Permafrost degradation

Permafrost stability is threatened by strong increases in air temperature in the Arctic region, which results in several biological, biogeochemical, geological and climatic hazards, including 1) the disturbance of organic soils (big stores of organic matter) vulnerable to rapid decomposition resulting in an increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄); 2) regional hydrologic shifts either at the surface or in the subsurface resulting in substantial changes in drainage patterns; 3) increased transport of suspended sediment and particulate organic matter yielding increased soil erosion and degradation; 4) significant increases of nutrients as dissolved phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) (TDP and TDN) in subarctic streams, riverine and coastal systems; 5) thermokarst processes – subsidence caused by thawing of ground ice and ice wedges- enhance collapses, landslides and flooding of vast areas.

We focus on the hazards of soil erosion and loss of nutrients in polar regions in areas dominated by organic soils to understand how permafrost thawing impacts microbial, plant and soil biogeochemistry under a geomorphological and hydrological control. Our research, therefore, provides a strategic basis for wise management plans to protect these vulnerable mire habitats as part of climate change mitigation and adaptation policies. Protection of peatlands is promoted by international agreements, as the Ramsar Convention, and is a pivotal strategy for the achievement of UN framework Conventions on Climate Change -Paris Agreement- to reduce greenhouse gas atmospheric emissions. Previous IPCC reports highlighted that peatlands (and especially permafrost peatlands) are still overlooked as strategic regulators of the terrestrial carbon cycle budget.

This is being developed within the framework of multiple international contacts with the Department of Peatlands Studies and Paleoecology of University of Greifswald, partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre and led by H.Joosten. The research carried out at Abisko (Sweden) and Toolik (Alaska) is being elaborated in coordination with A.Richter (leader of the Terrestrial Ecosystem research laboratories at University of Vienna and Director of Austrian Polar Research Institute), I.Janssens and O.Grau (Global Changes Ecology Excellence Center from University of Antwerp-UAntwerp), E.Dorrepaal (Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Umea Universitet-UU, Climate Impacts Research Center) and S.Brett-Harte (University of Fairbanks and Toolik Field Station, Alaska, USA). Our interdisciplinary research on permafrost soils is also supported by fruitful national collaborations with researchers from CREAF (J.Peñuelas, S.Marañón), from the Research Group in Mountain Areas and Landscape at UAB (A.Pèlachs) and from the Faculty of Biology of UB (A.Pérez-Haase).