Post-thaw variability in litter decomposition best explained by microtopography at an ice-rich permafrost peatland
Litter decomposition, a key process by which recently fixed carbon is lost from ecosystems, is a function of environmental conditions and plant community characteristics. In ice-rich peatlands, permafrost thaw introduces high variability in both abiotic and biotic factors, both of which may affect l...
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2019
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ftdatacite:10.6084/m9.figshare.5904655.v2 2023-05-15T16:37:00+02:00 Post-thaw variability in litter decomposition best explained by microtopography at an ice-rich permafrost peatland Malhotra, Avni Moore, Tim R. Limpens, Juul Roulet, Nigel T. 2019 https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5904655.v2 https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Post-thaw_variability_in_litter_decomposition_best_explained_by_microtopography_at_an_ice-rich_permafrost_peatland/5904655/2 unknown Taylor & Francis https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2017.1415622 https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5904655 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode cc-by-4.0 CC-BY 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified FOS Earth and related environmental sciences 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified FOS Chemical sciences Ecology FOS Biological sciences Sociology FOS Sociology 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Plant Biology Dataset dataset 2019 ftdatacite https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5904655.v2 https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2017.1415622 https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5904655 2022-04-01T12:44:52Z Litter decomposition, a key process by which recently fixed carbon is lost from ecosystems, is a function of environmental conditions and plant community characteristics. In ice-rich peatlands, permafrost thaw introduces high variability in both abiotic and biotic factors, both of which may affect litter decomposition rates in different ways. Can the existing conceptual frameworks of litter decomposition and its controls be applied across a structurally heterogeneous thaw gradient? We investigated the variability in litter decomposition and its predictors at the Stordalen subarctic peatland in northern Sweden. We measured in situ decomposition of representative litter and environments using litter bags throughout two years. We found highly variable litter decomposition rates with turnover times ranging from five months to four years. Surface elevation was a strong correlate of litter decomposition across the landscape, likely as it integrates multiple environmental and plant community changes brought about by thaw. There was faster decomposition but also more mass remaining after two years in thawed areas relative to permafrost areas, suggesting faster initial loss of carbon but more storage into the slow-decomposing carbon pool. Our results highlight mechanisms and predictors of carbon cycle changes in ice-rich peatlands following permafrost thaw. Dataset Ice Northern Sweden permafrost Subarctic DataCite Metadata Store (German National Library of Science and Technology) Stordalen ENVELOPE(7.337,7.337,62.510,62.510) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
DataCite Metadata Store (German National Library of Science and Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftdatacite |
language |
unknown |
topic |
59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified FOS Earth and related environmental sciences 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified FOS Chemical sciences Ecology FOS Biological sciences Sociology FOS Sociology 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Plant Biology |
spellingShingle |
59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified FOS Earth and related environmental sciences 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified FOS Chemical sciences Ecology FOS Biological sciences Sociology FOS Sociology 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Plant Biology Malhotra, Avni Moore, Tim R. Limpens, Juul Roulet, Nigel T. Post-thaw variability in litter decomposition best explained by microtopography at an ice-rich permafrost peatland |
topic_facet |
59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified FOS Earth and related environmental sciences 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified FOS Chemical sciences Ecology FOS Biological sciences Sociology FOS Sociology 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Plant Biology |
description |
Litter decomposition, a key process by which recently fixed carbon is lost from ecosystems, is a function of environmental conditions and plant community characteristics. In ice-rich peatlands, permafrost thaw introduces high variability in both abiotic and biotic factors, both of which may affect litter decomposition rates in different ways. Can the existing conceptual frameworks of litter decomposition and its controls be applied across a structurally heterogeneous thaw gradient? We investigated the variability in litter decomposition and its predictors at the Stordalen subarctic peatland in northern Sweden. We measured in situ decomposition of representative litter and environments using litter bags throughout two years. We found highly variable litter decomposition rates with turnover times ranging from five months to four years. Surface elevation was a strong correlate of litter decomposition across the landscape, likely as it integrates multiple environmental and plant community changes brought about by thaw. There was faster decomposition but also more mass remaining after two years in thawed areas relative to permafrost areas, suggesting faster initial loss of carbon but more storage into the slow-decomposing carbon pool. Our results highlight mechanisms and predictors of carbon cycle changes in ice-rich peatlands following permafrost thaw. |
format |
Dataset |
author |
Malhotra, Avni Moore, Tim R. Limpens, Juul Roulet, Nigel T. |
author_facet |
Malhotra, Avni Moore, Tim R. Limpens, Juul Roulet, Nigel T. |
author_sort |
Malhotra, Avni |
title |
Post-thaw variability in litter decomposition best explained by microtopography at an ice-rich permafrost peatland |
title_short |
Post-thaw variability in litter decomposition best explained by microtopography at an ice-rich permafrost peatland |
title_full |
Post-thaw variability in litter decomposition best explained by microtopography at an ice-rich permafrost peatland |
title_fullStr |
Post-thaw variability in litter decomposition best explained by microtopography at an ice-rich permafrost peatland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Post-thaw variability in litter decomposition best explained by microtopography at an ice-rich permafrost peatland |
title_sort |
post-thaw variability in litter decomposition best explained by microtopography at an ice-rich permafrost peatland |
publisher |
Taylor & Francis |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5904655.v2 https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Post-thaw_variability_in_litter_decomposition_best_explained_by_microtopography_at_an_ice-rich_permafrost_peatland/5904655/2 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(7.337,7.337,62.510,62.510) |
geographic |
Stordalen |
geographic_facet |
Stordalen |
genre |
Ice Northern Sweden permafrost Subarctic |
genre_facet |
Ice Northern Sweden permafrost Subarctic |
op_relation |
https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2017.1415622 https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5904655 |
op_rights |
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode cc-by-4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5904655.v2 https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2017.1415622 https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5904655 |
_version_ |
1766027308559237120 |