Permafrost condition determines plant community composition and community-level foliar functional traits in a boreal peatland.

ABSTRACT: Boreal peatlands are critical ecosystems globally because they house 30%-40% of terrestrial carbon (C), much of which is stored in permafrost soil vulnerable to climate warming-induced thaw. Permafrost thaw leads to thickening of the active (seasonally thawed) layer and alters nutrient and light availability. These physical changes may influence community-level plant functional traits through intraspecific trait variation and/or species turnover. As permafrost thaw is expected to cause an efflux of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) from the soil to the atmosphere, it is important to understand thaw-induced changes in plant community productivity to evaluate whether these changes may offset some of the anticipated increases in C emissions. To this end, we collecte

SUBMITTER: Standen KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8328418 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature