Article

 

Evidence for non-steady-state carbon emissions from snow-scoured alpine tundra. Public Deposited

https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/articles/6h440t073
Abstract
  • High-latitude warming is capable of accelerating permafrost degradation and the decomposition of previously frozen carbon. The existence of an analogous high-altitude feedback, however, has yet to be directly evaluated. We address this knowledge gap by coupling a radiocarbon-based model to 7 years (2008-2014) of continuous eddy covariance data from a snow-scoured alpine tundra meadow in Colorado, USA, where solifluction lobes are associated with discontinuous permafrost. On average, the ecosystem was a net annual source of 232 ± 54 g C m-2 (mean ± 1 standard deviation) to the atmosphere, and respiration of relatively radiocarbon-depleted (i.e., older) substrate contributes to carbon emissions during the winter. Given that alpine soils with permafrost occupy 3.6 × 106 km2 land area and are estimated to contain 66.3 Pg of soil organic carbon (4.5% of the global pool), this scenario has global implications for the mountain carbon balance and corresponding resource allocation to lower elevations.

Creator
Date Issued
  • 2019-03-21
Academic Affiliation
Journal Title
Journal Issue/Number
  • 1
Journal Volume
  • 10
File Extent
  • 1306-1306
Last Modified
  • 2020-02-17
Identifier
  • PubMed ID: 30898997
Resource Type
Rights Statement
DOI
ISSN
  • 2041-1723
Language

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