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Comparing climate change impact on Arctic tundra over different time periods2 min read

by Christina Procopiou on November 25, 2020

Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division

Tundra ecosystem, Sarek National Park, Sweden. Ökologix, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Although climate change is accelerating fastest at high latitudes, it is still uncertain how the carbon cycle within Alaskan tundra soils will respond over different periods of time. Arctic soils house vast stores of carbon, and the response of these ecosystems to warming could determine how much of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide makes it way to the atmosphere. New EESA research has shown that simulations examining short-term warming in tundra ecosystems, and evaluated against Arctic field experiments, produce responses in the carbon cycle that are inconsistent with modeled ecosystem responses to climate change occurring over decades. 

A paper published last week in the journal Nature Communications describes research led by Berkeley Lab research scientist Nick Bouskill (with co-authors Bill Riley and Zelalem Mekonnen of Berkeley Lab and Robert Grant of the University of Alberta) which found that soil carbon losses occurred at a much higher rate under short-term experimental warming than under decades of warming. The researchers used the land model ecosys to evaluate ecosystem responses to warming across four Alaskan sites over a period of a decade, and over a period of 100 years under expected temperature, precipitation, and carbon dioxide concentrations for the 21st century. 

“Climate warming is occurring fastest at high latitudes. Based on short-term field experiments, this warming is projected to stimulate soil organic matter decomposition, and to promote a positive feedback to climate change,” Bouskill said. “Because Arctic soils sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, it’s essential that climate models accurately account for how various interdependent facets of the tundra ecosystem respond to climate change. Ideally climate modeling should take into account the impacts on microbial communities at different soil depths, and on vegetation growth and productivity.” 

The study results demonstrate that over many decades the rate of soil carbon cycling varies significantly across the Arctic regions evaluated. Further studies are required to improve the ability of climate models’ to predict whether Arctic tundra landscapes remain a carbon sink over multiple decades under climate change.

News & Events

EESA Climate Experts Co-Author Study Predicting 100% Increase in Arctic Lightning2 min read

April 5, 2021

EESA climate scientists contributed to the stunning discovery that lightning strikes will increase by 100% this century above the Arctic Circle, where lightning is practically unheard of, due to climate warming. A paper published today in the journal Nature Climate Change describes how such an increase in lightning will drive further warming and wildfires across…

EESA Participates in International HotBENT Project1 min read

March 29, 2021

The alteration of bentonite buffer under high temperature is a critical research question for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Researchers at Berkeley Lab have actively participated with international colleagues in the “HotBENT” project, the centerpiece of which is long-term evaluation of bentonite buffer heated at 175-200 oC at the Grimsel Test Site in Switzerland.…

Study Finds Natural Organic Carbon Source Fuels Growth of Diverse, Distinct Bacteria from Groundwater1 min read

March 25, 2021

  Xiaoqin Wu, Sara Gushgari-Doyle, and Mon Oo Yee from Romy Chakraborty’s group in EESA’s Ecology Department and the Department of Biological Engineering at MIT have published a paper in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology describing a study they hope will advance cultivation and isolation strategies for recovering diverse, uncultivable, and novel microorganisms from Earth’s…

Nigel Quinn Receives ASCE’s Highest Honor1 min read

Nigel Quinn leads the HydroEcological Engineering Advanced Decision Support research group (HEADS) which specializes in the development of environmental decision support systems to improve understanding and find solutions to complex water resources and water quality problems in California and worldwide. In January, Nigel was awarded life membership in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). This…

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