Regional Conference on Permafrost 2021 and the 19th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering
Impacts of Shrubification on Ground Temperatures and Carbon Cycling in a Sub-Arctic Fen near Churchill, MB
Publication: Permafrost 2021: Merging Permafrost Science and Cold Regions Engineering
ABSTRACT
This paper examines the extent and impact of shrubification on near surface ground temperatures and microbial greenhouse gas production (GHG) in fen environments of the Hudson Bay Lowlands near Churchill, MB. Greening during 1984–2018 was analyzed using Google Earth Engine, temperature sensors were installed just below the ground surface, and active layer samples were incubated to determine potential GHG production. Greening was extensive in the area and, at the site, mean annual ground surface temperature was more than 3°C warmer under shrubs, with twice as many thawing degree-days and half as many freezing degree-days than in sedge dominated fen sites. Methane production was lower in soils from shrub-dominated sites. These preliminary results suggest it is unlikely that permafrost is sustainable where shrubs encroach, yet the effects of permafrost thaw on carbon cycling could be in part offset by lower microbial methane production associated with shrubs in near surface soils.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research was funded by The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canada Research Chairs program. Special thanks to Adam Kirkwood for his help with incubations. We would also like to acknowledge Bob Jefferies for his initial work on this project, and thank Emma Horrigan, Michelle Kalamandeen and Paul Hazlett for their assistance with other components of this project. Finally, thank you to the Churchill Northern Studies Center for accommodating our stay for field work.
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Permafrost 2021: Merging Permafrost Science and Cold Regions Engineering
Pages: 60 - 70
Editor: Jon Zufelt, Ph.D., HDR Alaska
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8358-9
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Published online: Oct 21, 2021
Published in print: Oct 21, 2021
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