Reduced microbial stability in the active layer is associated with carbon loss under alpine permafrost degradation.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2021/06/22;118(25)
Wu MH[1, 2], Chen SY[3, 4], Chen JW[5], Xue K[6], Chen SL[7], Wang XM[1], Chen T[1], Kang SC[1], Rui JP[8], Thies JE[9], Bardgett RD[10], Wang YF[2]
Affiliations
PMID: 34131077DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2025321118
Impact factor: 12.779
Abstract
Permafrost degradation may induce soil carbon (C) loss, critical for global C cycling, and be mediated by microbes. Despite larger C stored within the active layer of permafrost regions, which are more affected by warming, and the critical roles of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in C cycling, most previous studies focused on the permafrost layer and in high-latitude areas. We demonstrate in situ that permafrost degradation alters the diversity and potentially decreases the stability of active layer microbial communities. These changes are associated with soil C loss and potentially a positive C feedback. This study provides insights into microbial-mediated mechanisms responsible for C loss within the active layer in degraded permafrost, aiding in the modeling of C emission under future scenarios.
Keywords: distance–decay relationship; network stability; permafrost degradation; soil carbon density; soil microbial community
MeSH terms
Biodiversity; Carbon; China; Environmental Microbiology; Microbiota; Organic Chemicals; Permafrost; Plants; Soil
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