Reduced microbial stability in the active layer is associated with carbon loss under alpine permafrost degradation

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 s...

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Published inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 118; no. 25; pp. 1 - 9
Main Authors Wu, Ming-Hui, Chen, Sheng-Yun, Chen, Jian-Wei, Xue, Kai, Chen, Shi-Long, Wang, Xiao-Ming, Chen, Tuo, Kang, Shi-Chang, Rui, Jun-Peng, Thies, Janice E., Bardgett, Richard D., Wang, Yan-Fen
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States National Academy of Sciences 22.06.2021
Subjects
Biodiversity
Biological Sciences
Carbon
Carbon - analysis
China
Cycles
Environmental degradation
Environmental Microbiology
Microbial activity
Microbiota
Microorganisms
Organic Chemicals - analysis
Permafrost
Plants
Soil - chemistry
Soil degradation
Soil stability
Soils
China
network stability
soil microbial community
soil carbon density
distance–decay relationship
permafrost degradation
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Summary: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.
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Author contributions: S.-Y.C., K.X., and Y.-F.W. designed research; M.-H.W. and S.-Y.C. performed research; J.-W.C. and S.-L.C. contributed high-throughput sequencing; S.-Y.C. handled all soils sampling and provided key field data; M.-H.W. and J.-W.C. performed data analysis and integration; and M.-H.W., S.-Y.C., and K.X. wrote the paper with help from X.-M.W., T.C., S.-C.K., J.-P.R., J.E.T., and R.D.B.
1M.-H.W., S.-Y.C., and J.-W.C. contributed equally to this work.
Edited by James M. Tiedje, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, and approved May 10, 2021 (received for review December 17, 2020)
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.2025321118