Articles | Volume 23, issue 15
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-5359-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-5359-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
03 Aug 2026
Research article |
| 03 Aug 2026
| 03 Aug 2026
Bioreactivity of dissolved organic matter in ponds of the ice-wedge polygonal tundra
Thomas Pacoureau
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Laboratoire LimNord, Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Québec, QC, G1K 9A9, Canada
Centre for Northern Studies, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
Interuniversity Research Group in Limnology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
Milla Rautio
Centre for Northern Studies, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
Interuniversity Research Group in Limnology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
Laboratoire des sciences aquatiques, Département des sciences fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QC, G7H 281, Canada
Isabelle Laurion
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Laboratoire LimNord, Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Québec, QC, G1K 9A9, Canada
Centre for Northern Studies, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
Interuniversity Research Group in Limnology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
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Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-585, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-585, 2025
Revised manuscript accepted for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
This dataset includes monthly measurements of carbon dioxide and methane exchange between land, water, and the atmosphere from over 1,000 sites in Arctic and boreal regions. It combines measurements from a variety of ecosystems, including wetlands, forests, tundra, lakes, and rivers, gathered by over 260 researchers from 1984–2024. This dataset can be used to improve and reduce uncertainty in carbon budgets in order to strengthen our understanding of climate feedbacks in a warming world.
Amélie Pouliot, Isabelle Laurion, Antoine Thiboult, and Daniel F. Nadeau
Biogeosciences, 22, 5413–5433, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-5413-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-5413-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Small thermokarst lakes release greenhouse gases (GHGs) as permafrost thaws, but most studies focus on diurnal measurements, potentially overlooking significant variations. We measured GHG fluxes from two lakes in Nunavik over two summers – one colder, one warmer – alongside 2 years of continuous water column monitoring. Fluxes were higher in the warmer summer, with strong day–night differences. Our findings show that accurate GHG estimates require full diel measurements and seasonal considerations.
Flora Mazoyer, Isabelle Laurion, and Milla Rautio
Biogeosciences, 19, 3959–3977, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3959-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3959-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Dissolved organic matter collected at the end of winter from a peatland thermokarst lake was highly transformed and degraded by sunlight, leading to bacterial stimulation and CO2 production, but a fraction was also potentially lost by photoflocculation. Over 18 days, 18 % of the incubated dissolved organic matter was lost under sunlight, while dark bacterial degradation was negligible. Sunlight could have a marked effect on carbon cycling in organic-rich thermokarst lakes after ice-off.
Stéphanie Coulombe, Daniel Fortier, Frédéric Bouchard, Michel Paquette, Simon Charbonneau, Denis Lacelle, Isabelle Laurion, and Reinhard Pienitz
The Cryosphere, 16, 2837–2857, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2837-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2837-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Buried glacier ice is widespread in Arctic regions that were once covered by glaciers and ice sheets. In this study, we investigated the influence of buried glacier ice on the formation of Arctic tundra lakes on Bylot Island, Nunavut. Our results suggest that initiation of deeper lakes was triggered by the melting of buried glacier ice. Given future climate projections, the melting of glacier ice permafrost could create new aquatic ecosystems and strongly modify existing ones.
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Short summary
In the Arctic, thawing permafrost creates many ponds that release greenhouse gases. We collected water from 15 ponds in the Canadian Arctic and conducted a 188–day experiment to see how bacteria use carbon in summer. They consumed about one-third of the available carbon in 100 days, and adding nutrients made no difference. Since they prefer fresh matter from plants and algae, longer growing seasons could boost gas emissions from recently fixed carbon as the Arctic landscape continues to change.
In the Arctic, thawing permafrost creates many ponds that release greenhouse gases. We collected...
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