Student Research Reports
Insulating Effects of Ground Cover on Soil Temperature at Cripple Creek Diversion, Fairbanks, AK
Organization(s):Department of Natural Resources and Environment
Country:United States of America
Student(s):Katie Finnesand, Ashley Hoover, Benny Acquah
Grade Level:Undergraduate
GLOBE Teacher:Christina Buffington
Contributors:International Arctic Research Center, Arctic and Earth STEM Integrating GLOBE and NASA project
Report Type(s):Standard Research Report
Protocols:Land Cover Classification, Soil Characterization, Soil Temperature
Language(s):English
Date Submitted:12/05/2023
Numerous northern ecosystems are dominated by mosses, and these organisms are essential to the temperature and hydrological regimes of the soil, which in turn control key biological
processes. Here, we discuss how this difference in moss layer depth affects the soil environment and, in turn, how polar ecosystems function. The growing season length, soil temperature, and nutrient availability are the main factors limiting arctic ecosystems. Changes in moss layer depth have a substantial impact on the ecosystem's ability to function.
Field data collected in the Cripple Creek restoration area included measuring
GLOBE soil temperatures at 5 cm and 10 cm depths, land cover percent classification, and active
layer thickness, in both a control area (no moss) and a testing site (moss), as well as moss
thickness in the testing site. The temperature of the soil at 5 cm and 10 cm depths were directly
influenced by the depth of the moss. Active later thickness was reduced in the control (no moss)
site, an unexpected finding. Going forward, it might be beneficial to measure other aspects -such
as soil moisture- as we observed differences in our results, as well as conducting sampling over
extended periods of time and using historical data/photographs to determine environmental
disturbances.
Gornall, J. L., et al. “Arctic mosses govern below-ground environment and Ecosystem
Processes.” Oecologia, vol. 153, no. 4, 2007, pp. 931–941, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-
007-0785-0.