Eight Mile Lake Research Watershed, Thaw Gradient: NDVI 2013-2022

This drying and warming experiment addresses the following questions: 1) Does ecosystem drying, warming and permafrost thaw cause a net release or uptake of C from the ecosystem to the atmosphere?, 2) Does the decomposition of old C that comprises the bulk of the soil C pool influence ecosystem C loss? 3) How do drying and warming affect plant communities and ecosystem properties? We are answering these questions using a combined warming and drying experiment (DryPEHR), which is situated with the Carbon in Permafrost Experimental Heating Research (CiPEHR) project and located in an upland tundra field site near Healy, Alaska in the foothills of the Alaska Range. Warming treatment here refers to growing season air temperature warming (~1C) using open top chambers (OTC) combined with soil 'warming' using snow fences during the snow covered months. Drying is achieved using an automated pumping system that lowers the water table in the dry plots. Soil warming began in 2008; OTCs and drying in 2011.The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was measured using a specialized handheld camera at individual plots throughout the 2011-2018 growing seasons.