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Phosphorus rather than nitrogen regulates ecosystem carbon dynamics after permafrost thaw
Guibiao Yang1,2, Yunfeng Peng1, Benjamin W Abbott3
1State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Global Change Biology
|August 14, 2021
Summary
Permafrost thaw
Area of Science:
- Arctic ecology
- Permafrost science
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- Permafrost thaw releases carbon (C) and nutrients, impacting ecosystem C balance.
- Nitrogen (N) release is thought to boost plant growth and offset C loss.
- The role of phosphorus (P) availability in permafrost C dynamics is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate ecosystem C-nutrient interactions during permafrost thaw.
- To evaluate the impact of soil P availability on C dynamics.
- To compare the effects of N and P on plant productivity in thawing permafrost.
Main Methods:
- 3-year field observations across a permafrost thaw sequence (4 stages).
- In-situ fertilization experiment with N and P additions.
- Monitoring of ecosystem C dynamics, plant growth, and nutrient availability.
Main Results:
- Soil P availability, not N, significantly regulated ecosystem productivity along the thaw sequence.
- Phosphorus addition enhanced plant growth more than nitrogen addition.
- Permafrost thaw trajectory is strongly influenced by soil P dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Soil phosphorus availability is a critical factor in regulating carbon cycling after permafrost thaw.
- Understanding P dynamics is essential for predicting ecosystem responses to climate warming in permafrost regions.
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