Stronger Drought Response of CO₂ Fluxes in Tundra Heath Compared to Sphagnum Peatland in the Sub-Arctic.

ABSTRACT: Drought events are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change, causing lasting impacts on plant communities and ecosystem functioning. In the sub-arctic, climate is changing at a rate above the global average with amplifying effects on the carbon cycle. Drought-induced shifts in the balance between productivity and respiration might have important implications for climate change feedbacks in these regions. However, little is known about how carbon fluxes in sub-arctic ecosystems respond to drought, hampering predictions. Here, we test how two important but contrasting sub-arctic ecosystem types, Sphagnum peatland and tundra heath, respond to experimental drought. Mesocosms were exposed to a full precipitation exclusion for 7 weeks, decreasing gravimetric water content by 6

SUBMITTER: Heinzelmann V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12020989 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature