Collaborative Research: RCN: Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon

人类正在改变地球上碳(C)的全球循环。向大气中添加数十亿吨温室气体正在改变其吸热能力，这反过来又改变了地球的气候。大量的碳储存在陆地生态系统的土壤中。最近，永久冻土(永久冻土)的融化引起了人们的注意，因为这是一种机制，可以将大量储存的碳从陆地转移到大气中，以应对气候变化。由于永久冻土C池的大小和性质，对以前冻结的旧有机碳的分解是陆地生态系统对气候变化最有可能的积极反馈之一。虽然利用多年冻土钻孔网络和地表温度观测的数据很好地记录了多年冻土地区的地面温度上升，但关于永久冻土碳对气候变化的反应存在知识缺口。这个永冻层碳研究的脆弱性协调网络(RCN)项目将把生物和物理碳循环研究人员聚集在一起。通过一系列会议，将建立工作组，解决有关永久冻土地区碳循环和脆弱性的关键问题，并综合数据和文献。将为非科学家和媒体开发一个互动网站，综合有关永久冻土的知识状况。这个RCN将加强生物科学家和物理科学家之间、职业生涯早期和后期科学家之间的相互联系，并将通过合成产生新的知识，这些知识可用于量化永冻层碳在影响21世纪及以后气候变化中的作用。

Humans are altering the global cycling of carbon (C) on Earth. The addition of billions of tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere is changing its heat-trapping capacity, which in turn is changing the Earth's climate. Large amounts of carbon are stored within the soils of terrestrial ecosystems. Recently, attention has been drawn to the thawing of permafrost (permanently frozen ground) as a mechanism that could move significant quantities of stored C from land to atmosphere in response to a changing climate. Because of the size and nature of the permafrost C pool, decomposition of previously frozen, old organic carbon is one of the most likely positive feedbacks from terrestrial ecosystems to climate change in a warmer world. While ground temperature increases in permafrost regions are well documented with data from permafrost borehole networks, as well as from surface temperature observations, there is a knowledge gap surrounding the response of permafrost carbon to climate change. This Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon research coordination network (RCN) project will bring together biological and physical carbon cycle researchers. Through a series of meetings, working groups will be established that will address key questions about carbon cycling and vulnerability in permafrost regions and synthesize data and literature. An interactive website will be developed for non-scientists and the media that will synthesize the state of knowledge about permafrost. This RCN will strengthen the interconnection between biological and physical scientists, between early and later career-stage scientists, and will produce new knowledge through synthesis that can be used to quantify the role of permafrost carbon in affecting climate change in the 21st century and beyond.