Accelerated soil phosphorus cycling upon abrupt permafrost thaw

Ziliang Li, Luyao Kang, Lu Wang, Wolfgang Wanek, Dianye Zhang, Guanqin Wang, Hans Lambers, Josep Peñuelas, Mingkai Jiang and Yuanhe Yang ()
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Ziliang Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Luyao Kang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Lu Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Wolfgang Wanek: University of Vienna
Dianye Zhang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Guanqin Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hans Lambers: The University of Western Australia
Josep Peñuelas: Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB
Mingkai Jiang: Zhejiang University
Yuanhe Yang: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Climate Change, 2025, vol. 15, issue 11, 1234-1240

Abstract: Abstract Permafrost thaw can stimulate soil carbon release, triggering a positive carbon–climate feedback, which may be mediated by changes in soil phosphorus (P) availability. However, the response of soil P cycling to permafrost thaw and the potential biotic and abiotic mechanisms involved are largely unknown. We investigate how soil P cycling responds to abrupt permafrost thaw based on large-scale sampling along a permafrost transect on the Tibetan Plateau, combined with 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, 33P-labelling and metagenomic sequencing. In collapsed areas, gross phosphate (Pi) mobilization in the topsoil (0–15 cm) is 50% faster compared with non-collapsed landforms, linked to a higher abundance of microbial P-cycling genes. Meanwhile, plant P uptake increases by 71% due to the enhanced gross Pi mobilization, improved plant P-acquisition capabilities and reduced microbial competition with plants upon permafrost collapse. These findings demonstrate that abrupt permafrost thaw accelerates soil P cycling, which could then mediate the permafrost carbon–climate feedback.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41558-025-02445-4

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