North American Arctic Transect
Annual and Final Reports:
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| Biocomplexity associated with biogeochemical cycles in arctic frost-boil ecosystems. (Final Report, pdf, 2.6 mb) |
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| Walker, Donald A. |
| Metadata: (not available) Summary: Our project studied small patterned-ground ecosystems along the arctic bioclimate gradient in North America. These features are unique to permafrost regions and are a significant component of nearly all arctic landscapes. Prior to this study, these features have been studied by geomorphologists but their role in ecosystems has been largely unstudied. These systems are of particular interest because: (1) Some processes involved in the formation of patterned-ground landscapes are not well understood; (2) the role of cryogenic processes with respect to biogeochemical cycling, carbon sequestration and a whole host of ecosystem processes is poorly known; and (3) they are an ideal natural system to study the response of disturbed and undisturbed tundra to differences in climate. Recently, these features have been linked to a wide variety of ecosystem properties including sequestration of carbon in the permafrost, the flux of energy, water, and nutrients to land surface, watersheds and the atmosphere (Bockheim et al, 1998; Nelson et al, 1998; Walker et al, 1998) and even the forage quality for wildlife (Walker et al, 2001). The project is focusing on how climate influences the interactions between vegetation, soils, and patterned ground formation in order to better understand how climate change might affect these systems. We are focusing on soil biogeochemical processes, hydrothermal processes, and vegetation patterns. |