Vol 54 Nro 3 (2025): Palsa mires of the Northern Hemisphere: environmental characteristics, degradation, and morpho-ecological state

Palsa mires are peatlands of the Subarctic and Arctic regions, characterized by distinctive permafrost mounds known as palsas. Due to climate change, palsas are degrading across the Northern Hemisphere, with implications for both global carbon emissions and the biodiversity of northern environments. In addition, the degradation of palsa can affect the livelihoods and cultures of local communities.

This thesis examines the environmental factors influencing the occurrence, degradation, and morpho-ecological state of palsa mires across the Northern Hemisphere. The research spans multiple spatial scales, ranging from circumpolar to local. Using statistical modelling, the study identifies key drivers of palsa mire dynamics and assesses how their distribution may change in the future.

The findings provide insights into the environmental characteristics of palsa mires in different parts of the northern permafrost region, predict an almost complete loss of suitable environmental spaces for them by the end of the century, and highlight the poor morpho-ecological state and severe degradation of Finnish palsa mires. The thesis contributes to ongoing efforts to understand the environmental dynamics of permafrost regions under climate change and support future research and monitoring efforts in these environments.

Tilaaminen