Arctic hot and CO2 springs: Natural models of impact of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems (scientific paper)

• Main Authors: Zamolodchikov,Dmitri G., Karelin,Dmitri V.
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Forest Ecology and Production Center of Russian Academy of Sciences/Biological department of Moscow State University 2001
• Subjects: Arctic; Chaplino; Climate change; Global warming; Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research; Polar Research; Tundra
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=2398; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00002398/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=2398&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

The main purpose of this research was to investigate the carbon cycle in tundra ecosystems in the vicinity of hot springs as natural models of Global Warming and elevated atmosphere CO_2. Empirical data on ecosystem CO_2 fluxes, plant photosynthesis and respiration, vegetation and soil composition were obtained during field expeditions on the Chukotskiy Peninsula (Russia) in 1997 (Chaplino hot springs, 64°26′N, 172°30′W) and 1998 (Ioni hot and CO_2 springs, 65°48′N, 173°22′W). It was found that the influence of naturally increased temperature on carbon exchange considerably depends on the ecosystem type. Under elevated soil temperatures wet sedge ecosystems tend to increase their production, plant biomass, and, to some extent, soil carbon storage. Both species composition and carbon cycle parameters in more drained shrub ecosystems are less sensitive to elevated temperature in the immediate vicinity of the hot springs. Natural CO_2 enrichment of canopy air near the hot springs promotes reduction of photosynthetic efficiency in the studied plant species.