Warming-induced contrasts in snow depth drive the future trajectory of soil carbon loss across the Arctic-Boreal region

Abstract The Arctic-Boreal region is projected to experience spatially divergent trends in snow depth following climate change. However, the impact of these spatial trends has remained largely unexplored, despite potentially large consequences for the carbon cycle. To address this knowledge gap, we...

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Main Authors: Alexandra Pongracz, David Wårlind, Paul A. Miller, Adrian Gustafson, Sam S. Rabin, Frans-Jan W. Parmentier
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-11-01
Series:Communications Earth & Environment
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01838-1
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author Alexandra Pongracz
David Wårlind
Paul A. Miller
Adrian Gustafson
Sam S. Rabin
Frans-Jan W. Parmentier
author_facet Alexandra Pongracz
David Wårlind
Paul A. Miller
Adrian Gustafson
Sam S. Rabin
Frans-Jan W. Parmentier
author_sort Alexandra Pongracz
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The Arctic-Boreal region is projected to experience spatially divergent trends in snow depth following climate change. However, the impact of these spatial trends has remained largely unexplored, despite potentially large consequences for the carbon cycle. To address this knowledge gap, we forced a customised arctic version of the dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS with daily CMIP6 outputs from a global climate model (MRI-ESM2-0) under three climate scenarios. We find that snow depths increased the most in the coldest, northernmost regions, insulating the soil, which led to increased heterotrophic respiration and reduced carbon residence times. We emphasise the need for improved projections of future snow depth - in particular diverging trends across landscapes - to more accurately simulate the strength of Arctic-Boreal carbon feedbacks and their impact on global climate.
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spelling doaj-art-0a81d35e1cae4eeaac2ca07dfe3d11c42025-08-20T02:50:08ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352024-11-01511710.1038/s43247-024-01838-1Warming-induced contrasts in snow depth drive the future trajectory of soil carbon loss across the Arctic-Boreal regionAlexandra Pongracz0David Wårlind1Paul A. Miller2Adrian Gustafson3Sam S. Rabin4Frans-Jan W. Parmentier5Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund UniversityDepartment of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund UniversityDepartment of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund UniversityDepartment of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund UniversityDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers UniversityDepartment of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund UniversityAbstract The Arctic-Boreal region is projected to experience spatially divergent trends in snow depth following climate change. However, the impact of these spatial trends has remained largely unexplored, despite potentially large consequences for the carbon cycle. To address this knowledge gap, we forced a customised arctic version of the dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS with daily CMIP6 outputs from a global climate model (MRI-ESM2-0) under three climate scenarios. We find that snow depths increased the most in the coldest, northernmost regions, insulating the soil, which led to increased heterotrophic respiration and reduced carbon residence times. We emphasise the need for improved projections of future snow depth - in particular diverging trends across landscapes - to more accurately simulate the strength of Arctic-Boreal carbon feedbacks and their impact on global climate.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01838-1
spellingShingle Alexandra Pongracz
David Wårlind
Paul A. Miller
Adrian Gustafson
Sam S. Rabin
Frans-Jan W. Parmentier
Warming-induced contrasts in snow depth drive the future trajectory of soil carbon loss across the Arctic-Boreal region
Communications Earth & Environment
title Warming-induced contrasts in snow depth drive the future trajectory of soil carbon loss across the Arctic-Boreal region
title_full Warming-induced contrasts in snow depth drive the future trajectory of soil carbon loss across the Arctic-Boreal region
title_fullStr Warming-induced contrasts in snow depth drive the future trajectory of soil carbon loss across the Arctic-Boreal region
title_full_unstemmed Warming-induced contrasts in snow depth drive the future trajectory of soil carbon loss across the Arctic-Boreal region
title_short Warming-induced contrasts in snow depth drive the future trajectory of soil carbon loss across the Arctic-Boreal region
title_sort warming induced contrasts in snow depth drive the future trajectory of soil carbon loss across the arctic boreal region
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01838-1
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