The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Thawing sub-arctic permafrost: Effects on vegetation and methane emissions

Author

  • Torben Christensen
  • Torbjörn Johansson
  • Jonas Åkerman
  • Mikhail Mastepanov
  • Nils Malmer
  • T Friborg
  • P Crill
  • B H Svensson

Summary, in English

Ecosystems along the 0degreesC mean annual isotherm are arguably among the most sensitive to changing climate and mires in these regions emit significant amounts of the important greenhouse gas methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. These CH4 emissions are intimately related to temperature and hydrology, and alterations in permafrost coverage, which affect both of those, could have dramatic impacts on the emissions. Using a variety of data and information sources from the same region in subarctic Sweden we show that mire ecosystems are subject to dramatic recent changes in the distribution of permafrost and vegetation. These changes are most likely caused by a warming, which has been observed during recent decades. A detailed study of one mire show that the permafrost and vegetation changes have been associated with increases in landscape scale CH4 emissions in the range of 22-66% over the period 1970 to 2000.

Publishing year

2004

Language

English

Pages

04501-04501

Publication/Series

Geophysical Research Letters

Volume

31

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Topic

  • Ecology
  • Physical Geography

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1944-8007