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The warming trend in the Arctic region is expected to cause drastic changes including permafrost degradation and vegetation shifts. We investigated the spatial distribution of ice content and stable isotopic compositions of water in near-surface permafrost down to a depth of 1 m in the Indigirka River lowlands of northeastern Siberia to examine how the permafrost conditions control vegetation and microtopography in the Taiga-Tundra boundary ecosystem. The gravimetric water content (GWC) in the frozen soil layer was significantly higher at microtopographically high elevations with growing larch trees (i.e., tree mounds) than at low elevations with wetland vegetation (i.e., wet areas). The observed ground ice (ice-rich layer) with a high GWC in the tree mounds suggests that the relatively elevated microtopography of the land surface, which was formed by frost heave, strongly affects the survival of larch trees. The isotopic composition of the ground ice indicated that equilibrium isotopic fractionation occurred during ice segregation at the tree mounds, which implies that the ice formed with sufficient time for the migration of unfrozen soil water to the freezing front. In contrast, the isotopic data for the wet areas indicated that rapid freezing occurred under relatively non-equilibrium conditions, implying that there was insufficient time for ice segregation to occur. The freezing rate of the tree mounds was slower than that of the wet areas due to the difference of such as soil moisture and snow cover depends on vegetation and microtopography. These results indicate that future changes in snow cover, soil moisture, and organic layer, which control underground thermal conductivity, will have significant impacts on the freezing environment of the ground ice at the Taiga-Tundra boundary in northeastern Siberia. Such changes in the freezing environment will then affect vegetation due to changes in the microtopography of the ground surface., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Built upon a 5‐year field investigation and a 13‐year satellite data set, this study examines the intricate interrelationships among ecophysiological parameters of Larix gmelinii trees and the prevailing ecosystem, climatic, and environmental factors present in the Indigirka lowlands of northeastern Siberia. It identified spatial‐temporal patterns in July needle nitrogen (N) content as an indicator of N availability from 2009 to 2013. Needle N content (%) revealed distinct yearly values: 2012 (1.31 ± 0.24), 2013 (1.67 ± 0.39), 2009 (1.72 ± 0.15), 2011 (1.84 ± 0.34), and 2010 (2.08 ± 0.25). Positive correlations were found between ecosystem and larch parameters, as well as between September temperature or February/May precipitation and subsequent July ecosystem productivity. Soil moisture (SM) primarily influences N availability across sites, with higher SM levels reducing N availability. However, July air temperature (AT) is the primary driver of interannual N availability changes, with higher temperatures enhancing N availability. Larch photosynthesis is mainly influenced by solar radiation (SR), temperature, N availability, and SM. Annual fluctuations in SR positively impact larch photosynthesis, while high temperatures or wetting events impose limitations on photosynthesis, even if N availability has increased. Consequently, a moderate correlation exists between N availability and photosynthesis across various sites and years (r = 0.422, P = 0.133, n = 14). In summary, this research provides valuable insights into climatic and environmental impacts on larch trees and ecosystems, emphasizing the significance of SM, AT, and SR for predicting future growth patterns of larch. Plain Language Summary: This study investigated nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) levels in July for larch trees growing in the Arctic lowlands of northeastern Siberia. We achieved this by conducting a 5‐year field observation from 2009 to 2013, supplemented with a 13‐year analysis of satellite data. This allowed us to investigate how climate and environmental factors influence these trees. Larch N levels varied depending on the location and year, and soil moisture (SM) and air temperature (AT) playing crucial roles. Wet conditions increase SM and then limit larch N levels, while warmer temperatures enhance N levels. Larch photosynthesis is influenced by sunlight, AT, N levels, and SM. More sunlight improves photosynthesis, but much warmer temperatures or very wet conditions can limit photosynthesis, even if there is enough N. Interestingly, larch photosynthesis and ecosystem productivity showed similar year‐to‐year patterns. Decadal analysis highlights how winter conditions are really important in shaping ecosystem productivity during future Julys. Aside from summer conditions, winter conditions may also exert some influence on larch photosynthesis. This study improves our understanding of N and C levels in summer larch trees, emphasizing the significance of climate and environment in their growth and productivity. Key Points: For larch nitrogen availability in July, soil moisture (SM) controls spatial variations, while air temperature governs interannual fluctuationsFor larch photosynthesis in July, SM shapes spatial variations, while solar radiation and temperature impact interannual changesElevated September air temperatures or increased February/May precipitation will enhance ecosystem productivity in the upcoming July [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Understanding geocryological characteristics of frozen sediment, such as cryostratigraphy, ice content, and stable isotope ratio of ground ice, is essential to predicting consequences of projected permafrost thaw in response to global warming. These characteristics determine thermokarst extent and controls hydrological regime—and hence vegetation growth—especially in areas of high latitude; it also yields knowledge about the history of changes in the hydrological regime. To obtain these fundamental data, we sampled and analyzed unfrozen and frozen surficial sediments from 18 boreholes down to 1–2.3 m depth at five sites near Chokurdakh, Russia. Profiles of volumetric ice content in upper permafrost excluding wedge ice volume showed large variation, ranging from 40 to 96%, with an average of 75%. This large amount of ground ice was in the form of ice lenses or veins forming well-developed cryostructures, mainly due to freezing of frost-susceptible sediment under water-saturated condition. Our analysis of geocryological characteristics in frozen ground including ice content, cryostratigraphy, soil mechanical characteristics, organic matter content and components, and water stable isotope ratio provided information to reconstruct terrestrial paleo-environments and to estimate the influence of recent maximum thaw depth, microtopography, and flooding upon permafrost development in permafrost regions of NE Russia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]