Decoupling of redox processes from soil saturation in Arctic tundra
Abstract Permafrost thaw in warming Arctic landscapes alters hydrology and saturation-driven biogeochemical processes. Models assume that aerobic respiration occurs in drained soils while saturated soils support methanogenesis; however, saturated soils maintain redox gradients that host a range of a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01927-1 |
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| author | Erin C. Rooney Erin VanderJeugdt Sumant Avasarala Imtiaz Miah Matthew J. Berens Lauren Kinsman-Costello Michael N. Weintraub Elizabeth M. Herndon |
| author_facet | Erin C. Rooney Erin VanderJeugdt Sumant Avasarala Imtiaz Miah Matthew J. Berens Lauren Kinsman-Costello Michael N. Weintraub Elizabeth M. Herndon |
| author_sort | Erin C. Rooney |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Permafrost thaw in warming Arctic landscapes alters hydrology and saturation-driven biogeochemical processes. Models assume that aerobic respiration occurs in drained soils while saturated soils support methanogenesis; however, saturated soils maintain redox gradients that host a range of anaerobic metabolisms. We evaluated how redox potential and redox-active solutes vary with soil moisture in the active layer of permafrost-affected acidic and non-acidic tundra hillslopes. Oxidizing conditions persisted in highly permeable organic horizons of both unsaturated tussock tundra and saturated wet sedge meadows. Redox potential decreased with depth in all soils as increasing soil bulk density restricted groundwater flow and oxygen diffusion. High concentrations of dissolved iron, phosphate, and organic carbon coincided with redox boundaries below the soil surface in acidic tundra, indicating active iron redox cycling and potential release of adsorbed phosphate during iron (oxyhydr)oxide dissolution. In non-acidic tundra, weatherable minerals affected nutrient dynamics more than redox-driven iron cycling, especially in low-lying, saturated areas where thaw reached mineral soils. The role of thaw depth and the ability of saturated soils to maintain oxidizing conditions in organic surface layers highlight the importance of soil physical properties and hydrology in predicting biogeochemical processes and greenhouse gas emissions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-02e0ca9f11e04df7a849e1c145a7ab61 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-02e0ca9f11e04df7a849e1c145a7ab612024-12-01T12:46:20ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352024-11-01511910.1038/s43247-024-01927-1Decoupling of redox processes from soil saturation in Arctic tundraErin C. Rooney0Erin VanderJeugdt1Sumant Avasarala2Imtiaz Miah3Matthew J. Berens4Lauren Kinsman-Costello5Michael N. Weintraub6Elizabeth M. Herndon7University of Tennessee KnoxvilleKent State UniversityUniversity of Tennessee KnoxvilleUniversity of ToledoOak Ridge National LaboratoryKent State UniversityUniversity of ToledoUniversity of Tennessee KnoxvilleAbstract Permafrost thaw in warming Arctic landscapes alters hydrology and saturation-driven biogeochemical processes. Models assume that aerobic respiration occurs in drained soils while saturated soils support methanogenesis; however, saturated soils maintain redox gradients that host a range of anaerobic metabolisms. We evaluated how redox potential and redox-active solutes vary with soil moisture in the active layer of permafrost-affected acidic and non-acidic tundra hillslopes. Oxidizing conditions persisted in highly permeable organic horizons of both unsaturated tussock tundra and saturated wet sedge meadows. Redox potential decreased with depth in all soils as increasing soil bulk density restricted groundwater flow and oxygen diffusion. High concentrations of dissolved iron, phosphate, and organic carbon coincided with redox boundaries below the soil surface in acidic tundra, indicating active iron redox cycling and potential release of adsorbed phosphate during iron (oxyhydr)oxide dissolution. In non-acidic tundra, weatherable minerals affected nutrient dynamics more than redox-driven iron cycling, especially in low-lying, saturated areas where thaw reached mineral soils. The role of thaw depth and the ability of saturated soils to maintain oxidizing conditions in organic surface layers highlight the importance of soil physical properties and hydrology in predicting biogeochemical processes and greenhouse gas emissions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01927-1 |
| spellingShingle | Erin C. Rooney Erin VanderJeugdt Sumant Avasarala Imtiaz Miah Matthew J. Berens Lauren Kinsman-Costello Michael N. Weintraub Elizabeth M. Herndon Decoupling of redox processes from soil saturation in Arctic tundra Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Decoupling of redox processes from soil saturation in Arctic tundra |
| title_full | Decoupling of redox processes from soil saturation in Arctic tundra |
| title_fullStr | Decoupling of redox processes from soil saturation in Arctic tundra |
| title_full_unstemmed | Decoupling of redox processes from soil saturation in Arctic tundra |
| title_short | Decoupling of redox processes from soil saturation in Arctic tundra |
| title_sort | decoupling of redox processes from soil saturation in arctic tundra |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01927-1 |
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