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Markkula I, Turunen M, Rikkonen T, Rasmus S, Koski V, Welker JM. Climate change, cultural continuity and ecological grief: Insights from the Sámi Homeland. AMBIO 2024; 53:1203-1217. [PMID: 38613746 PMCID: PMC11183005 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-024-02012-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Arctic regions are warming significantly faster than other parts of the globe, leading to changes in snow, ice and weather conditions, ecosystems and local cultures. These changes have brought worry and concern and triggered feelings of loss among Arctic Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Recently, research has started to address emotional and social dimensions of climate change, framed through the concept of ecological grief. In this study, we examine sociocultural impacts of climate change and expressions of ecological grief among members of reindeer herding communities in the Sámi Homeland in Finland. Results indicate that ecological grief is felt in connection to major environmental concerns in the area: changes in winter weather and extreme weather events, Atlantic salmon decline and land use changes, which all have cultural and social consequences. Our results indicate that ecological grief is strongly associated with ecological losses, but also with political decisions regarding natural resource governance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inkeri Markkula
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulun Yliopisto, PL 8000, 90014, Oulu, Finland.
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Pohjoisranta 4, 961010, Rovaniemi, Finland.
| | - Minna Turunen
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Pohjoisranta 4, 961010, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Taru Rikkonen
- Natural Resource Institute Rovaniemi, Ounasjoentie 6, 96200, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Sirpa Rasmus
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Pohjoisranta 4, 961010, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Veina Koski
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulun Yliopisto, PL 8000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jeffrey M Welker
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulun Yliopisto, PL 8000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, 211 Providence Drive, CPSB 101, Anchorage, Alaska, 99508, USA
- University of the Arctic (UArctic), Rovaniemi, Finland
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2
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Power CC, Normand S, von Arx G, Elberling B, Corcoran D, Krog AB, Bouvin NK, Treier UA, Westergaard-Nielsen A, Liu Y, Prendin AL. No effect of snow on shrub xylem traits: Insights from a snow-manipulation experiment on Disko Island, Greenland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 916:169896. [PMID: 38185160 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.169896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Widespread shrubification across the Arctic has been generally attributed to increasing air temperatures, but responses vary across species and sites. Wood structures related to the plant hydraulic architecture may respond to local environmental conditions and potentially impact shrub growth, but these relationships remain understudied. Using methods of dendroanatomy, we analysed shrub ring width (RW) and xylem anatomical traits of 80 individuals of Salix glauca L. and Betula nana L. at a snow manipulation experiment in Western Greenland. We assessed how their responses differed between treatments (increased versus ambient snow depth) and soil moisture regimes (wet and dry). Despite an increase in snow depth due to snow fences (28-39 %), neither RW nor anatomical traits in either species showed significant responses to this increase. In contrast, irrespective of the snow treatment, the xylem specific hydraulic conductivity (Ks) and earlywood vessel size (LA95) for the study period were larger in S. glauca (p < 0.1, p < 0.01) and B. nana (p < 0.01, p < 0.001) at the wet than the dry site, while both species had larger vessel groups at the dry than the wet site (p < 0.01). RW of B. nana was higher at the wet site (p < 0.01), but no differences were observed for S. glauca. Additionally, B. nana Ks and LA95 showed different trends over the study period, with decreases observed at the dry site (p < 0.001), while for other responses no difference was observed. Our results indicate that, taking into account ontogenetic and allometric trends, hydraulic related xylem traits of both species, along with B. nana growth, were influenced by soil moisture. These findings suggest that soil moisture regime, but not snow cover, may determine xylem responses to future climate change and thus add to the heterogeneity of Arctic shrub dynamics, though more long-term species- and site- specific studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candice C Power
- Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark.
