Data from: Cryogenic land surface processes shape vegetation biomass patterns in northern European tundra

Tundra ecosystems have experienced changes in vegetation composition, distribution, and productivity over the past century due to climate warming. However, the increase in above-ground biomass (AGB) may be constrained by cryogenic land surface processes (LSP) that cause topsoil disturbance and variable microsite conditions. These effects have remained unaccounted for in tundra biomass models, although they can impact multiple opposing feedbacks between the biosphere and atmosphere, ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Here, by using field-quantified data from northern Europe, remote sensing, and machine learning, we show that LSP substantially constrain AGB in tundra. The three surveyed LSP (cryoturbation, solifluction and nivation) collectively reduced AGB by an average of 123.0 g m^-2 (-30.0%). This effect was significant over landscape positions and was especially pronounced in snowbed environments, where the mean reduction in AGB was 57.3%. Our results imply that LSP are pivotal in shaping future patterns of tundra biomass, as long as cryogenic ground activity is retained by climate warming.

These are the key data and codes related from Aalto et al., (2021).