A new study has uncovered significant regional differences in the temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) of soil organic matter decomposition between high-latitude and high-altitude permafrost regions, suggesting that high-latitude permafrost regions may be significantly more susceptible to soil carbon loss than high-altitude regions under future warming scenarios, with Q₁₀ values in high-latitude soils about 1.8 times higher than those in high-altitude soils. 

The findings were published in National Science Review on January 12. 

The researchers, led by Prof. YANG Yuanhe from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, collected topsoil samples across the Tibetan Plateau (a high-altitude permafrost region) and Northeast China (a high-latitude permafrost region). They then conducted a 368-day laboratory incubation experiment. They also integrated published Arctic permafrost datasets. 

Based on these comprehensive measurements and integration, the study provides the first large-scale evidence of contrasting Q₁₀ patterns and identifies key drivers across distinct permafrost environments.

The results indicate that Q₁₀ variation is directly driven by microbial traits and mineral protection. In contrast, climate, soil characteristics, and soil organic carbon quantity influence Q₁₀ indirectly by shaping microbial diversity, life history strategies, and carbon-degrading genes, as well as mineral stabilization that regulates carbon bioavailability. 

These findings underscore the importance of incorporating spatial variability in microbial and mineral controls into model parameterization to enhance predictions of permafrost carbon feedback in response to climate change.

Differences in the temperature sensitivity of soil carbon decomposition between high-latitude and high-altitude permafrost regions and their driving factors (Image by YANG Yan)

The landscape photos of permafrost regions in high-altitude ( the Tibetan Plateau) and high-latitude (Northeast China) areas (Image by YANG Yan)