Soil Systems
Objectives:
- To understand the impact of climate variability and change on soil processes involved in nutrient cycling and carbon flux.
- To evaluation of the amount of sequestered carbon in permafrost peatlands and assess the impact of melting permafrost on their carbon budget.
The presence of permafrost and the large amounts of soil organic carbon it contains are key factors in understanding the impact of climate change on tundra ecosystems. Unique soil processes in permafrost-affected soils are responsible for the large build-up of organic carbon in these soils. Soil moisture, temperature, nutrient cycling and a variety of soil processes control the biological activity and productivity of tundra ecosystems.