Effects of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Amendments on CO2 andCH4 Production in Peat Soils of Scotty Creek

This study shows how permafrost thaw, wildfires, and added nutrients can increase CO₂ and methane emissions from northern peatlands, affecting carbon cycling.

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Field Value
Creator Academic Journal
Summary Impacts of nutrient enrichment on soil carbon cycling have been extensively studied in temperate and tropical regions where intensive agriculture and land development has led to large increases in anthropogenic inputs of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P). However, how soil carbon sequestration and soil–atmosphere gas exchanges in cold regions respond to greater inputs of N and P remains poorly known despite recent observations showing significant increases in porewater N and P in burned subarctic peatlands and downstream waters. Wildfires and enhanced hydrological connectivity due to permafrost thaw therefore have the potential to change carbon turnover and gas emissions in the soils of northern peatlands. To start exploring the sensitivity of peatland soil biogeochemistry to variations in N and P availability, we measured the carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) production rates during a month-long incubation experiment with soils from a bog and fen collected at the long-term Scotty Creek research station in the Northwest Territories, Canada.
Local Relevance Relevant to the Northwest Territories as it demonstrates how warming and thawing permafrost and wildfire impacts in the region could incrase greenhouse gas emissions.
Notes
Tags NWT Climate Change,Wildfire,Permafrost thaw,Greenhouse Gas,Carbon Cycle
Geographic Region NWT
Release Date 2025-04-09
Last Modified Date 2025-04-09
Funding Program