Ecosystem changes across a gradient of permafrost degradation in subarctic Québec (Tasiapik Valley, Nunavik, Canada)
Permafrost thaw, tundra shrubification, and changes in snow cover properties are documented impacts of climate warming, particularly in subarctic regions where discontinuous permafrost is disappearing. To obtain some insight into those changes, permafrost, active layer thickness, vegetation, snow co...
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Canadian Science Publishing
2019
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:89c1bfe4ff904836b267bd420d25a9a3 2023-05-15T13:03:06+02:00 Ecosystem changes across a gradient of permafrost degradation in subarctic Québec (Tasiapik Valley, Nunavik, Canada) Maude Pelletier Michel Allard Esther Levesque 2019-03-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2016-0049 https://doaj.org/article/89c1bfe4ff904836b267bd420d25a9a3 EN FR eng fre Canadian Science Publishing https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2016-0049 https://doaj.org/toc/2368-7460 doi:10.1139/as-2016-0049 2368-7460 https://doaj.org/article/89c1bfe4ff904836b267bd420d25a9a3 Arctic Science, Vol 5, Iss 1, Pp 1-26 (2019) permafrost subarctic thermokarst shrubification snow cover Environmental sciences GE1-350 Environmental engineering TA170-171 article 2019 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2016-0049 2022-12-31T06:35:06Z Permafrost thaw, tundra shrubification, and changes in snow cover properties are documented impacts of climate warming, particularly in subarctic regions where discontinuous permafrost is disappearing. To obtain some insight into those changes, permafrost, active layer thickness, vegetation, snow cover, ground temperature, soil profiles, and carbon content were surveyed in an integrated approach in six field plots along a chronosequence of permafrost thaw on an ice-rich silty soil. Historical air photographs and dendrochronology provided the chronological context. Comparison of the plots reveals a positive feedback effect between thaw settlement, increased snow cover thickness, shrub growth, increase in soil temperature, and the process of permafrost decay. By the end of the sequence permafrost was no longer sustainable. Along the estimated 90 year duration of the chronosequence, the originally centimeter-thin pedogenic horizons under mosses and lichens increased to a thickness of nearly 65 cm under shrubs and trees. Snow cover increased from negligible to over 2 m. The thickness of soil organic layers and soil organic matter content increased manyfold, likely a result of the increased productivity in the shrub-dominated landscape. The results of this study strongly suggest that permafrost ecosystems in the subarctic are being replaced under climate warming by shrub and forest ecosystems enriched in carbon on more evolved soils. Article in Journal/Newspaper Active layer thickness Arctic Ice permafrost Subarctic Thermokarst Tundra Nunavik Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Nunavik Canada Arctic Science 5 1 1 26 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English French |
topic |
permafrost subarctic thermokarst shrubification snow cover Environmental sciences GE1-350 Environmental engineering TA170-171 |
spellingShingle |
permafrost subarctic thermokarst shrubification snow cover Environmental sciences GE1-350 Environmental engineering TA170-171 Maude Pelletier Michel Allard Esther Levesque Ecosystem changes across a gradient of permafrost degradation in subarctic Québec (Tasiapik Valley, Nunavik, Canada) |
topic_facet |
permafrost subarctic thermokarst shrubification snow cover Environmental sciences GE1-350 Environmental engineering TA170-171 |
description |
Permafrost thaw, tundra shrubification, and changes in snow cover properties are documented impacts of climate warming, particularly in subarctic regions where discontinuous permafrost is disappearing. To obtain some insight into those changes, permafrost, active layer thickness, vegetation, snow cover, ground temperature, soil profiles, and carbon content were surveyed in an integrated approach in six field plots along a chronosequence of permafrost thaw on an ice-rich silty soil. Historical air photographs and dendrochronology provided the chronological context. Comparison of the plots reveals a positive feedback effect between thaw settlement, increased snow cover thickness, shrub growth, increase in soil temperature, and the process of permafrost decay. By the end of the sequence permafrost was no longer sustainable. Along the estimated 90 year duration of the chronosequence, the originally centimeter-thin pedogenic horizons under mosses and lichens increased to a thickness of nearly 65 cm under shrubs and trees. Snow cover increased from negligible to over 2 m. The thickness of soil organic layers and soil organic matter content increased manyfold, likely a result of the increased productivity in the shrub-dominated landscape. The results of this study strongly suggest that permafrost ecosystems in the subarctic are being replaced under climate warming by shrub and forest ecosystems enriched in carbon on more evolved soils. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Maude Pelletier Michel Allard Esther Levesque |
author_facet |
Maude Pelletier Michel Allard Esther Levesque |
author_sort |
Maude Pelletier |
title |
Ecosystem changes across a gradient of permafrost degradation in subarctic Québec (Tasiapik Valley, Nunavik, Canada) |
title_short |
Ecosystem changes across a gradient of permafrost degradation in subarctic Québec (Tasiapik Valley, Nunavik, Canada) |
title_full |
Ecosystem changes across a gradient of permafrost degradation in subarctic Québec (Tasiapik Valley, Nunavik, Canada) |
title_fullStr |
Ecosystem changes across a gradient of permafrost degradation in subarctic Québec (Tasiapik Valley, Nunavik, Canada) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ecosystem changes across a gradient of permafrost degradation in subarctic Québec (Tasiapik Valley, Nunavik, Canada) |
title_sort |
ecosystem changes across a gradient of permafrost degradation in subarctic québec (tasiapik valley, nunavik, canada) |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2016-0049 https://doaj.org/article/89c1bfe4ff904836b267bd420d25a9a3 |
geographic |
Nunavik Canada |
geographic_facet |
Nunavik Canada |
genre |
Active layer thickness Arctic Ice permafrost Subarctic Thermokarst Tundra Nunavik |
genre_facet |
Active layer thickness Arctic Ice permafrost Subarctic Thermokarst Tundra Nunavik |
op_source |
Arctic Science, Vol 5, Iss 1, Pp 1-26 (2019) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2016-0049 https://doaj.org/toc/2368-7460 doi:10.1139/as-2016-0049 2368-7460 https://doaj.org/article/89c1bfe4ff904836b267bd420d25a9a3 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2016-0049 |
container_title |
Arctic Science |
container_volume |
5 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
1 |
op_container_end_page |
26 |
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1766328251615019008 |