Changing Interactions Between Trace Gas Fluxes, Belowground Chemistry, and Plant Traits Across an Arctic Thermokarst Landscape

Arctic permafrost soils are increasingly subject to thermokarst that is, abrupt ground subsidence caused by thaw. Wetlands can form within these depressions, leading to changes in organic matter decomposition and gas fluxes (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, NH₃). Thermokarst wetlands tend to be dominated by graminoids, while surrounding upland tussock tundra tends to be dominated by mixed communities of shrubs and graminoids. To investigate how thermokarst alters the land-atmosphere exchange of C and N gases in Arctic tundra, we analyzed soil, porewater, above- and belowground biomass, and measured gas fluxes across dominant plant functional types (PFTs) within a lowland thermokarst wetland and adjacent upland tussock tundra. Both locations were overall sinks of CO₂, sources of CH₄, and sources of both N₂O and NH₃. We found that thermokarst wetlands emitted enough CH₄ to generate a positive radiative forcing in CO₂ equivalents (+1.2 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ CO₂-eq), counteracting the high CO₂ uptake. In contrast, the upland tussock tundra had a net negative radiative forcing (−1.2 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ CO₂-eq). Differences in gas flux and soil chemistry between upland and lowland are primarily driven by flooded conditions present in thermokarst wetland. Additionally, root biomass from graminoids across both lowlands and uplands significantly correlated with CH₄ fluxes, supporting previous observations of plant-mediated transport of CH₄. Graminoid cover was correlated with increases in low molecular weight dissolved organic carbon, possibly associated with root exudates that fuel methanogenesis. Forb cover in the upland tussock tundra was significantly correlated with nine soil chemical variables, indicating that forbs may influence local soil chemistry or conversely, that soil chemistry controls where forbs grow. Overall, our findings indicate the variability in gas fluxes in the upland tussock tundra is partially controlled by PFT cover, while thermokarst wetlands emit enough CH₄ to counteract CO₂ uptake, with implications for carbon budget changes in Arctic systems.