Abstract
Biogeochemical feedback processes between soil organic carbon (SOC) in high-latitude organic soils and climate change is of great concern for projecting future climate. More accurate models of the SOC stock and its dynamics in organic soil are of increasing importance. As a first step toward creating a soil model that accurately represents SOC dynamics, we have created the Physical and Biogeochemical Soil Dynamics Model (PB-SDM) that couples a land surface model with a SOC dynamics model to simulate the feedback cycle of SOC accumulation and thermal hydrological dynamics of high-latitude soils. The model successfully simulated soil temperatures for observed data from a boreal forest near Fairbanks, and 2000 year simulations indicated that the effect of the feedback cycle of SOC accumulation on soil thickness would result in a significant differences in the amount of SOC.
Highlights
Large amounts of soil organic carbon (SOC) are stored in high-latitude soils
Insulation by SOC keeps the soil temperature relatively low in summer and raises the permafrost, creating an impermeable surface that in turn raises the water table further. These effects of SOC accumulation slow down decomposition and lead to further accumulation of SOC
To assess the effect of the feedback cycle, we compared the results of Physical and Biogeochemical Soil Dynamics Model (PB-SOC dynamics model (SDM)) to a model that does not account for feedback
Summary
Large amounts of soil organic carbon (SOC) are stored in high-latitude soils. Cold temperatures and a highly moist environment create a large stock of SOC. Insulation by SOC keeps the soil temperature relatively low in summer and raises the permafrost, creating an impermeable surface that in turn raises the water table further These effects of SOC accumulation slow down decomposition and lead to further accumulation of SOC. With the heightened concern about global climate change, the ability to accurately model the SOC stock and its dynamics in high-latitude organic soils is of increasing importance. Reflecting this concern, there have been numerous studies on the physics and biogeochemical processes of organic soils. To assess the effect of the feedback cycle, we compared the results of PB-SDM to a model that does not account for feedback
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