The characteristics of vegetation and their relationship with climate change and permafrost will be investigated though a multidisciplinary approach. Research activities will be carried out in selected and representative sites suitable for combined research on the interactions between vegetation, permafrost and climate, and on the assessment of climate change impacts on these sensitive components of terrestrial environments. In particular, research activities will focus on:
- the assessment of the actual vegetation characteristics;
- the analysis of the interactions between vegetation and permafrost with the assessment of the buffering effect of vegetation on the ground thermal regime;
- the installation of a monitoring vegetation network according to protocols proposed by Cannone (2004);
- the analysis of the active layer thermal properties and regime, its thickness, and its spatial variability related to different climatic and environmental conditions;
- the assessment of permafrost characteristics (e.g ice content and type);
- the analysis of the CO2 and CH4 fluxes in correspondence of the monitoring sites in different vegetation permafrost conditions;
- the analysis of the surface energy balance in the main site.
Point a) will be developed through phytosociological surveys in the Ny-Ålesund-Brogger Peninsula area relating to vegetation floristic composition, structure, coverage, dynamics and to the patterns of vegetation with reference to the main environmental, edaphic,topographic and climatic gradients at different scales (local and regional). In correspondence of the most representative types of vegetation associations, around the CCT and within the Calm grid, point b) will be investigated through the monitoring of : temperature in the vegetation canopy at different levels; GST, moisture within and underlying the vegetation mat. these parameters will be recorded on micro-dataloggers. Point d) will be achieved through the monitoring of the ground temperature and moisture in some selected sites and in the CALM grid at different depths until the permafrost table. In addition some ground samples will be collected to determine in laboratory the main physical and chemical characteristics. The monitoring of the active layer will be carried out according to two different protocols: the CALM protocol (measuring the active layer thickness using a frostprobe) and the protocol proposed by Guglielmin (2006) (identifying the active layer thickness by its thermal profile). Point e) will be implemented through the drilling and coring of one deep borehole(>30m, in correspondence of CCT) and several shallow borehols (2.5-5m) in some selected sites. Temperature and moisture content will be monitored at different depths all year round and recorded with micro-datalogger on the shallow boreholes while an automatic station will record the temperature and moisture in the deep borehole together with heat flow in the active layer, snow thickness and air temperature.The cored ground ice and sediments will be analyzed to determine the main physical and chemical characteristics. Point f) will be carried out through measurements of gas fluxes in different selected sites and different climatic conditions. Finally point g) will be achieved jointly with other components of the CCT.
