Dynamic soil columns simulate Arctic redox biogeochemistry and carbon release during changes in water saturation
Abstract Thawing Arctic permafrost can induce hydrologic change and alter redox conditions, shifting the balance of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. There remains uncertainty about how soil saturation and redox transitions impact dissolved and gas phase carbon fluxes, and efforts to link hyd...
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-83556-4 |
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| author | Erin C. Berns-Herrboldt Teri A. O’Meara Elizabeth M. Herndon Benjamin N. Sulman Baohua Gu Dawn M. Klingeman Kenneth A. Lowe David E. Graham |
| author_facet | Erin C. Berns-Herrboldt Teri A. O’Meara Elizabeth M. Herndon Benjamin N. Sulman Baohua Gu Dawn M. Klingeman Kenneth A. Lowe David E. Graham |
| author_sort | Erin C. Berns-Herrboldt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Thawing Arctic permafrost can induce hydrologic change and alter redox conditions, shifting the balance of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. There remains uncertainty about how soil saturation and redox transitions impact dissolved and gas phase carbon fluxes, and efforts to link hydrobiogeochemical processes to ecosystem-scale models are limited. This study evaluates SOM decomposition of Arctic tundra soils using column experiments, water chemistry measurements, microbial community analysis, and a PFLOTRAN reactive transport model. Soil columns from a thermokarst channel (TC) and an upland tundra (UC) were exposed to cycles of saturation and drainage, which controlled carbon emissions. During saturation, an outflow of dissolved organic carbon from the UC soil correlated with elevated reduced iron and decreased pH; during drainage, UC carbon dioxide fluxes were 70% higher than TC fluxes. Intermittent methane release was observed for TC, consistent with higher methanogen abundance. Slower drainage in the TC soil correlated with more subtle biogeochemical changes. PFLOTRAN simulations captured experimental trends in soil carbon fluxes, oxygen concentrations, and water contents. The model was then used to evaluate additional soil water drainage rates. This study emphasizes the importance of considering hydrologic change when evaluating and simulating SOM decomposition in dynamic Arctic tundra environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cf04c2e2828a4d8bbddc723c3e6b90f8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-cf04c2e2828a4d8bbddc723c3e6b90f82025-01-26T12:29:32ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111910.1038/s41598-024-83556-4Dynamic soil columns simulate Arctic redox biogeochemistry and carbon release during changes in water saturationErin C. Berns-Herrboldt0Teri A. O’Meara1Elizabeth M. Herndon2Benjamin N. Sulman3Baohua Gu4Dawn M. Klingeman5Kenneth A. Lowe6David E. Graham7Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryClimate Change Science Institute, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryEnvironmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryClimate Change Science Institute, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryEnvironmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryBiosciences Division, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryEnvironmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryBiosciences Division, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryAbstract Thawing Arctic permafrost can induce hydrologic change and alter redox conditions, shifting the balance of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. There remains uncertainty about how soil saturation and redox transitions impact dissolved and gas phase carbon fluxes, and efforts to link hydrobiogeochemical processes to ecosystem-scale models are limited. This study evaluates SOM decomposition of Arctic tundra soils using column experiments, water chemistry measurements, microbial community analysis, and a PFLOTRAN reactive transport model. Soil columns from a thermokarst channel (TC) and an upland tundra (UC) were exposed to cycles of saturation and drainage, which controlled carbon emissions. During saturation, an outflow of dissolved organic carbon from the UC soil correlated with elevated reduced iron and decreased pH; during drainage, UC carbon dioxide fluxes were 70% higher than TC fluxes. Intermittent methane release was observed for TC, consistent with higher methanogen abundance. Slower drainage in the TC soil correlated with more subtle biogeochemical changes. PFLOTRAN simulations captured experimental trends in soil carbon fluxes, oxygen concentrations, and water contents. The model was then used to evaluate additional soil water drainage rates. This study emphasizes the importance of considering hydrologic change when evaluating and simulating SOM decomposition in dynamic Arctic tundra environments.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-83556-4 |
| spellingShingle | Erin C. Berns-Herrboldt Teri A. O’Meara Elizabeth M. Herndon Benjamin N. Sulman Baohua Gu Dawn M. Klingeman Kenneth A. Lowe David E. Graham Dynamic soil columns simulate Arctic redox biogeochemistry and carbon release during changes in water saturation Scientific Reports |
| title | Dynamic soil columns simulate Arctic redox biogeochemistry and carbon release during changes in water saturation |
| title_full | Dynamic soil columns simulate Arctic redox biogeochemistry and carbon release during changes in water saturation |
| title_fullStr | Dynamic soil columns simulate Arctic redox biogeochemistry and carbon release during changes in water saturation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dynamic soil columns simulate Arctic redox biogeochemistry and carbon release during changes in water saturation |
| title_short | Dynamic soil columns simulate Arctic redox biogeochemistry and carbon release during changes in water saturation |
| title_sort | dynamic soil columns simulate arctic redox biogeochemistry and carbon release during changes in water saturation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-83556-4 |
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