The impacts of High Arctic permafrost disturbances on vegetation and carbon flux dynamics ...

• Main Author: Cassidy, Alison Elizabeth
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2016
• Subjects: Arctic; Ellesmere Island; Fosheim Peninsula; permafrost; Thermokarst; Tundra
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0315351; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0315351

Changing climate and disturbance regimes can have widespread ecosystem impacts, especially in the Arctic. Vegetation recovery and carbon flux dynamics were examined to determine the impacts of thermokarst disturbance on patterns and processes in High Arctic tundra ecosystems. Ecosystem responses to two forms of permafrost disturbance, active layer detachment slides and retrogressive thaw slumps, were studied on the Fosheim Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Canada during the 2012, 2013, and 2014 growing seasons. The impacts of disturbance on vegetation and recovery were determined by sampling active retrogressive thaw slumps and recovered active layer detachment slides that were investigated nearly 20 years ago. Comparison of historic and modern data indicates distinct vegetation communities exist in differently aged disturbances with unique vascular plant species defining various zones and ages of disturbance. Differences were also found in site characteristics (including soil moisture, temperature, active layer ...