Variability of Permafrost and Landscape Conditions Following Forest Fires in the Central Yakutian Taiga Zone

In the last two decades in Central Yakutia, there has been a significant change in cryogenic landscapes related to climate warming and anthropogenic disturbances. This period is characterized by the activity of forest fires, which significantly impact permafrost landscapes. We observed the dynamics...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Land
Main Authors: Marat I. Petrov, Alexander N. Fedorov, Pavel Y. Konstantinov, Radomir N. Argunov
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022
Subjects:
ground temperature
active layer thickness
soil moisture content
Central Yakutia
Agriculture
S
Yakutsk
Active layer thickness
permafrost
taiga
Yakutia
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3390/land11040496
https://doaj.org/article/91128285aa484d00ac09081bd3112fdc
Description
Summary:In the last two decades in Central Yakutia, there has been a significant change in cryogenic landscapes related to climate warming and anthropogenic disturbances. This period is characterized by the activity of forest fires, which significantly impact permafrost landscapes. We observed the dynamics of cryogenic landscapes after a forest fire in 2001 at the Neleger station in Central Yakutia, 35 km northwest of Yakutsk. The observations included ground temperature and active layer thickness monitoring and statements of changes in the soil moisture content of the active layer. Increases in ground temperature, the active layer thickness, and soil moisture content on the burnt site after a forest fire in Neleger station were noted in the first six to seven years after the disturbance. We found that, following forest fires, permafrost progressively restabilizes as forest cover redevelops over time. The results of the studies will become the basis for planning restoration work after forest fires in permafrost landscapes of Central Yakutia.

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