Article Permafrost Regime Affects the Nutritional Status and Productivity of Larches in Central Siberia Anatoly S. Prokushkin 1,*, Frank Hagedorn 2, Oleg S. Pokrovsky 3, Jerome Viers 3, Alexander V. Kirdyanov 1, Oxana V. Masyagina 1, Marina P. Prokushkina 4 and William H. McDowell 5 ID 1 V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, Akademgorodok 50/28, 660036 Krasnoyarsk, Russia;
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[email protected] (J.V.) 4 Siberian Federal University, Svobodny 79, 660041 Krasnoyarsk, Russia;
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[email protected]; Tel.: +7-9131-782-5317 Received: 13 April 2018; Accepted: 31 May 2018; Published: 1 June 2018 Abstract: Permafrost exerts strong controls on forest development through nutrient availability. The key question of this study was to assess the effect of site conditions on macroelement concentration and stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) dynamics during the growing season, and nutrient stoichiometry and resorption efficiency in the foliage of two common larch species in Siberia. Foliar nutrient (N, P and K) concentrations of larches grown on permafrost soils were exceptionally high in juvenile needles compared to those from a permafrost-free region (+50% and 130% for P and K), but were two-fold lower at needle maturation.