Boreal ecosystems comprise about one tenth of the world’s land surface and contain over 20 % of the global soil carbon (C) stocks. Boreal soils are unique in that the mineral soil is covered by what can be quite thick layers of organic soil. These organic soil layers, or horizons, can differ in their state of decomposition, source vegetation, and disturbance history. These differences result in varying soil properties (bulk density, C content, and nitrogen (N) content) among soil horizons. These data were used in a manuscript where these soil properties, as represented by over 3000 samples from Interior Alaska, were summarized. We also examined how soil drainage and stand age affect these attributes. The summary values presented in this manuscript can be used to gap-fill large datasets when important soil properties were not measured, provide data to initialize process-based models, and validate model results.

Total and organic carbon values from soil samples taken from the Yukon River Basin, Alaska. These samples were used to create a relationship between total carbon and organic carbon for samples which were only run for total carbon.

Total and organic carbon values from soil samples taken from the Yukon River Basin, Alaska. These samples were used to create a relationship between total carbon and organic carbon for samples which were only run for total carbon.

Total and organic carbon values from soil samples taken from the Yukon River Basin, Alaska. These samples were used to create a relationship between total carbon and organic carbon for samples which were only run for total carbon.

Total and organic carbon values from soil samples taken from the Yukon River Basin, Alaska. These samples were used to create a relationship between total carbon and organic carbon for samples which were only run for total carbon.

Total and organic carbon values from soil samples taken from the Yukon River Basin, Alaska. These samples were used to create a relationship between total carbon and organic carbon for samples which were only run for total carbon.

Total and organic carbon values from soil samples taken from the Yukon River Basin, Alaska. These samples were used to create a relationship between total carbon and organic carbon for samples which were only run for total carbon.

We are provoding a set of table and maps that provides summary of ecosystem carbon balance (pools and fluxes) as simulated by the Dynamic Organic Soil version of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model. Simulations are provided for the historical period from 1950 to 2009 and projections from 2010 to 2099, for the four main landscape conservation cooperative regions in Alaska (i.e. the Arctic, the Western Alaska, the North Pacific and the Northwest Boreal LCCs). Projections have been conducted at 1km-resolution for two set of climate scenarios for the A1B, B1 and A2 emission scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (IPCC-SRES). The two global circulation models used for these projections are (1) the 5th generation of the ECHAM general circulation model from the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (ECHAM5), and (2) the fourth generation global circulation model from the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis (CCCMA). Pools and fluxes are summarized for uplands and lowlands separately. Vegetation carbon pools only concern living biomass. Soil carbon pools include organic layers, 1m deep mineral layers and dead woody debris. Positive fluxes indicate carbon assimilated to the ecosystem. Negative fluxes indicate carbon released to the atmosphere. Carbon fluxes are vegetation Net Primary Productivity (NPP), soil Heterotrophic respiration (HR), CO & CO2 and CH4 fire emissions from organic layer and vegetation burning (PYRO_COCO2 and PYRO_CH4 respectively), biogenic CH4 fluxes (BIO_CH4) and Net Ecosystem Carbon Balance (NECB).

We are provoding a set of table and maps that provides summary of ecosystem carbon balance (pools and fluxes) as simulated by the Dynamic Organic Soil version of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model. Simulations are provided for the historical period from 1950 to 2009 and projections from 2010 to 2099, for the four main landscape conservation cooperative regions in Alaska (i.e. the Arctic, the Western Alaska, the North Pacific and the Northwest Boreal LCCs). Projections have been conducted at 1km-resolution for two set of climate scenarios for the A1B, B1 and A2 emission scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (IPCC-SRES). The two global circulation models used for these projections are (1) the 5th generation of the ECHAM general circulation model from the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (ECHAM5), and (2) the fourth generation global circulation model from the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis (CCCMA). Pools and fluxes are summarized for uplands and lowlands separately. Vegetation carbon pools only concern living biomass. Soil carbon pools include organic layers, 1m deep mineral layers and dead woody debris. Positive fluxes indicate carbon assimilated to the ecosystem. Negative fluxes indicate carbon released to the atmosphere. Carbon fluxes are vegetation Net Primary Productivity (NPP), soil Heterotrophic respiration (HR), CO & CO2 and CH4 fire emissions from organic layer and vegetation burning (PYRO_COCO2 and PYRO_CH4 respectively), biogenic CH4 fluxes (BIO_CH4) and Net Ecosystem Carbon Balance (NECB).

Permafrost (perennially frozen) and active-layer (seasonally thawed) soils varying in soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content and radiocarbon age were collected from three sites in interior Alaska to determine potential release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total dissolved N (TDN), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) upon thaw. Soil cores were cut into 15 cm thick sections, and deep active-layer (15-30 cm above the permafrost boundary) and shallow permafrost (15-30 cm below the permafrost boundary) sections were thawed and leached with deionized water. Soil leachates were analyzed for DOC, TDN, nitrate (NO3-), and ammonium (NH4+) concentrations, dissolved organic matter optical properties, and DOC biodegradability. Soils were analyzed for moisture content, bulk density, C, N, and radiocarbon content. Releases of dissolved carbon and nitrogen from soils are expressed as yields, with the units of milligrams (DOC, TDN, DIN, DON) per gram dry soil.