Divergent changes in particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon upon permafrost thaw

Futing Liu; Shuqi Qin; Kai Fang; Leiyi Chen; Yunfeng Peng; Pete Smith; Yuanhe Yang

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-32681-7

Divergent changes in particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon upon permafrost thaw

Futing Liu, Shuqi Qin, Kai Fang, Leiyi Chen, Yunfeng Peng, Pete Smith, Yuanhe Yang^* (Corresponding Author)

^*Corresponding author for this work

Aberdeen Centre For Environmental Sustainability

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Permafrost thaw can stimulate microbial decomposition and induce soil carbon (C) loss, potentially triggering a positive C-climate feedback. However, earlier observations have concentrated on bulk soil C dynamics upon permafrost thaw, with limited evidence involving soil C fractions. Here, we explore how the functionally distinct fractions, including particulate and mineral-associated organic C (POC and MAOC) as well as iron-bound organic C (OC-Fe), respond to permafrost thaw using systematic measurements derived from one permafrost thaw sequence and five additional thermokarst-impacted sites on the Tibetan Plateau. We find that topsoil POC content substantially decreases, while MAOC content remains stable and OC-Fe accumulates due to the enriched Fe oxides after permafrost thaw. Moreover, the proportion of MAOC and OC-Fe increases along the thaw sequence and at most of the thermokarst-impacted sites. The relatively enriched stable soil C fractions would alleviate microbial decomposition and weaken its feedback to climate warming over long-term thermokarst development.

Original language	English
Article number	5073
Number of pages	10
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	13
Early online date	29 Aug 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32681-7
Publication status	Published - 29 Aug 2022

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Cite this

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title = "Divergent changes in particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon upon permafrost thaw",

abstract = "Permafrost thaw can stimulate microbial decomposition and induce soil carbon (C) loss, potentially triggering a positive C-climate feedback. However, earlier observations have concentrated on bulk soil C dynamics upon permafrost thaw, with limited evidence involving soil C fractions. Here, we explore how the functionally distinct fractions, including particulate and mineral-associated organic C (POC and MAOC) as well as iron-bound organic C (OC-Fe), respond to permafrost thaw using systematic measurements derived from one permafrost thaw sequence and five additional thermokarst-impacted sites on the Tibetan Plateau. We find that topsoil POC content substantially decreases, while MAOC content remains stable and OC-Fe accumulates due to the enriched Fe oxides after permafrost thaw. Moreover, the proportion of MAOC and OC-Fe increases along the thaw sequence and at most of the thermokarst-impacted sites. The relatively enriched stable soil C fractions would alleviate microbial decomposition and weaken its feedback to climate warming over long-term thermokarst development.",

author = "Futing Liu and Shuqi Qin and Kai Fang and Leiyi Chen and Yunfeng Peng and Pete Smith and Yuanhe Yang",

note = "Acknowledgements This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31988102, 31825006, 91837312, and 32101332), the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research (STEP) program (2019QZKK0106 and 2019QZKK0302), and the Fundamental Research Foundation of Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAFYBB2020MA008).",

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AU - Peng, Yunfeng

AU - Smith, Pete

AU - Yang, Yuanhe

N1 - Acknowledgements This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31988102, 31825006, 91837312, and 32101332), the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research (STEP) program (2019QZKK0106 and 2019QZKK0302), and the Fundamental Research Foundation of Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAFYBB2020MA008).

PY - 2022/8/29

Y1 - 2022/8/29

N2 - Permafrost thaw can stimulate microbial decomposition and induce soil carbon (C) loss, potentially triggering a positive C-climate feedback. However, earlier observations have concentrated on bulk soil C dynamics upon permafrost thaw, with limited evidence involving soil C fractions. Here, we explore how the functionally distinct fractions, including particulate and mineral-associated organic C (POC and MAOC) as well as iron-bound organic C (OC-Fe), respond to permafrost thaw using systematic measurements derived from one permafrost thaw sequence and five additional thermokarst-impacted sites on the Tibetan Plateau. We find that topsoil POC content substantially decreases, while MAOC content remains stable and OC-Fe accumulates due to the enriched Fe oxides after permafrost thaw. Moreover, the proportion of MAOC and OC-Fe increases along the thaw sequence and at most of the thermokarst-impacted sites. The relatively enriched stable soil C fractions would alleviate microbial decomposition and weaken its feedback to climate warming over long-term thermokarst development.

AB - Permafrost thaw can stimulate microbial decomposition and induce soil carbon (C) loss, potentially triggering a positive C-climate feedback. However, earlier observations have concentrated on bulk soil C dynamics upon permafrost thaw, with limited evidence involving soil C fractions. Here, we explore how the functionally distinct fractions, including particulate and mineral-associated organic C (POC and MAOC) as well as iron-bound organic C (OC-Fe), respond to permafrost thaw using systematic measurements derived from one permafrost thaw sequence and five additional thermokarst-impacted sites on the Tibetan Plateau. We find that topsoil POC content substantially decreases, while MAOC content remains stable and OC-Fe accumulates due to the enriched Fe oxides after permafrost thaw. Moreover, the proportion of MAOC and OC-Fe increases along the thaw sequence and at most of the thermokarst-impacted sites. The relatively enriched stable soil C fractions would alleviate microbial decomposition and weaken its feedback to climate warming over long-term thermokarst development.

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DO - 10.1038/s41467-022-32681-7

M3 - Article

VL - 13

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

SN - 2041-1723

M1 - 5073

ER -

Divergent changes in particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon upon permafrost thaw

Abstract

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