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Insulating Effects of Ground Cover on Soil Temperature at Cripple Creek Diversion, Fairbanks, AK

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
Soil thermometer that reads 2 degrees Celsius
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.



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