Windirsch, Torben; Grosse, Guido; Ulrich, Mathias; Forbes, Bruce C; Göckede, Mathias; Zimov, Nikita S; Macias-Fauria, Marc; Olofsson, Johan; Wolter, Juliane; Strauss, Jens (2021): Large herbivores affecting terrestrial permafrost in northeastern Siberia: biogeochemical and sediment characteristics under different grazing intensities [dataset bundled publication]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.933446

These five cores were obtained from a terrestrial permafrost area in northeastern Siberia (U1: March 2019; B3, B2, B1, U3: July 2019) during the Chersky 2019 field campaign. This campaign was part of both the CACOON and the PeCHEc project and was based at the Northeast Science Station in Chersky, Sakha, Russia (RU-LAND-2019/CHERSKIY; 02.07.2019 - 19.07.2019). They were taken from the area of the Pleistocene Park experiment (Zimov, 2005; doi:10.1126/science.1113442) and cover areas of a drained thermokarst lake basin (B) as well as the adjacent Yedoma uplands (U). The cores were drilled in areas of different large herbivore impact intensities (3= intensive; 2= extensive; 1= no animal presence). The data are used in a study exermining the impact of large herbivore presence on permafrost stability, vegetation composition and ground carbon storage. The active layer was sampled excavating profiles with a spade using fixed volume cylinders on the profile wall (250 ccm). The frozen ground was sampled using a SIPRE permafrost auger with a Stihl motor. All samples taken from these cores were analyzed between January 2020 and March 2021 at the facilities of AWI. The samples were analyzed for water/ice content, water isotopes, pH, conductivity, DOC, TC, TN, TOC, δ13C, mass specific magnetic susceptibility, grain size composition and radiocarbon age. Water/ice content was derived from weight differences before and after freeze-drying the samples. Water isotope ratios (δ18O, δ2H, d excess), pH, conductivity and DOC were measured using pore water extracted from the sediment samples using Rhizone samplers. Water isotopes were measured at AWI Potsdam Stable Isotope Laboratory using a Finnigan MAT Delta-S mass spectrometer. DOC was measured at AWI Potsdam Hydrochemistry Laboratory using a Shimadzu TOC-V CPH Total Organic Carbon Analyzer. TC and TN were measured at AWI Potsdam CARLA Laboratory using a vario EL III Element Analyzer. TOC was measured at the same laboratory using a varioMAX C Element Analyzer. δ13C was measured at AWI Potsdam Stable Isotope Laboratory using a Delta V Advantage Isotope Ratio MS supplement equipped with a Flash 2000 Organic Elemental Analyzer. Mass specific magnetic susceptibility was measured using a Bartington MS-2 Magnetic Susceptibility System. Grain size composition was determined using a Malvern Mastersizer 3000 equipped with a Malvern Hydro LV wet-sample dispersion unit. Statistics were calculated for this using Gradistat 8.0. Radiocarbon dating was carried out using the Mini Carbon Dating System (MICADAS) at AWI Bremerhaven.