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Research article2024Peer reviewedOpen access

Decadal increases in carbon uptake offset by respiratory losses across northern permafrost ecosystems

See, Craig R.; Virkkala, Anna-Maria; Natali, Susan M.; Rogers, Brendan M.; Mauritz, Marguerite; Biasi, Christina; Bokhorst, Stef; Boike, Julia; Bret-Harte, M. Syndonia; Celis, Gerardo; Chae, Namyi; Christensen, Torben R.; Murner (Connon), Sara June; Dengel, Sigrid; Dolman, Han; Edgar, Colin W.; Elberling, Bo; Emmerton, Craig A.; Euskirchen, Eugenie S.; Goeckede, Mathias;
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Abstract

Tundra and boreal ecosystems encompass the northern circumpolar permafrost region and are experiencing rapid environmental change with important implications for the global carbon (C) budget. We analysed multi-decadal time series containing 302 annual estimates of carbon dioxide (CO2) flux across 70 permafrost and non-permafrost ecosystems, and 672 estimates of summer CO2 flux across 181 ecosystems. We find an increase in the annual CO2 sink across non-permafrost ecosystems but not permafrost ecosystems, despite similar increases in summer uptake. Thus, recent non-growing-season CO2 losses have substantially impacted the CO2 balance of permafrost ecosystems. Furthermore, analysis of interannual variability reveals warmer summers amplify the C cycle (increase productivity and respiration) at putatively nitrogen-limited sites and at sites less reliant on summer precipitation for water use. Our findings suggest that water and nutrient availability will be important predictors of the C-cycle response of these ecosystems to future warming.The future of carbon dynamics in the northern high latitudes is uncertain yet represents an important potential feedback under climate change. This study uses a comprehensive observational dataset to show an increasing carbon sink in non-permafrost systems; in permafrost systems uptake was offset by loss.

Published in

Nature Climate Change
2024, volume: 14, number: 8, pages: 853-862
Publisher: NATURE PORTFOLIO

SLU Authors

Global goals (SDG)

SDG13 Climate action

UKÄ Subject classification

Ecology

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-02057-4

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/141174