Relationships between permafrost distribution and surface organic layers near Esso, central Kamchatka, Russian Far East

• Published in: Permafrost and Periglacial Processes
• Main Authors: Fukui, Kotaro, Sone, Toshio, Yamagata, Kotaro, Otsuki, Yoshinori, Sawada, Yuki, Vetrova, Valentina, Vyatkina, Marina
• Other Authors: Joint Research Program of the Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2008
• Subjects: Kamchatka; permafrost; Permafrost and Periglacial Processes
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppp.606; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fppp.606; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ppp.606

Abstract Unique boreal forest, consisting mainly of sparse larch ( Larix cajanderii ), creeping pine ( Pinus pumila ) and birch forest ( Betula ermanii ), occurs above the lower elevational limit of discontinuous permafrost of about 500 m above sea level in the area around Esso, central Kamchatka (∼56°N). Permafrost is present beneath surfaces covered by Sphagnum or creeping pine, but is absent beneath birch forest. Thermal conductivities in mid‐September are low in Sphagnum (0.07–0.19 W/(m·K)) and in the thick (13–20 cm) litter layer beneath creeping pine‐covered areas (0.06–0.09 W/(m·K)). Seasonal changes in the subsurface ground temperatures beneath creeping pine show that the surface litter prevents ground temperature increases at depth in summer, resulting in a thin active layer (several decimetres). The surface organic layer appears to be the most important factor controlling the presence or absence of permafrost in this area. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.