| | - Signe Normand
- Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark; SustainScapes - Center for Sustainable Landscapes under Global Change, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Georg von Arx
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland; Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Bo Elberling
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Derek Corcoran
- Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark; SustainScapes - Center for Sustainable Landscapes under Global Change, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Amanda B Krog
- Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | | | - Urs Albert Treier
- Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark; SustainScapes - Center for Sustainable Landscapes under Global Change, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Andreas Westergaard-Nielsen
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yijing Liu
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Angela L Prendin
- Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark; Department of Land Environment Agriculture and Forestry (TeSAF), University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
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3
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Post E, Kaarlejärvi E, Macias-Fauria M, Watts DA, Bøving PS, Cahoon SMP, Higgins RC, John C, Kerby JT, Pedersen C, Post M, Sullivan PF. Large herbivore diversity slows sea ice-associated decline in arctic tundra diversity. Science 2023; 380:1282-1287. [PMID: 37347848 DOI: 10.1126/science.add2679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity is declining globally in response to multiple human stressors, including climate forcing. Nonetheless, local diversity trends are inconsistent in some taxa, obscuring contributions of local processes to global patterns. Arctic tundra diversity, including plants, fungi, and lichens, declined during a 15-year experiment that combined warming with exclusion of large herbivores known to influence tundra vegetation composition. Tundra diversity declined regardless of experimental treatment, as background growing season temperatures rose with sea ice loss. However, diversity declined slower with large herbivores than without them. This difference was associated with an increase in effective diversity of large herbivores as formerly abundant caribou declined and muskoxen increased. Efforts that promote herbivore diversity, such as rewilding, may help mitigate impacts of warming on tundra diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Post
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Elina Kaarlejärvi
- Research Center for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marc Macias-Fauria
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David A Watts
- Alaska State Virology Laboratory, Division of Public Health, Alaska Department of Health, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Pernille Sporon Bøving
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Sean M P Cahoon
- Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Anchorage, AK 99501, USA
| | - R Conor Higgins
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Christian John
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Kerby
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Christian Pedersen
- Department of Landscape Monitoring, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, 1431 Ås, Norway
| | - Mason Post
- Department of Genome Sciences and Brotman Baty Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Patrick F Sullivan
- Environment and Natural Resources Institute, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
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Berner LT, Schädel C. Soil moisture impacts the tundra carbon balance in a changing climate. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:1217-1219. [PMID: 36357716 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
There is growing recognition that soil moisture plays a crucial role in regulating the response of tundra carbon cycling to climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan T Berner
- School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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Piccinelli S, Francon L, Corona C, Stoffel M, Slamova L, Cannone N. Vessels in a Rhododendron ferrugineum (L.) population do not trace temperature anymore at the alpine shrubline. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 13:1023384. [PMID: 36714740 PMCID: PMC9879627 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1023384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Mean xylem vessel or tracheid area have been demonstrated to represent powerful proxies to better understand the response of woody plants to changing climatic conditions. Yet, to date, this approach has rarely been applied to shrubs. METHODS Here, we developed a multidecadal, annually-resolved chronology of vessel sizes for Rhododendron ferrugineum shrubs sampled at the upper shrubline (2,550 m asl) on a north-facing, inactive rock glacier in the Italian Alps. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Over the 1960-1989 period, the vessel size chronology shares 64% of common variability with summer temperatures, thus confirming the potential of wood anatomical analyses on shrubs to track past climate variability in alpine environments above treeline. The strong winter precipitation signal recorded in the chronology also confirms the negative effect of long-lasting snow cover on shrub growth. By contrast, the loss of a climate-growth relation signal since the 1990s for both temperature and precipitation, significantly stronger than the one found in radial growth, contrasts with findings in other QWA studies according to which stable correlations between series of anatomical features and climatic parameters have been reported. In a context of global warming, we hypothesize that this signal loss might be induced by winter droughts, late frost, or complex relations between increasing air temperatures, permafrost degradation, and its impacts on shrub growth. We recommend future studies to validate these hypotheses on monitored rock glaciers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Piccinelli
- Department Science and High Technology, Insubria University, Como, Italy
| | - Loïc Francon
- Climate Change Impacts and Risks in the Anthropocene (C-CIA), Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Corona
