Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics in Permafrost-Affected Ecosystems

Permafrost regions contain nearly half of the world’s soil organic carbon (SOC), rendering them critical to the global carbon cycle. In these cold environments, organic matter accumulates over millennia under limited microbial activity and cryoturbation processes. Seasonal thawing of the active layer mobilises formerly frozen carbon, enabling microbial decomposition and greenhouse-gas production. As Arctic and sub-Arctic temperatures rise, active‐layer deepening and permafrost degradation accelerate the release of carbon dioxide and methane, creating potential positive feedbacks to climate warming. Soil moisture, thermal conductivity and vegetation cover interact to modulate SOC stability, while thermokarst formation and hydrological shifts alter carbon transport to aquatic systems. Understanding the balance between carbon sequestration during plant growth and carbon loss through decomposition and erosion is essential for predicting future atmospheric carbon concentrations and for informing mitigation strategies.

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Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics in Permafrost-Affected Ecosystems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in soil organic carbon dynamics in permafrost-affected ecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Permafrost: Ground that remains continuously at or below 0 °C for at least two consecutive years, storing vast amounts of organic carbon in frozen soils.

Active layer: The seasonally thawed upper soil layer above permafrost, whose depth controls the mobilisation and decomposition of previously frozen organic matter.

Soil organic carbon (SOC): The carbon component of soil organic matter, comprising decomposed plant and microbial residues and a key indicator of soil fertility and carbon sequestration potential.

Cryoturbation: The mixing of soil horizons through freeze–thaw cycles, which influences the burial and preservation of organic material in permafrost landscapes.

Thermokarst: Land surface collapse resulting from the thaw of ice‐rich permafrost, leading to subsidence, pond formation and altered hydrological pathways that can enhance carbon release.

Carbon sequestration: The process by which atmospheric carbon dioxide is captured and stored in vegetation, soils or geological formations, mitigating greenhouse‐gas accumulation.

References

1. Soil Organic Carbon Pools and Stocks in Permafrost-Affected Soils on the Tibetan Plateau. PLOS ONE (2013).
2. Shift in controlling factors of carbon stocks across biomes on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Environmental Research Letters (2022).
3. Uncertainties of soil organic carbon stock estimation caused by paleoclimate and human footprint on the Qinghai Plateau. Carbon Balance and Management (2022).