An Assessment of Phosphorus Fractions in the Canadian High Arctic Post-Permafrost Disturbances

Abstract

Climate change is impacting all natural processes, and the phosphorus cycle is no exception. With the High Arctic warming at a significantly increased rate compared to the rest of the world, thawing permafrost could potentially release great amounts of carbon, which through cellular respiration in microbes and plants, would eventually enter the atmosphere creating a runaway positive feedback cycle. The purpose of this research is to determine the amounts of the different forms of phosphorus present in High Arctic soil after a permafrost disturbance. This project will be done as a chronosequence as opposed to a longitudinal study, as it is not practical to measure time over a period of 60-70 years.
 Soil samples were collected from the Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory on Melville Island in Canada. 3 sites were sampled, each with a different amount of time elapsed since a permafrost disturbance occurred. These 3 sites vary from the disturbance occurring 1-2 years ago, to 14 years ago, to 60-70 years ago. 3 replicates were taken from each site. Furthermore, each site had its own respective control, from which 3 replicates were also taken. Chemical analysis of the amount of phosphorus present in the soil samples will be done using the Hedley method of phosphorus fractionation. The Hedley method is a method of phosphorus fractionation that is done by sequentially adding stronger reagents to remove various forms of occluded, non-occluded, labile, and resistant forms of phosphorus.
 The results of this project are still unknown, as much lab work has yet to be completed. However, I expect phosphorus fractions results to vary between the different sites. This is significant as human disturbances and interference may cause accelerated permafrost thaw in the High Arctic, furthering altering ecosystems.