Ecosystem Transition from Permafrost Plateau to Fen

Figure 1. Characterization of the ecosystem transitions studied in this experiment and their influence on talik development and greenhouse gas production. Four sites herein are 1) permafrost plateaus with stable permafrost and therefore no talik development, 2) permafrost plateaus with observed talik development, 3) bog system with talik underlain by permafrost, and 4) fen ecosystem with deep talik and no permafrost. As taliks increase in size we expect  increasing winter greenhouse gas emissions.