permafrost-thaw
Permafrost thaw is the warming and melting of permanently frozen ground in high-latitude and alpine regions due to climate change. This process is critical for plant science because it fundamentally alters soil conditions, water availability, and nutrient cycling—key drivers of plant community composition and ecosystem function. The thawing also releases vast stores of ancient carbon and creates new habitats for plant colonization, making permafrost thaw a central concern for understanding how vegetation responds to rapid environmental change.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-02-24
Under climate warming on the Tibetan Plateau, moss-driven nitrogen fixation becomes the only soil process keeping pace with plants' growing nitrogen demands in thawing permafrost—a critical adaptation that may allow vegetation to continue growing despite warming-driven nitrogen stress.
Plant nitrogen demand increased significantly after 2 years of experimental warming, while plants' ability to recycle nitrogen from leaves remained unchanged, forcing greater reliance on soil supplies
Moss-associated biological nitrogen fixation was the only quantified nitrogen supply process that responded positively to warming across both experimental years
Warming altered moss functional traits—expanding suitable colonization areas and increasing carbon availability for nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, driving broader taxonomic diversity