Microbial Survival and Communities in Thawing Permafrost

Around 11% of the global surface is underlain by permafrost and up to quarter of the northern hemisphere is permafrost, where the ground is frozen year-round. Thawing permafrost represents one of the critical feedback mechanisms in global climate change, releasing not only greenhouse gases but also ancient microbes trapped inside for thousands, or even millions, of years. This Research Topic focuses on the microbial communities that thrive in these changing environments, seeking to understand their survival strategies, community dynamics, and the biogeochemical processes they drive. The goal is to unravel how microbial life adapts to the drastic shifts in permafrost ecosystems caused by warming, with implications for carbon cycling and climate feedback loops. Insights gained could inform predictions about future climate scenarios and guide strategies for managing Arctic and sub-Arctic regions.

Permafrost thaw is a global concern, affecting not only local ecosystems but also global climate systems. Microorganisms in thawing permafrost play a pivotal role in carbon and nutrient cycling; however, the extent and mechanisms of their influence are not fully understood. This Research Topic provides a platform to investigate the resilience and adaptability of microbial communities in extreme conditions.

We welcome contributions on topics such as:

• Ancient microbes: Studies focused on ancient microbial life forms that resurface with thawing permafrost and the potential impacts they may have on the existing microbial communities and larger ecosystems;

• Survival mechanisms: Research on how contemporary and ancient microbial forms adapt to the extreme and fluctuating conditions in permafrost and thawing permafrost;

• Community dynamics: Investigations into how microbial community compositions undergo transformation in response to permafrost thaw;

• Biogeochemical impacts: Assessments of the role played by microbial inhabitants in greenhouse gas emissions and other biogeochemical processes in permafrost and thawing permafrost;

• Climate change implications: Evaluations of how microbial feedback mechanisms will affect the climate system amid permafrost thaw.

We welcome Original Research, Review, Methods, Opinion and Perspective articles. This Research Topic will build a deeper knowledge base about microbial ecology in permafrost and thawing permafrost, contributing to broader climate change studies and environmental management.

This Research Topic is hosted in Extreme Microbiology and Ancient DNA and Forensic Microbiology sections of the journal. Please submit your research to the most relevant specialty.

Keywords: Ancient Microbial Life, Thawing Permafrost, Soil Microbes, Permafrost Microbial Biodiversity, Permafrost Microbiology, Sub-Arctic Microbial Ecology, Ancient DNA, Permafrost

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.