- Climate Change Impacts and Risks in the Anthropocene (C-CIA), Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Geolab, Université Clermont Auvergne, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Markus Stoffel
- Climate Change Impacts and Risks in the Anthropocene (C-CIA), Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Dendrolab.ch, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences (F.A.), University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lenka Slamova
- Climate Change Impacts and Risks in the Anthropocene (C-CIA), Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicoletta Cannone
- Department Science and High Technology, Insubria University, Como, Italy
- Climate Change Research Centre, Insubria University, Como, Italy
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Saarela JM, Sokoloff PC, Gillespie LJ, Bull RD. Vascular plant biodiversity of Katannilik Territorial Park, Kimmirut and vicinity on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada: an annotated checklist of an Arctic flora. PHYTOKEYS 2023; 217:1-135. [PMID: 36760228 PMCID: PMC9836459 DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.217.90573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The Arctic ecozone is undergoing a rapid transformation in response to climate change. Establishing a baseline of current Arctic biodiversity is necessary to be able to track changes in species diversity and distribution over time. Here, we report a vascular plant floristic study of Katannilik Territorial Park, Kimmirut and vicinity within Circumpolar Arctic Bioclimate Subzone D on southern Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. We compiled a dataset of 1596 collections gathered in the study area throughout the last century, including 838 we made in 2012. The vascular flora comprises 35 families, 98 genera, 211 species, two nothospecies and seven infraspecific taxa. We newly recorded 51 taxa in 22 families in the study area: Erigeroneriocephalus, Taraxacumholmenianum (Asteraceae), Drabaarctica, D.fladnizensis, D.lactea (Brassicaceae), Campanularotundifolia (Campanulaceae), Arenarialongipedunculata, Honckenyapeploidessubsp.diffusa, Sabulinarossii, Sileneuralensissubsp.uralensis, Viscariaalpina (Caryophyllaceae), Carexbrunnescenssubsp.brunnescens, C.krausei, C.microglochin, C.subspathacea, C.williamsii, Eriophorumscheuchzerisubsp.arcticum (Cyperaceae), Andromedapolifolia, Orthiliasecundasubsp.obtusata (Ericaceae), Oxytropispodocarpa (Fabaceae), Luzulagroenlandica (Juncaceae), Triglochinpalustris (Juncaginaceae), Utriculariaochroleuca (Lentibulariaceae), Huperziacontinentalis (Lycopodiaceae), Montiafontana (Montiaceae), Corallorhizatrifida, Platantheraobtusatasubsp.obtusata (Orchidaceae), Hippurislanceolata, H.vulgaris, Plantagomaritima (Plantaginaceae), Calamagrostisneglectasubsp.groenlandica, C.purpurascens, Festucaproliferavar.lasiolepis, F.rubrasubsp.rubra, F.rubrasubsp.arctica, Hordeumjubatumsubsp.jubatum, Leymusmollissubsp.mollis, L.mollissubsp.villosissimus, Puccinelliavaginata (Poaceae), Primulaegaliksensis (Primulaceae), Cryptogrammastelleri (Pteridaceae), Coptidium×spitsbergense (Ranunculaceae), Potentillacrantzii, P.hyparcticasubsp.hyparctica, Rubuschamaemorus, Sibbaldiaprocumbens (Rosaceae), Salixfuscescens (Salicaceae), Micranthesfoliolosa, M.nivalis, M.tenuis (Saxifragaceae) and Woodsiaalpina (Woodsiaceae). We recorded 196 taxa in Katannilik Territorial Park (191 species, three infraspecific taxa and two nothospecies); 145 of these taxa are first records for the park. We recorded 170 taxa in Kimmirut and vicinity (166 species, three infraspecific taxa and one nothospecies) in Kimmirut and vicinity; 15 of these taxa are first records for Kimmirut and vicinity. All study area species are native, except two grasses that grew in Kimmirut: F.rubrasubsp.rubra, which may have been seeded and Hordeumjubatumsubsp.jubatum, of unknown origin. We summarize the distribution on Baffin Island for each taxon recorded in the study area, including several unpublished southern Baffin Island records.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery M. Saarela
- Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration and Botany Section, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaCanadian Museum of NatureOttawaCanada
| | - Paul C. Sokoloff
- Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration and Botany Section, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaCanadian Museum of NatureOttawaCanada
| | - Lynn J. Gillespie
- Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration and Botany Section, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaCanadian Museum of NatureOttawaCanada
| | - Roger D. Bull
- Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration and Botany Section, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaCanadian Museum of NatureOttawaCanada
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Tumajer J, Begović K, Čada V, Jenicek M, Lange J, Mašek J, Kaczka RJ, Rydval M, Svoboda M, Vlček L, Treml V. Ecological and methodological drivers of non-stationarity in tree growth response to climate. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:462-476. [PMID: 36200330 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Radial tree growth is sensitive to environmental conditions, making observed growth increments an important indicator of climate change effects on forest growth. However, unprecedented climate variability could lead to non-stationarity, that is, a decoupling of tree growth responses from climate over time, potentially inducing biases in climate reconstructions and forest growth projections. Little is known about whether and to what extent environmental conditions, species, and model type and resolution affect the occurrence and magnitude of non-stationarity. To systematically assess potential drivers of non-stationarity, we compiled tree-ring width chronologies of two conifer species, Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris, distributed across cold, dry, and mixed climates. We analyzed 147 sites across the Europe including the distribution margins of these species as well as moderate sites. We calibrated four numerical models (linear vs. non-linear, daily vs. monthly resolution) to simulate growth chronologies based on temperature and soil moisture data. Climate-growth models were tested in independent verification periods to quantify their non-stationarity, which was assessed based on bootstrapped transfer function stability tests. The degree of non-stationarity varied between species, site climatic conditions, and models. Chronologies of P. sylvestris showed stronger non-stationarity compared with Picea abies stands with a high degree of stationarity. Sites with mixed climatic signals were most affected by non-stationarity compared with sites sampled at cold and dry species distribution margins. Moreover, linear models with daily resolution exhibited greater non-stationarity compared with monthly-resolved non-linear models. We conclude that non-stationarity in climate-growth responses is a multifactorial phenomenon driven by the interaction of site climatic conditions, tree species, and methodological features of the modeling approach. Given the existence of multiple drivers and the frequent occurrence of non-stationarity, we recommend that temporal non-stationarity rather than stationarity should be considered as the baseline model of climate-growth response for temperate forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Tumajer
- Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Krešimir Begović
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Science, Department of Forest Ecology, Czech University of Life Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Čada
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Science, Department of Forest Ecology, Czech University of Life Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Jenicek
- Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jelena Lange
- Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Mašek
- Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ryszard J Kaczka
- Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Rydval
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Science, Department of Forest Ecology, Czech University of Life Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Svoboda
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Science, Department of Forest Ecology, Czech University of Life Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Vlček
- Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Hydrodynamics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Treml
- Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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Weijers S. Declining temperature and increasing moisture sensitivity of shrub growth in the Low‐Arctic erect dwarf‐shrub tundra of western Greenland. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9419. [PMCID: PMC9637549 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stef Weijers
- Department of Geography University of Bonn Bonn Germany
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Boyle JS, Angers-Blondin S, Assmann JJ, Myers-Smith IH. Summer temperature—but not growing season length—influences radial growth of Salix arctica in coastal Arctic tundra. Polar Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-022-03074-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
AbstractArctic climate change is leading to an advance of plant phenology (the timing of life history events) with uncertain impacts on tundra ecosystems. Although the lengthening of the growing season is thought to lead to increased plant growth, we have few studies of how plant phenology change is altering tundra plant productivity. Here, we test the correspondence between 14 years of Salix arctica phenology data and radial growth on Qikiqtaruk–Herschel Island, Yukon Territory, Canada. We analysed stems from 28 individuals using dendroecology and linear mixed-effect models to test the statistical power of growing season length and climate variables to individually predict radial growth. We found that summer temperature best explained annual variation in radial growth. We found no strong evidence that leaf emergence date, earlier leaf senescence date, or total growing season length had any direct or lagged effects on radial growth. Radial growth was also not explained by interannual variation in precipitation, MODIS surface greenness (NDVI), or sea ice concentration. Our results demonstrate that at this site, for the widely distributed species S. arctica, temperature—but not growing season length—influences radial growth. These findings challenge the assumption that advancing phenology and longer growing seasons will increase the productivity of all plant species in Arctic tundra ecosystems.
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10
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From Intra-plant to Regional Scale: June Temperatures and Regional Climates Directly and Indirectly Control Betula nana Growth in Arctic Alaska. Ecosystems 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-022-00771-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractTundra shrubs reflect climate sensitivities in their growth-ring widths, yet tissue-specific shrub chronologies are poorly studied. Further, the relative importance of regional climate patterns that exert mesoscale precipitation and temperature influences on tundra shrub growth has been explored in only a few Arctic locations. Here, we investigate Betula nana growth-ring chronologies from adjacent dry heath and moist tussock tundra habitats in arctic Alaska in relation to local and regional climate. Mean shrub and five tissue-specific ring width chronologies were analyzed using serial sectioning of above- and below-ground shrub organs, resulting in 30 shrubs per site with 161 and 104 cross sections from dry and moist tundra, respectively. Betula nana growth-ring widths in both habitats were primarily related to June air temperature (1989–2014). The strongest relationships with air temperature were found for ‘Branch2’ chronologies (dry site: r = 0.78, June 16, DOY = 167; moist site: r = 0.75, June 9, DOY = 160). Additionally, below-ground chronologies (‘Root’ and ‘Root2’) from the moist site were positively correlated with daily mean air temperatures in the previous late-June (‘Root2’ chronology: r = 0.57, pDOY = 173). Most tissue-specific chronologies exhibited the strongest correlations with daily mean air temperature during the period between 8 and 20 June. Structural equation modeling indicated that shrub growth is indirectly linked to regional Arctic and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (AO and PDO) climate indices through their relation to summer sea ice extent and air temperature. Strong dependence of Betula nana growth on early growing season temperature indicates a highly coordinated allocation of resources to tissue growth, which might increase its competitive advantage over other shrub species under a rapidly changing Arctic climate.
