Fine‐scale influences on thaw depth in a forested peat plateau landscape in the Northwest Territories, Canada: Vegetation trumps microtopography
Abstract The influence of vegetation and microtopography on fine‐scale variability of thaw depth is largely unknown but potentially important for improving modeling of ecosystem–permafrost interactions. To elucidate their influence, we measured tree density, shrub cover and cryptogam presence (liche...
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crwiley:10.1002/ppp.1961 2024-06-02T08:12:18+00:00 Fine‐scale influences on thaw depth in a forested peat plateau landscape in the Northwest Territories, Canada: Vegetation trumps microtopography Higgins, Kellina Leslie Garon‐Labrecque, Marie‐Ève 2018 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1961 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fppp.1961 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ppp.1961 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Permafrost and Periglacial Processes volume 29, issue 1, page 60-70 ISSN 1045-6740 1099-1530 journal-article 2018 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1961 2024-05-03T10:37:06Z Abstract The influence of vegetation and microtopography on fine‐scale variability of thaw depth is largely unknown but potentially important for improving modeling of ecosystem–permafrost interactions. To elucidate their influence, we measured tree density, shrub cover and cryptogam presence (lichen and bryophyte) on forested permafrost peat plateaus in the discontinuous permafrost zone in the southern Northwest Territories, Canada. Greater tree density was associated with shallower thaw depth (approximately one quarter of the variance), whereas shrub cover had a negligible influence on thaw depth. Cryptogam species influenced thaw depth, with greater thaw depth associated with Sphagnum than with Cladonia (a difference on the order of 10%). Greater thaw depth occurred beneath hummocks than beneath hollows (a difference also on the order of 10%). Together, canopy cover, cryptogam species and microforms contribute to a variation of roughly half the variance in thaw depth in the peat plateau landscape. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northwest Territories Peat Peat plateau permafrost Permafrost and Periglacial Processes Wiley Online Library Canada Northwest Territories Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 29 1 60 70 |
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Open Polar |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract The influence of vegetation and microtopography on fine‐scale variability of thaw depth is largely unknown but potentially important for improving modeling of ecosystem–permafrost interactions. To elucidate their influence, we measured tree density, shrub cover and cryptogam presence (lichen and bryophyte) on forested permafrost peat plateaus in the discontinuous permafrost zone in the southern Northwest Territories, Canada. Greater tree density was associated with shallower thaw depth (approximately one quarter of the variance), whereas shrub cover had a negligible influence on thaw depth. Cryptogam species influenced thaw depth, with greater thaw depth associated with Sphagnum than with Cladonia (a difference on the order of 10%). Greater thaw depth occurred beneath hummocks than beneath hollows (a difference also on the order of 10%). Together, canopy cover, cryptogam species and microforms contribute to a variation of roughly half the variance in thaw depth in the peat plateau landscape. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Higgins, Kellina Leslie Garon‐Labrecque, Marie‐Ève |
spellingShingle |
Higgins, Kellina Leslie Garon‐Labrecque, Marie‐Ève Fine‐scale influences on thaw depth in a forested peat plateau landscape in the Northwest Territories, Canada: Vegetation trumps microtopography |
author_facet |
Higgins, Kellina Leslie Garon‐Labrecque, Marie‐Ève |
author_sort |
Higgins, Kellina Leslie |
title |
Fine‐scale influences on thaw depth in a forested peat plateau landscape in the Northwest Territories, Canada: Vegetation trumps microtopography |
title_short |
Fine‐scale influences on thaw depth in a forested peat plateau landscape in the Northwest Territories, Canada: Vegetation trumps microtopography |
title_full |
Fine‐scale influences on thaw depth in a forested peat plateau landscape in the Northwest Territories, Canada: Vegetation trumps microtopography |
title_fullStr |
Fine‐scale influences on thaw depth in a forested peat plateau landscape in the Northwest Territories, Canada: Vegetation trumps microtopography |
title_full_unstemmed |
Fine‐scale influences on thaw depth in a forested peat plateau landscape in the Northwest Territories, Canada: Vegetation trumps microtopography |
title_sort |
fine‐scale influences on thaw depth in a forested peat plateau landscape in the northwest territories, canada: vegetation trumps microtopography |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1961 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fppp.1961 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ppp.1961 |
geographic |
Canada Northwest Territories |
geographic_facet |
Canada Northwest Territories |
genre |
Northwest Territories Peat Peat plateau permafrost Permafrost and Periglacial Processes |
genre_facet |
Northwest Territories Peat Peat plateau permafrost Permafrost and Periglacial Processes |
op_source |
Permafrost and Periglacial Processes volume 29, issue 1, page 60-70 ISSN 1045-6740 1099-1530 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1961 |
container_title |
Permafrost and Periglacial Processes |
container_volume |
29 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
60 |
op_container_end_page |
70 |
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1800758697684631552 |