Variability of Permafrost and Landscape Conditions Following Forest Fires in the Central Yakutian Taiga Zone

Abstract

In the last two decades in Central Yakutia, there has been a significant change in cryogenic landscapes related to climate warming and anthropogenic disturbances. This period is characterized by the activity of forest fires, which significantly impact permafrost landscapes. We observed the dynamics of cryogenic landscapes after a forest fire in 2001 at the Neleger station in Central Yakutia, 35 km northwest of Yakutsk. The observations included ground temperature and active layer thickness monitoring and statements of changes in the soil moisture content of the active layer. Increases in ground temperature, the active layer thickness, and soil moisture content on the burnt site after a forest fire in Neleger station were noted in the first six to seven years after the disturbance. We found that, following forest fires, permafrost progressively restabilizes as forest cover redevelops over time. The results of the studies will become the basis for planning restoration work after forest fires in permafrost landscapes of Central Yakutia.