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11
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Jespersen RG, Leffler AJ, Väisänen M, Welker JM. Resistance and change in a High Arctic ecosystem, NW Greenland: Differential sensitivity of ecosystem metrics to 15 years of experimental warming and wetting. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:1853-1869. [PMID: 34870887 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Dramatic increases in air temperature and precipitation are occurring in the High Arctic (>70°N), yet few studies have characterized the long-term responses of High Arctic ecosystems to the interactive effects of experimental warming and increased rain. Beginning in 2003, we applied a factorial summer warming and wetting experiment to a polar semidesert in northwest Greenland. In summer 2018, we assessed several metrics of ecosystem structure and function, including plant cover, greenness, ecosystem CO2 exchange, aboveground (leaf, stem) and belowground (litter, root, soil) carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations (%) and pools, as well as leaf and soil stable isotopes (δ13 C and δ15 N). Wetting induced the most pronounced changes in ecosystem structure, accelerating the expansion of Salix arctica cover by 370% and increasing aboveground C, N, and biomass pools by 94%-101% and root C, N, and biomass pools by 60%-122%, increases which coincided with enhanced net ecosystem CO2 uptake. Further, wetting combined with warming enhanced plot-level greenness, whereas in isolation neither wetting nor warming had an effect. At the plant level, the effects of warming and wetting differed among species and included warming-linked decreases in leaf N and δ15 N in S. arctica, whereas leaf N and δ15 N in Dryas integrifolia did not respond to the climate treatments. Finally, neither plant- nor plot-level C and N allocation patterns nor soil C, N, δ13 C, or δ15 N concentrations changed in response to our manipulations, indicating that these ecosystem metrics may resist climate change, even in the longer term. In sum, our results highlight the importance of summer precipitation in regulating ecosystem structure and function in arid parts of the High Arctic, but they do not completely refute previous findings of resistance in some High Arctic ecosystem properties to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Gus Jespersen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska-Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Alan Joshua Leffler
- Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, USA
| | - Maria Väisänen
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Jeffrey M Welker
- UArctic Research Chair, Department of Arctic Ecology & Biogeochemistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- University of Alaska-Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
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Warming-induced tipping points of Arctic and alpine shrub recruitment. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2118120119. [PMID: 35193980 PMCID: PMC8917345 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2118120119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Shrub recruitment, a key component of vegetation dynamics beyond forests, is a highly sensitive indicator of climate and environmental change. Warming-induced tipping points in Arctic and alpine treeless ecosystems are, however, little understood. Here, we compare two long-term recruitment datasets of 2,770 shrubs from coastal East Greenland and from the Tibetan Plateau against atmospheric circulation patterns between 1871 and 2010 Common Era. Increasing rates of shrub recruitment since 1871 reached critical tipping points in the 1930s and 1960s on the Tibetan Plateau and in East Greenland, respectively. A recent decline in shrub recruitment in both datasets was likely related to warmer and drier climates, with a stronger May to July El Niño Southern Oscillation over the Tibetan Plateau and a stronger June to July Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation over Greenland. Exceeding the thermal optimum of shrub recruitment, the recent warming trend may cause soil moisture deficit. Our findings suggest that changes in atmospheric circulation explain regional climate dynamics and associated response patterns in Arctic and alpine shrub communities, knowledge that should be considered to protect vulnerable high-elevation and high-latitude ecosystems from the cascading effects of anthropogenic warming.
