study analyzed the content of amorphous silicon (ASi) in Arctic soils, as well as the availability of silicon, calcium, iron, phosphorous, and aluminum using Mehlich III extractions. The findings revealed substantial differences in ASi fraction and element availability among different lithologies and Arctic regions, which were summarized in pan-Arctic maps.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2023)
