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Arctic, carbon feedback, climate warming, microbiome, permafrost, Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP)
Abstract:
Global climate warming is accelerating permafrost degradation. The large amounts of
soil organic matter in permafrost-affected soils are prone to increased microbial
decomposition in a warming climate. Along with permafrost degradation, changes to
the soil microbiome play a crucial role in enhancing our understanding and in predicting
the feedback of permafrost carbon. In this article, we review the current state of
knowledge of carbon-cycling microbial ecology in permafrost regions. Microbiomes
in degrading permafrost exhibit variations across spatial and temporal scales. Among
the short-term, rapid degradation scenarios, thermokarst lakes have distinct biogeochemical
conditions promoting emission of greenhouse gases. Additionally, extreme
climatic events can trigger drastic changes in microbial consortia and activity. Notably,
environmental conditions appear to exert a dominant influence on microbial
assembly in permafrost ecosystems. Furthermore, as the global climate is closely connected
to various permafrost regions, it will be crucial to extend our understanding
beyond local scales, for example by conducting comparative and integrative studies
between Arctic permafrost and alpine permafrost on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau at
global and continental scales. These comparative studies will enhance our understanding
of microbial functioning in degrading permafrost ecosystems and help
inform effective strategies for managing and mitigating the impacts of climate change
on permafrost regions.
