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Soil carbon in the boreal region under climate and land use change

Posted on by Adrian Unc
September 9, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13108

Combined, cold, high acidity, low availability of nitrogen and phosphorus, high water-table, and fungal-dominated populations shape the boreal forest system into one capable of storing vast amounts of carbon in relatively stable fashion, despite frequent disturbance. Naturally, most carbon is stored in surface organic horizons and aboveground biomass. Climate change could alter some of these limitations, particularly temperature, hastening carbon cycling or otherwise destabilizing boreal forest systems beyond their capability to adapt and react (e.g. increased fire frequency). Additionally, climate-facilitated shifts in soil biota (e.g. earthworms) may introduce yet-to-be quantified changes in soil carbon cycling and soil horizonation. However, there might be room for cautious optimism. Given that boreal landscapes are shaped by disturbances (e.g. large annual swings between hot and cold, fire, hydrology, cryoturbation, etc.), it is possible that they may prove more resilient in the face of global climate change than previously thought, especially when various feedback loops are considered.

Jeremiah D. Vallotton, Adrian Unc

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Socioecological dynamics of diverse global permafrost-agroecosystems underenvironmental change

Posted on by Adrian Unc
June 18, 2024

Permafrost-agroecosystems include all cultivation and pastoral activities in areas underlain by permafrost. These systems support local livelihoods and food production and are rarely considered in global agricultural studies but may become more relevant as climate change is increasing opportunities for food production in high latitude and mountainous areas. The exact locations and amount of agricultural production in areas containing permafrost are currently unknown, therefore we provide an overview of countries where both permafrost and agricultural activities are present. We highlight the socioecological diversity and complexities of permafrost- agroecosystems through seven case studies: (1) crop cultivation in Alaska, USA; (2) Indigenous food systems and crop cultivation in the Northwest Territories, Canada; (3) horse and cattle husbandry and Indigenous hay production in the Sakha Republic, Russia; (4) mobile pastoralism and husbandry in Mongolia; (5) yak pastoralism in the Central Himalaya, Nepal; (6) berry picking and reindeer herding in northern Fennoscandia; and (7) reindeer herding in northwest Russia. We discuss regional knowledge gaps associated with permafrost and make recommendations to policy makers and land users for adapting to changing permafrost environments. A better understanding of permafrost-agroecosystems is needed to help sustainably manage and develop these systems considering rapidly changing climate, environments, economies, and industries.

Melissa Ward Jones, Joachim Otto Habeck, Mathias Ulrich, Susan Crate, Glenna Gannon, Tobias Schwoerer, Benjamin Jones, Mikhail Kanevskiy, Prashant Baral, Amina Maharjan, Jakob Steiner, Andrew Spring, Mindy Jewell Price, David Bysouth, Bruce C. Forbes, Mariana Verdonen, Timo Kumpula, Jens Strauss, Torben Windirsch, Christopher Poeplau, Yuri Shura, Benjamin Gaglioti, Nicholas Parlato, Fulu Taor, Merritt Turetskys, Stephanie Grand, Adrian Unc, and Nils Borchard

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/15230430.2024.2356067?needAccess=true

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BioSoil North results presented at the 9th International Symposium on Soil Organic Matter

Posted on by Adrian Unc
May 29, 2024

Results from our Labrador site, from the Global Boreal and Alpine Soils project, and from the Canadian Soil Biodiversity Observatory are presented at the 9th International Symposium on soil Organic Matter in Ben Guerir, Morocco.

“Impact of conversion and post-conversion management on soil organic carbon in farmed boreal Podzols” [oral presentation]

“Investigating the interactions between soil carbon stocks, soil microbial communities and land-uses” [oral presentation]

“Impact of land-use on total and proportional respiration rates in Maritime boreal ecoregions” [poster presentation]

“Soil organic carbon amount rather than land-use controls respiration in boreal and temperate-boreal ecotone sites” [oral presentation]

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Official Dialogue Feedback to the United Nations 2021 Food Systems Summit

Posted on by Adrian Unc
June 29, 2021

Dr. Nils Borchard (LUKE-Finland) & Prof. Dr. Adrian Unc have convened a United Nations Food Systems Summit dialogue.

Topic of the discussion groups: i) Land use and land use change, ii) Farming systems, iii) Environment and biodiversity, iv) Rural development and human health, v) agri-food business models and strategies, and vi) Agricultural policies.

The outcomes from the Food Systems Summit Dialogue will be of use in developing the pathway to sustainable food systems within the locality in which they take place. They will be a valuable contribution to the national pathways and also of interest to the different work streams preparing for the Summit: the Action Tracks, Scientific Groups and Champions as well as for other Dialogues.

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