Scientists of the University of Tomsk revealed that shrubs accelerate the melting of permafrost in the tundra. The relatively high biological productivity of plants is the reason for increasing the temperature of the soil, the reduction of humidity and increase the depth of the marzlot of three or four times. This is reported in a press release on the RHF website.
Under the influence of global warming in the Arctic tundra, expansion began with respect to thermal-loving species, for example, alder shrub. In winter, shrubs contribute to the holding of snow, which, in turn, holds heat in the soil. The difference in places in places with vegetation and without it can be 10-15 degrees Celsius. For example, the temperature at a depth of one meter under the open areas can be lower than ten degrees, and under shrubs – near zero.
According to scientists, the active biological circulation is launched due to global warming, when the plant roots absorb the mineral elements present in the everlasting permafrost. In the future, researchers plan to appreciate how wide shrubs are able to spread through the Arctic and what area they have already occupied.