Author: ["M. Lupascu","J. M. Welker","U. Seibt","K. Maseyk","X. Xu","C. I. Czimczik"]
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Abstract
The combination of climatic warming and wetting can increase the CO2 sink strength of High Arctic semi-deserts by an order of magnitude, according to a long-term climate manipulation experiment in northwest Greenland. These findings indicate that parts of the High Arctic have the potential to remain a strong carbon sink under future global warming. The carbon (C) balance of permafrost regions is predicted to be extremely sensitive to climatic changes1,2,3. Major uncertainties exist in the rate of permafrost thaw and associated C emissions (33–508 Pg C or 0.04–1.69 °C by 2100; refs 2, 3) and plant C uptake. In the High Arctic, semi-deserts retain unique soil–plant–permafrost interactions4,5 and heterogeneous soil C pools6 (>12 Pg C; ref. 7). Owing to its coastal proximity, marked changes are expected for High Arctic tundra8. With declining summer sea-ice cover9, these systems are simultaneously exposed to rising temperatures9, increases in precipitation10 and permafrost degradation11. Here we show, using measurements of tundra–atmosphere C fluxes and soil C sources (14C) at a long-term climate change experiment in northwest Greenland, that warming decreased the summer CO2 sink strength of semi-deserts by up to 55%. In contrast, warming combined with wetting increased the CO2 sink strength by an order of magnitude. Further, wetting while relocating recently assimilated plant C into the deep soil decreased old C loss compared with the warming-only treatment. Consequently, the High Arctic has the potential to remain a strong C sink even as the rest of the permafrost region transitions to a net C source as a result of future global warming.Cite this article
Lupascu, M., Welker, J., Seibt, U. et al. High Arctic wetting reduces permafrost carbon feedbacks to climate warming. Nature Clim Change 4, 51–55 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2058 