Is the subarctic landscape still a carbon sink? Evidence from a detailed catchment balance

Erik J. Lundin; Jonatan Klaminder; Reiner Giesler; Andreas Persson; David Olefeldt; Michal Heliasz; Torben R. Christensen; Jan Karlsson

doi:10.1002/2015GL066970

Is the subarctic landscape still a carbon sink? Evidence from a detailed catchment balance

Erik J. Lundin, Jonatan Klaminder, Reiner Giesler, Andreas Persson, David Olefeldt, Michal Heliasz, Torben R. Christensen, Jan Karlsson

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Abstract

Climate warming raises the question whether high-latitude landscape still function as net carbon (C) sinks. By compiling an integrated C balance for an intensely studied subarctic catchment, we show that this catchment's C balance is not likely to be a strong current sink of C, a commonly held assumption. In fact, it is more plausible (71% probability) that the studied catchment functions as a C source (-11 ± 20 g C m^-2 yr^-1). Analyses of individual fluxes indicate that soil and aquatic C losses offset C sequestering in other landscape components (e.g., peatlands and aboveground forest biomass). Our results stress the importance of fully integrated catchment C balance estimates and highlight the importance of upland soils and their interaction with the aquatic network for the catchment C balance.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1988-1995
Number of pages	8
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	43
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL066970
Publication status	Published - 2016 Mar 16

Subject classification (UKÄ)

Climate Research

Free keywords

aquatic ecosystems
carbon balance
sink
source
subarctic
terrestrial ecosystems

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1002/2015GL066970

Cite this

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abstract = "Climate warming raises the question whether high-latitude landscape still function as net carbon (C) sinks. By compiling an integrated C balance for an intensely studied subarctic catchment, we show that this catchment's C balance is not likely to be a strong current sink of C, a commonly held assumption. In fact, it is more plausible (71% probability) that the studied catchment functions as a C source (-11 ± 20 g C m-2 yr-1). Analyses of individual fluxes indicate that soil and aquatic C losses offset C sequestering in other landscape components (e.g., peatlands and aboveground forest biomass). Our results stress the importance of fully integrated catchment C balance estimates and highlight the importance of upland soils and their interaction with the aquatic network for the catchment C balance.",

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AU - Lundin, Erik J.

AU - Klaminder, Jonatan

AU - Giesler, Reiner

AU - Persson, Andreas

AU - Olefeldt, David

AU - Heliasz, Michal

AU - Christensen, Torben R.

AU - Karlsson, Jan

PY - 2016/3/16

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N2 - Climate warming raises the question whether high-latitude landscape still function as net carbon (C) sinks. By compiling an integrated C balance for an intensely studied subarctic catchment, we show that this catchment's C balance is not likely to be a strong current sink of C, a commonly held assumption. In fact, it is more plausible (71% probability) that the studied catchment functions as a C source (-11 ± 20 g C m-2 yr-1). Analyses of individual fluxes indicate that soil and aquatic C losses offset C sequestering in other landscape components (e.g., peatlands and aboveground forest biomass). Our results stress the importance of fully integrated catchment C balance estimates and highlight the importance of upland soils and their interaction with the aquatic network for the catchment C balance.

AB - Climate warming raises the question whether high-latitude landscape still function as net carbon (C) sinks. By compiling an integrated C balance for an intensely studied subarctic catchment, we show that this catchment's C balance is not likely to be a strong current sink of C, a commonly held assumption. In fact, it is more plausible (71% probability) that the studied catchment functions as a C source (-11 ± 20 g C m-2 yr-1). Analyses of individual fluxes indicate that soil and aquatic C losses offset C sequestering in other landscape components (e.g., peatlands and aboveground forest biomass). Our results stress the importance of fully integrated catchment C balance estimates and highlight the importance of upland soils and their interaction with the aquatic network for the catchment C balance.

KW - aquatic ecosystems

KW - carbon balance

KW - sink

KW - source

KW - subarctic

KW - terrestrial ecosystems

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JO - Geophysical Research Letters

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ER -

Is the subarctic landscape still a carbon sink? Evidence from a detailed catchment balance

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UN SDGs

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