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McCrystall MR, Stroeve J, Serreze M, Forbes BC, Screen JA. New climate models reveal faster and larger increases in Arctic precipitation than previously projected. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6765. [PMID: 34848697 PMCID: PMC8633026 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27031-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
As the Arctic continues to warm faster than the rest of the planet, evidence mounts that the region is experiencing unprecedented environmental change. The hydrological cycle is projected to intensify throughout the twenty-first century, with increased evaporation from expanding open water areas and more precipitation. The latest projections from the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) point to more rapid Arctic warming and sea-ice loss by the year 2100 than in previous projections, and consequently, larger and faster changes in the hydrological cycle. Arctic precipitation (rainfall) increases more rapidly in CMIP6 than in CMIP5 due to greater global warming and poleward moisture transport, greater Arctic amplification and sea-ice loss and increased sensitivity of precipitation to Arctic warming. The transition from a snow- to rain-dominated Arctic in the summer and autumn is projected to occur decades earlier and at a lower level of global warming, potentially under 1.5 °C, with profound climatic, ecosystem and socio-economic impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle R McCrystall
- Canada 150 Research Chairs Program, Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
| | - Julienne Stroeve
- Canada 150 Research Chairs Program, Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- National Snow and Ice Data Centre, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Mark Serreze
- National Snow and Ice Data Centre, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Bruce C Forbes
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - James A Screen
- College of Engineering, Maths, and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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Severson JP, Johnson HE, Arthur SM, Leacock WB, Suitor MJ. Spring phenology drives range shifts in a migratory Arctic ungulate with key implications for the future. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4546-4563. [PMID: 33993595 PMCID: PMC8456794 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Annual variation in phenology can have profound effects on the behavior of animals. As climate change advances spring phenology in ecosystems around the globe, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how animals respond to variation in the timing of seasonal events and how their responses may shift in the future. We investigated the influence of spring phenology on the behavior of migratory, barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus), a species that has evolved to cope with short Arctic summers. Specifically, we examined the effect of spring snow melt and vegetation growth on the current and potential future space-use patterns of the Porcupine Caribou Herd (PCH), which exhibits large, inter-annual shifts in their calving and post-calving distributions across the U.S.-Canadian border. We quantified PCH selection for snow melt and vegetation phenology using machine learning models, determined how selection resulted in annual shifts in space-use, and then projected future distributions based on climate-driven phenology models. Caribou exhibited strong, scale-dependent selection for both snow melt and vegetation growth. During the calving season, caribou selected areas at finer scales where the snow had melted and vegetation was greening, but within broader landscapes that were still brown or snow covered. During the post-calving season, they selected vegetation with intermediate biomass expected to have high forage quality. Annual variation in spring phenology predicted major shifts in PCH space-use. In years with early spring phenology, PCH predominately used habitat in Alaska, while in years with late phenology, they spent more time in Yukon. Future climate conditions were projected to advance spring phenology, shifting PCH calving and post-calving distributions further west into Alaska. Our results demonstrate that caribou selection for habitat in specific phenological stages drive dramatic shifts in annual space-use patterns, and will likely affect future distributions, underscoring the importance of maintaining sufficient suitable habitat to allow for behavioral plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stephen M. Arthur
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceArctic National Wildlife RefugeFairbanksAKUSA
| | - William B. Leacock
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceArctic National Wildlife RefugeFairbanksAKUSA
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Dobbert S, Pape R, Löffler J. Contrasting growth response of evergreen and deciduous arctic‐alpine shrub species to climate variability. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Svenja Dobbert
- Department of Geography University of Bonn Meckenheimer Allee 166 Bonn D‐53115 Germany
| | - Roland Pape
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health University of South‐Eastern Norway Gullbringvegen 36 Bø N‐3800 Norway
| | - Jörg Löffler
- Department of Geography University of Bonn Meckenheimer Allee 166 Bonn D‐53115 Germany
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Abstract
Arctic sea ice extent (SIE) is declining at an accelerating rate with a wide range of ecological consequences. However, determining sea ice effects on tundra vegetation remains a challenge. In this study, we examined the universality or lack thereof in tundra shrub growth responses to changes in SIE and summer climate across the Pan-Arctic, taking advantage of 23 tundra shrub-ring chronologies from 19 widely distributed sites (56°N to 83°N). We show a clear divergence in shrub growth responses to SIE that began in the mid-1990s, with 39% of the chronologies showing declines and 57% showing increases in radial growth (decreasers and increasers, respectively). Structural equation models revealed that declining SIE was associated with rising air temperature and precipitation for increasers and with increasingly dry conditions for decreasers. Decreasers tended to be from areas of the Arctic with lower summer precipitation and their growth decline was related to decreases in the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index. Our findings suggest that moisture limitation, associated with declining SIE, might inhibit the positive effects of warming on shrub growth over a considerable part of the terrestrial Arctic, thereby complicating predictions of vegetation change and future tundra productivity.
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