Global Climate Change: Disturbance Regimes and Biospheric Feedbacks of Temperate and Boreal Forests

Abstract

Abstract General circulation models that predict large-scale climatic changes at present account neither for the effects of these changes on terrestrial and aquatic biota nor for feedbacks associated with the effects. This chapter reviews some of the feedback mechanisms through which temperate and boreal forest ecosystems could affect future climatic changes. The effects of changes in forest distribution and changes in growth and decomposition rates are addressed by others in this volume. This chapter emphasizes the role of disturbance regimes and their effects on forest structure and function. We show that changes in climatic conditions have affected forest disturbance regimes in the past and that these changes in disturbance regimes must be considered when assessing biospheric feedbacks to future climate changes.