Soil Properties and Microbial Diversity at the Frontier of Laohugou Glacier Retreat in Qilian Mountains

Glacier retreat may result in the decomposition of old organic carbon stored at the frontier of glacier retreat and the release of greenhouse gases such as CO 2 and methane into the atmosphere. This process may gradually transform the soil in the region from its original status as a carbon sink into a carbon source, thus producing a positive feedback effect on global warming. In this study, Laohugou Glacier No. 12, Qilian Mountains, China, was taken as the research object, and the newly melted soil (Q1) at the frontier of glacier retreat and the sandy soil (Q2) on the bank of the nearby river were collected. The content of accumulation of organic matter (AOM) in Q1 soil was 5.56 ± 0.27 g/kg, and the total nitrogen was 0.60 ± 0.03 g/kg, which was significantly higher than that in Q2. The soil microbial carbon metabolism of Q2 was significantly ( P