Simulated hydrological dynamics and coupled iron redox cycling impact
methane production in an Arctic soil
Abstract
The fate of organic carbon (C) in permafrost soils is important to the
climate system due to the large global stocks of permafrost C. Thawing
permafrost can be subject to dynamic hydrology, making redox processes
an important factor controlling soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition
rates and greenhouse gas production. In iron (Fe)-rich permafrost soils,
Fe(III) can serve as a terminal electron acceptor, suppressing methane
(CH4) production and increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) production. Current
large-scale models of Arctic C cycling do not include Fe cycling or pH
interactions. Here, we coupled Fe redox reactions and C cycling in a
geochemical reaction model to simulate the interactions of SOM
decomposition, Fe(III) reduction, pH dynamics, and greenhouse gas
production in permafrost soils subject to dynamic hydrology. We
evaluated the model using measured CO2 and CH4 fluxes as well as changes
in pH, Fe(II), and dissolved organic C concentrations from oxic and
anoxic incubations of permafrost soils from polygonal permafrost sites
in northern Alaska, United States. In simulations of higher frequency
oxic-anoxic cycles, rapid oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III) during oxic
periods and gradual Fe(III) reduction during anoxic periods reduced
cumulative CH4 fluxes and increased cumulative CO2 fluxes. Lower pH
suppressed CH4 fluxes through its direct impact on methanogenesis and by
increasing Fe(III) bioavailability. Our results suggest that models that
do not include Fe-redox reactions and its pH dependence could
overestimate CH4 production and underestimate CO2 emissions and SOM
decomposition rates in Fe-rich, frequently waterlogged Arctic soils.