Is the subarctic landscape still a carbon sink? Evidence from a detailed catchment balance

• Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
• Main Authors: Lundin, Erik J., Klaminder, Jonatan, Giesler, Reiner, Persson, Andreas, Olefeldt, David, Heliasz, Michal, Christensen, Torben R., Karlsson, Jan
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: carbon balance; subarctic; sink; source; aquatic ecosystems; terrestrial ecosystems; NORTHERN SWEDEN; ORGANIC-CARBON; CLIMATE-CHANGE; LAKES; VEGETATION; CYCLE; CO2; RESPIRATION; METHANE; FUTURE; Northern Sweden; Subarctic
• Online Access: https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/is-the-subarctic-landscape-still-a-carbon-sink-evidence-from-a-detailed-catchment-balance(215720c0-b79e-4b10-9c4f-602fd48f96eb).html; https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL066970

Climate warming raises the question whether high-latitude landscape still function as net carbon (C) sinks. By compiling an integrated C balance for an intensely studied subarctic catchment, we show that this catchment's C balance is not likely to be a strong current sink of C, a commonly held assumption. In fact, it is more plausible (71% probability) that the studied catchment functions as a C source (-1120gCm(-2)yr(-1)). Analyses of individual fluxes indicate that soil and aquatic C losses offset C sequestering in other landscape components (e.g., peatlands and aboveground forest biomass). Our results stress the importance of fully integrated catchment C balance estimates and highlight the importance of upland soils and their interaction with the aquatic network for the catchment C balance.