Response of taiga ecosystems to extreme weather conditions and climate anomalies

N. N. Vygodskaya,A. V. Ol’chev,A. V. Varlagin,Yu. A. Kurbatova,O. I. Panferov,F. A. Tatarinov,N. V. Shalukhina

doi:10.1134/s0012496609060258

Abstract

The resistance of the biosphere to external impacts is the key problem of modern ecology and geography in view of a vague response of modern ecosystems to current and future climate changes and increasing anthropogenic load [5, 10]. Studies of climate changes clarify only possible delayed structural rearrangement of the modern vegetation cover, shift of vegetation zones, and changes in the productivity and reserves of the carbon pool for large regions. Various climate sce� narios are considered, which assume different rates of economic development and changes in the discharge of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, as well as his� torical analogues of the current and future climate [5]. On the other hand, describing extreme weather phenomena (EWP) and climate anomalies (CAs) in different regions is becoming a topical issue of modern climate studies [4]. The attention of researchers is focused on studying floods, droughts, tornados, and periods of abnormally high summer temperatures— i.e., the phenomena having dramatic adverse conse� quences for the social and economic sphere. Unfortu� nately, the effect of EWP and CA on ecosystems in general is studied very poorly [4]. It should be taken into account that EWP usually are not considered in common climate scenarios and can be hardly pre� dicted by modern climate models. A priori, this means that

Highlights

The resistance of the biosphere to external impacts is the key problem of modern ecology and geography in view of a vague response of modern ecosystems to current and future climate changes and increasing anthropogenic load [5, 10]
On the other hand, describing extreme weather phenomena (EWP) and climate anomalies (CAs) in different regions is becoming a topical issue of modern climate studies [4]
(1) the predictions of the rate and scope of responses of ecosystems to some average conditions of future climate will have errors owing to increasing cli mate instability; and a Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii pr. 33, Moscow, 119071 Russia b Institute of Geography, Jan Kochanowski University, Kielce, 25406 Poland c Department of Bioclimatology, Büsgen Institute, Göettingen University, Büsgenweg 2, Göettingen, 37077 Germany

Summary

Introduction

On the other hand, describing extreme weather phenomena (EWP) and climate anomalies (CAs) in different regions is becoming a topical issue of modern climate studies [4]. The resistance of the biosphere to external impacts is the key problem of modern ecology and geography in view of a vague response of modern ecosystems to current and future climate changes and increasing anthropogenic load [5, 10].

Results

Conclusion