Arctic soils and the ITEX experiment

• Published in: Global Change Biology
• Main Authors: MARION, G.M., BOCKHEIM, J.G., BROWN, J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1997
• Subjects: Arctic; Climate change
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.1997.gcb137.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2486.1997.gcb137.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2486.1997.gcb137.x

The objectives of this paper are broadly to examine arctic soils and specifically to examine soil properties at ITEX sites. The Arctic is dominated by cold, wet, shallow soils often characterized by surficial organic horizons. Seven of 11 soil orders in Soil Taxonomy are present in the circumarctic and alpine zones of the ITEX Project. Soil organic matter is highly correlated to soil carbon (sink or source of atmospheric CO 2 ), soil moisture (surficial energy balance), and soil nitrogen (plant limiting nutrient). Because of these vital roles, soil organic matter is a keystone that will influence the future response of arctic ecosystems to climate change.