Boreal forests and Arctic tundra are underlain by millions of square kilometers of permafrost, and scientists are still unsure of how the thawing of this long-frozen soil will affect the climate.

Boreal ecology is the study of ecosystems in the subarctic (boreal) zone of the Northern hemisphere. These areas are dominated by coniferous forest, generally have permafrost soils, and occur ...

This, in turn, contributes to additional permafrost thawing and the release of even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The boreal forest, now known as a carbon sink, could ultimately become ...