Fossil mosses are emitting methane after maritime Antarctic glacier retreat.

In the extraordinary weather conditions of the austral summer of 2023, fossil mosses thawed out from under the Bellingshausen Ice Dome, King George Island, Southern Shetland Archipelago of maritime Antarctica. At the end of the austral summer, we directly measured greenhouse gas fluxes (CH and CO) from the surface of fossil mosses. We showed that fossil mosses were strong emitters of CH and weak emitters of CO.

Soil contamination by diesel fuel destabilizes the soil microbial pools: Insights from permafrost soil incubations.

Arctic contamination by diesel fuel (DF) is of great concern because of the uncertain feedback of permafrost carbon (C) and soil microbiota to DF in the context of climate change in high latitudes. We conducted a laboratory incubation experiment with a gradient of DF addition ratios to examine the responses of the soil microbiota of the typical permafrost soils in the tundra ecosystems of the Norilsk region (Siberia). The study revealed initial heterogeneity in the microbial activity of the studied soils (Histic Gleyic Cryosols (CR-hi,gl), Turbic Cryosols (CR-tu), Turbic Spodic Folic Cryosols (CR-tu,sd,fo), Gleyic Fluvisols (FL-gl)).

The impact of permafrost on carbon dioxide and methane fluxes in Siberia: A meta-analysis.

There are serious concerns associated with greenhouse gases (GHG) fluxes in high latitude ecosystems and how the permafrost thawing may potentially affect the global climate, through the alteration of carbon (C) dioxide (CO) and methane (CH) emissions. We performed a meta-analysis of 3002 observations from 104 published studies on CO and CH fluxes in Siberia (Russian Federation). Siberia is a vast region characterized by a large C-rich permafrost region, which is already degrading due to escalating climate change, and also large wetland areas, also regarded as a source of CH.

Permafrost landslides promote soil CO emission and hinder C accumulation.

Landslides are common in high-latitude forest ecosystems that have developed on permafrost. The most vulnerable areas in the permafrost territories of Siberia occur on the south-facing slopes of northern rivers, where they are observed on about 20% of the total area of river slopes. Landslide disturbances will likely increase with climate change especially due to increasing summer-autumn precipitation.

Post fire organic matter biodegradation in permafrost soils: Case study after experimental heating of mineral horizons.

Periodical ground fires of high frequency in permafrost forest ecosystems of Siberia (Russian Federation) are essential factors determining quantitative and qualitative parameters of permafrost soil organic matter. Specific changes in physical and chemical parameters and microbial activity of permafrost soil mineral horizons of northern taiga larch stands were revealed after heating at high temperatures (150-500°C) used for imitation of different burn intensities. Burning at 150-200°C resulted in decreasing of soil pH, whilst heating at 300-500°C caused increase of pH compare to unheated soils.