Divergent responses of permafrost peatlands to recent climate change
Permafrost peatlands are found in high-latitude regions and store globally-important amounts of soil organic carbon. These regions are warming at over twice the global average rate, causing permafrost thaw, and exposing previously inert carbon to decomposition and emission to the atmosphere as green...
Published in: | Environmental Research Letters |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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2021
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Online Access: | https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/905d20c7-981b-4bb9-95ca-d3d17a825048 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe00b https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/files/239915100/letter_1.pdf |
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ftqueensubelpubl:oai:pure.qub.ac.uk/portal:publications/905d20c7-981b-4bb9-95ca-d3d17a825048 2024-05-19T07:46:09+00:00 Divergent responses of permafrost peatlands to recent climate change Sim, Thomas G. Swindles, Graeme T. Morris, Paul J. Baird, Andy J. Cooper, Claire L. Gallego-Sala, Angela V. Charman, Dan J. Roland, Thomas P. Borken, Werner Mullan, Donal J. Aquino-López, Marco A. Gałka, Mariusz 2021-02-11 application/pdf https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/905d20c7-981b-4bb9-95ca-d3d17a825048 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe00b https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/files/239915100/letter_1.pdf eng eng https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/905d20c7-981b-4bb9-95ca-d3d17a825048 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Sim , T G , Swindles , G T , Morris , P J , Baird , A J , Cooper , C L , Gallego-Sala , A V , Charman , D J , Roland , T P , Borken , W , Mullan , D J , Aquino-López , M A & Gałka , M 2021 , ' Divergent responses of permafrost peatlands to recent climate change ' , Environmental Research Letters , vol. 16 , no. 3 , 034001 . https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe00b carbon climate change hydrology peatlands permafrost /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2100/2105 name=Renewable Energy Sustainability and the Environment /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2300 name=General Environmental Science /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700/2739 name=Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being name=SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/affordable_and_clean_energy name=SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action article 2021 ftqueensubelpubl https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe00b 2024-05-02T00:38:30Z Permafrost peatlands are found in high-latitude regions and store globally-important amounts of soil organic carbon. These regions are warming at over twice the global average rate, causing permafrost thaw, and exposing previously inert carbon to decomposition and emission to the atmosphere as greenhouse gases. However, it is unclear how peatland hydrological behaviour, vegetation structure and carbon balance, and the linkages between them, will respond to permafrost thaw in a warming climate. Here we show that permafrost peatlands follow divergent ecohydrological trajectories in response to recent climate change within the same rapidly warming region (northern Sweden). Whether a site becomes wetter or drier depends on local factors and the autogenic response of individual peatlands. We find that bryophyte-dominated vegetation demonstrates resistance, and in some cases resilience, to climatic and hydrological shifts. Drying at four sites is clearly associated with reduced carbon sequestration, while no clear relationship at wetting sites is observed. We highlight the complex dynamics of permafrost peatlands and warn against an overly-simple approach when considering their ecohydrological trajectories and role as C sinks under a warming climate. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northern Sweden permafrost Queen's University Belfast Research Portal Environmental Research Letters 16 3 034001 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Queen's University Belfast Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftqueensubelpubl |
language |
English |
topic |
carbon climate change hydrology peatlands permafrost /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2100/2105 name=Renewable Energy Sustainability and the Environment /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2300 name=General Environmental Science /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700/2739 name=Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being name=SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/affordable_and_clean_energy name=SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action |
spellingShingle |
carbon climate change hydrology peatlands permafrost /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2100/2105 name=Renewable Energy Sustainability and the Environment /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2300 name=General Environmental Science /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700/2739 name=Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being name=SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/affordable_and_clean_energy name=SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action Sim, Thomas G. Swindles, Graeme T. Morris, Paul J. Baird, Andy J. Cooper, Claire L. Gallego-Sala, Angela V. Charman, Dan J. Roland, Thomas P. Borken, Werner Mullan, Donal J. Aquino-López, Marco A. Gałka, Mariusz Divergent responses of permafrost peatlands to recent climate change |
topic_facet |
carbon climate change hydrology peatlands permafrost /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2100/2105 name=Renewable Energy Sustainability and the Environment /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2300 name=General Environmental Science /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700/2739 name=Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being name=SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/affordable_and_clean_energy name=SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action |
description |
Permafrost peatlands are found in high-latitude regions and store globally-important amounts of soil organic carbon. These regions are warming at over twice the global average rate, causing permafrost thaw, and exposing previously inert carbon to decomposition and emission to the atmosphere as greenhouse gases. However, it is unclear how peatland hydrological behaviour, vegetation structure and carbon balance, and the linkages between them, will respond to permafrost thaw in a warming climate. Here we show that permafrost peatlands follow divergent ecohydrological trajectories in response to recent climate change within the same rapidly warming region (northern Sweden). Whether a site becomes wetter or drier depends on local factors and the autogenic response of individual peatlands. We find that bryophyte-dominated vegetation demonstrates resistance, and in some cases resilience, to climatic and hydrological shifts. Drying at four sites is clearly associated with reduced carbon sequestration, while no clear relationship at wetting sites is observed. We highlight the complex dynamics of permafrost peatlands and warn against an overly-simple approach when considering their ecohydrological trajectories and role as C sinks under a warming climate. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sim, Thomas G. Swindles, Graeme T. Morris, Paul J. Baird, Andy J. Cooper, Claire L. Gallego-Sala, Angela V. Charman, Dan J. Roland, Thomas P. Borken, Werner Mullan, Donal J. Aquino-López, Marco A. Gałka, Mariusz |
author_facet |
Sim, Thomas G. Swindles, Graeme T. Morris, Paul J. Baird, Andy J. Cooper, Claire L. Gallego-Sala, Angela V. Charman, Dan J. Roland, Thomas P. Borken, Werner Mullan, Donal J. Aquino-López, Marco A. Gałka, Mariusz |
author_sort |
Sim, Thomas G. |
title |
Divergent responses of permafrost peatlands to recent climate change |
title_short |
Divergent responses of permafrost peatlands to recent climate change |
title_full |
Divergent responses of permafrost peatlands to recent climate change |
title_fullStr |
Divergent responses of permafrost peatlands to recent climate change |
title_full_unstemmed |
Divergent responses of permafrost peatlands to recent climate change |
title_sort |
divergent responses of permafrost peatlands to recent climate change |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/905d20c7-981b-4bb9-95ca-d3d17a825048 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe00b https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/files/239915100/letter_1.pdf |
genre |
Northern Sweden permafrost |
genre_facet |
Northern Sweden permafrost |
op_source |
Sim , T G , Swindles , G T , Morris , P J , Baird , A J , Cooper , C L , Gallego-Sala , A V , Charman , D J , Roland , T P , Borken , W , Mullan , D J , Aquino-López , M A & Gałka , M 2021 , ' Divergent responses of permafrost peatlands to recent climate change ' , Environmental Research Letters , vol. 16 , no. 3 , 034001 . https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe00b |
op_relation |
https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/905d20c7-981b-4bb9-95ca-d3d17a825048 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe00b |
container_title |
Environmental Research Letters |
container_volume |
16 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
034001 |
_version_ |
1799486284739117056 |