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The effect of climate warming on the carbon balance of cryosols in Canada
Author(s) -
Tarnocai Charles
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
permafrost and periglacial processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1099-1530
pISSN - 1045-6740
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1530(199907/09)10:3<251::aid-ppp323>3.0.co;2-5
Subject(s) - permafrost , soil water , environmental science , carbon fibers , soil carbon , forestry , total organic carbon , physical geography , carbon sink , global warming , atmospheric sciences , climate change , environmental chemistry , soil science , geography , geology , chemistry , oceanography , materials science , composite number , composite material
The climate warming that is predicted for northern areas will have a great impact on Cryosols (soils with permafrost), which contain about 39% of the total soil organic carbon mass of all Canadian soils. The increase in thermal regime of these soils, which are now carbon sinks, will cause carbon to be released into the atmosphere, making them a carbon source. Data derived from an existing spatial sensitivity index database, which reflects the degree of expected ecological and permafrost changes, were overlaid on the Canadian Soil Organic Carbon Database using a GIS overlaying technique. Results of this analysis show that Cryosols will be strongly affected by climate warming in most of the Boreal and Subarctic areas, and to a lesser degree in Arctic areas of Canada. The amounts of surface and total organic carbon stored in these Cryosols were also calculated for each sensitivity index class in order to better assess the potential impact of climate warming on the soil carbon reserve in Cryosols. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.