A conceptual model of the controlling factors of soil organic carbon and nitrogen densities in a permafrost-affected region on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Wu, Xiaodong; Han, Fang; Zhao, Youpeng; Smoak, Joseph M.; Li, Wangping; Shi, Wei; Sheng, Yu; Zhao, Lin; Ding, Yongjian

doi:10.1002/2016jg003641

Cited by 69 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…The higher soil moisture may also be related to the higher clay contents in the permafrost areas, as fine particles have higher water holding capacities (Gómez‐Plaza et al, ). This result is consistent with the interactions among the permafrost and environmental factors (Wu et al, ). Specifically, the drainage conditions, which are affected by the geomorphology, determine plant growth.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Relict Mountain Permafrost Area (Loess Plateau, China) Exhibits High Ecosystem Respiration Rates and Accelerating Rates in Response to Warming

Zhao

et al. 2017

JGR Biogeosciences

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Relict permafrost regions are characterized by thin permafrost and relatively high temperatures. Understanding the ecosystem respiration rate (ERR) and its relationship with soil hydrothermal conditions in these areas can provide knowledge regarding the permafrost carbon cycle in a warming world. In this study, we examined a permafrost area, a boundary area, and a seasonally frozen ground area within a relict permafrost region on the east edge of the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau, China. Measurements from July 2015 to September 2016 showed that the mean annual ecosystem CO2 emissions for the boundary area were greater than the permafrost area. The Q10 value of the ERRs in the seasonally frozen ground area was greater than the permafrost area, indicating that the carbon emissions in the nonpermafrost areas were more sensitive to warming. The 1 year open‐top chamber (OTC) warming increased soil temperatures in both the permafrost and seasonally frozen ground areas throughout the year, and the warming increased the ERRs by 1.18 (0.99–1.38, with interquartile range) and 1.13 (0.75–1.54, with interquartile range) μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 in permafrost and seasonally frozen ground areas, respectively. The OTC warming increased annual ERRs by approximately 50% for both permafrost and seasonally frozen ground areas with half the increase occurring during the nongrowing seasons. These results suggest that the ERRs in relict permafrost are high in comparison with arctic regions, and the carbon balance in relict permafrost areas could be greatly changed by climate warming.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Relict Mountain Permafrost Area (Loess Plateau, China) Exhibits High Ecosystem Respiration Rates and Accelerating Rates in Response to Warming

Zhao

et al. 2017

JGR Biogeosciences

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“…Organic layers are mainly distributed in the alpine swamp meadow on the QTP (Hu et al,). The alpine desert steppe vegetation region stored much lower soil organic carbon contents than the other vegetation regions on the QTP (X. Wu et al, , ). The areas of alpine swamp meadows accounted for 4% of the permafrost areas on the QTP (Wang et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The areas of alpine swamp meadows accounted for 4% of the permafrost areas on the QTP (Wang et al, ). It was reported that there was almost no peat layer in the permafrost regions on the QTP (X. Wu et al, , ). Due to the relatively dry soil, the coarse soil materials, and the lack of winter snow cover over the QTP (Wu & Zhang, ), the effects of organic layers were not considered in our simulation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical Modeling of the Active Layer Thickness and Permafrost Thermal State Across Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

et al. 2017

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The dynamics of permafrost (including the permafrost thermal state and active layer thicknesses (ALT)) across the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (QTP) have not been well understood on a large scale. Here we simulate the ALT and permafrost thermal state using the Geophysical Institute Permafrost Lab version 2 (GIPL2) model across the QTP. Based on the single‐point simulations, the model is upscaled to the entire QTP. The upscaled model is validated with five investigated regions (IRs), including Wenquan (WQIR), Gaize (GZIR), Aerjin (AEJIR), Xikunlun (XKLIR), and Qinghai‐Tibetan Highway (G109IR). The results show that the modified GIPL2 model improves the accuracy of the permafrost thermal state simulations. Due to our simulated results on the QTP, the average ALT is of 2.30 m (2.21–2.40 m). The ALT decreases with an increase in the altitude and decreases from the southeast to the northwest. The ALT is thin in the central QTP, but it is thick in the high‐elevation mountain areas and some areas surrounding glaciers and lakes. The largest ALT is found in the border areas between permafrost and seasonally frozen ground regions. The simulated results of the MAGT (the mean annual ground temperature) indicate that most of the permafrost is substable, which is sensitive to climate warming. The simulated results would be of great significance on assessing the impacts of permafrost dynamics on local hydrology, ecology, and engineering construction.

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“…In addition, higher clay and silt contents favour plant growth because they have higher water holding capacity, and consequently increasing carbon input to soil (Yang et al, ). The soil texture, especially clay and silt fractions, and SM are the most important factors contributing to the variations in soil organic content on the QTP (Wu et al, ). Vegetation and SM mutually influence each other (Shang et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Vegetation and SM mutually influence each other (Shang et al, ). Higher SM combined with lower soil temperature in the alpine swamp meadow may be associated with a lower decomposition rate, which in turn leads to higher soil organic matter content (Shang et al, ; Wu et al, ). For example, the higher soil organic carbon content assessed using laboratory measurements at QT03 may be explained by the higher SM (Shang et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of reanalysis soil moisture products in the permafrost regions of the central of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Qin

et al. 2017

Hydrological Processes

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The long‐term and large‐scale soil moisture (SM) record is important for understanding land atmosphere interactions and their impacts on the weather, climate, and regional ecosystem. SM products are one of the parameters used in some Earth system models, but these records require evaluation before use. The water resources on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) are important to the water security of billions of people in Asia. Therefore, it is necessary to know the SM conditions on the QTP. In this study, the evaluation metrics of multilayer (0–10, 10–40, and 40–100 cm) SM in different reanalysis datasets of the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts interim reanalysis (ERA‐Interim [ERA]), National Centers for Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System and the Climate Forecast System version 2 (CFSv2), and China Meteorological Administration Land Data Assimilation System (CLDAS) are compared with in situ observations at 5 observation sites, which represent alpine meadow, alpine swamp meadow, alpine grassy meadow, alpine desert steppe, and alpine steppe environments during the thawing season from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2013, on the QTP. The ERA SM remains constant at approximately 0.2 m3⋅m−3 at all observation sites during the entire thawing season. The CLDAS and CFSv2 SM products show similar patterns with those of the in situ SM observations during the thawing season. The CLDAS SM product performs better than the CFSv2 and ERA for all vegetation types except the alpine swamp meadow. The results indicate that the soil texture and land cover types play a more important role than the precipitation to increase the biases of the CLDAS SM product on the QTP.

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A conceptual model of the controlling factors of soil organic carbon and nitrogen densities in a permafrost-affected region on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Cited by 69 publications

References 72 publications

Relict Mountain Permafrost Area (Loess Plateau, China) Exhibits High Ecosystem Respiration Rates and Accelerating Rates in Response to Warming

Relict Mountain Permafrost Area (Loess Plateau, China) Exhibits High Ecosystem Respiration Rates and Accelerating Rates in Response to Warming

Numerical Modeling of the Active Layer Thickness and Permafrost Thermal State Across Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

Assessment of reanalysis soil moisture products in the permafrost regions of the central of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

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