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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
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Analysing the Effects of Climate Induced Summer Warming has on Microorganism in Arctic Soil.

Author

Term

4. term

Publication year

2022

Pages

70

Abstract

Klimaændringer opvarmer Arktis hurtigere end resten af kloden, hvilket tøer permafrost og varmer jord, der rummer store kulstoflagre. Øget mikrobiel aktivitet i varmere jord kan forstærke udledninger af CO2 og CH4, men de højarktiske jordmikroorganismers respons er utilstrækkeligt kendt. Dette studie undersøgte, hvordan flerårig sommeropvarmning påvirker mikrobielle samfund i højarktisk jord i Nordgrønland. Efter syv års eksperimentel opvarmning med åbne topkamre blev jordprøver analyseret ved ekstraktion af DNA og RNA og amplicon-sekventering af 16S rRNA- og ITS-regionerne for at beskrive diversitet og relativ forekomst af bakterier/arkæer og svampe. Der blev ikke påvist statistisk signifikante effekter af opvarmningsbehandlingen på diversitet eller samfundsstruktur, men der sås dybdeafhængige forskydninger i sammensætningen. Resultaterne peger på, at jorddybde kan være en stærkere drivkraft end moderat sommeropvarmning over den undersøgte periode og fremhæver behovet for fortsatte langtidsundersøgelser af arktiske mikrobielle samfund.

Climate change is rapidly warming the Arctic, thawing permafrost and warming soils that store large carbon stocks. Warmer soils may stimulate microbial activity and enhance CO2 and CH4 emissions, yet the responses of High Arctic soil microbiomes remain poorly resolved. This study assessed how sustained summer warming influences microbial communities in High Arctic soils of northern Greenland. After seven years of experimental warming using open-top chambers, soil samples were analysed by extracting DNA and RNA and performing amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA and ITS regions to quantify diversity and relative abundance of bacteria/archaea and fungi. No statistically significant effects of the warming treatment were detected, although depth-dependent shifts in community composition were observed. These findings suggest that, within the study period and warming regime, soil depth exerts a stronger influence than moderate summer warming, underscoring the need for continued long-term monitoring of Arctic microbial communities.

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