Different determinants of soil carbon decomposition between active and permafrost layers: evidence from alpine permafrost on the Tibetan Plateau

Abstract:

The fate of permafrost carbon is of great concern among global change community due to its potential positive feedback to climate warming. However, the determinants of soil carbon decomposition between active layer and permafrost layers remain poorly understood. This incubation study was designed to test the following two hypotheses: 1) low carbon quantity and microbial abundances in permafrost soils limit decomposition rates compared with active layer soils; 2) carbon losses from active layer are more controlled by environmental factors, whereas those from permafrost depth are primarily determined by the microbial condition. We collected five active layer and permafrost soils from alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau and compared the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions at -5 and 5 °C in a 80-days aerobic incubation. The availability of organic carbon and microbial abundances (fungi, bacteria, and actinomycete) within permafrost soils were significantly lower than active layer soils, which, together with the environmental data supports the reduced cumulative CO₂ emissions in permafrost depth. However, the decomposability of SOC from permafrost was similar or even higher than surface soils. The carbon loss not only depended on SOC quantity and microbial abundance, but also nitrogen availability and soil pH. Nevertheless, the controls on carbon emissions between active and permafrost layers were significantly different. Cumulative CO₂ emission from active layers was best predicted by soil moisture, and carbon emission from permafrost depths was highly associated with fungal-PLFAs. Taken together, these results demonstrate that different controls on carbon emission between active layer and permafrost soils. These differences highlight the importance of distinguishing permafrost depth in Earth System Models when predicting the responses of deep soil carbon to environmental change.