Arctic Tundra Ecosystems Research Articles

Annual patterns and budget of CO2 flux in an Arctic tussock tundra ecosystem

AbstractThe functioning of Arctic ecosystems is not only critically affected by climate change, but it also has the potential for major positive feedback on climate. There is, however, relatively little information on the role, patterns, and vulnerabilities of CO2 fluxes during the nonsummer seasons in Arctic ecosystems. Presented here is a year‐round study of CO2 fluxes in an Alaskan Arctic tussock tundra ecosystem, and key environmental controls on these fluxes. Important controls on fluxes vary by season. This paper also presents a new empirical quantification of seasons in the Arctic based on net radiation. The fluxes were computed using standard FluxNet methodology and corrected using standard Webb‐Pearman‐Leuning density terms adjusted for influences of open‐path instrument surface heating. The results showed that the nonsummer season comprises a significant source of carbon to the atmosphere. The summer period was a net sink of 24.3 g C m−2, while the nonsummer seasons released 37.9 g C m−2. This release is 1.6 times the summer uptake, resulting in a net annual source of +13.6 g C m−2 to the atmosphere. These findings support early observations of a change in this particular region of the Arctic from a long‐term annual sink of CO2 to an annual source from the terrestrial ecosystem and soils to the atmosphere. The results presented here demonstrate that nearly continuous observations may be required in order to accurately calculate the annual net ecosystem CO2 exchange of Arctic ecosystems and to build predictive understanding that can be used to estimate, with confidence, Arctic fluxes under future conditions.

Bacillariophyta in Aquatic Ecosystems of Arctic Tundra of Western Yamal (Hkarasaveiyakha River Basin, Russia)

Bacillariophyta in Aquatic Ecosystems of Arctic Tundra of Western Yamal (Hkarasaveiyakha River Basin, Russia)

Growing season and spatial variations of carbon fluxes of Arctic and boreal ecosystems in Alaska (USA)

To better understand the spatial and temporal dynamics of CO2 exchange between Arctic ecosystems and the atmosphere, we synthesized CO2 flux data, measured in eight Arctic tundra and five boreal ecosystems across Alaska (USA) and identified growing season and spatial variations of the fluxes and environmental controlling factors. For the period examined, all of the boreal and seven of the eight Arctic tundra ecosystems acted as CO2 sinks during the growing season. Seasonal patterns of the CO2 fluxes were mostly determined by air temperature, except ecosystem respiration (RE) of tundra. For the tundra ecosystems, the spatial variation of gross primary productivity (GPP) and net CO2 sink strength were explained by growing season length, whereas RE increased with growing degree days. For boreal ecosystems, the spatial variation of net CO2 sink strength was mostly determined by recovery of GPP from fire disturbance. Satellite-derived leaf area index (LAI) was a better index to explain the spatial variations of GPP and NEE of the ecosystems in Alaska than were the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI). Multiple regression models using growing degree days, growing season length, and satellite-derived LAI explained much of the spatial variation in GPP and net CO2 exchange among the tundra and boreal ecosystems. The high sensitivity of the sink strength to growing season length indicated that the tundra ecosystem could increase CO2 sink strength under expected future warming, whereas ecosystem compositions associated with fire disturbance could play a major role in carbon release from boreal ecosystems.

Ecological and Evolutionary Consequences of Experimental Warming in a High Arctic Tundra Ecosystem

Over the past 100 years, global temperatures necessary to maintain Arctic species, have risen by an average of 0.85°C (IPCC, 2013). Rapid adaptation to environmental change has already This trend is especially pronounced in the Arctic, been described in some species. The critical photoperiod where temperatures have risen by 2°C over the past 50 years of northern populations of pitcher plant mosquitoes ( Wyeo alone and are expected to rise an additional 2°-5°C by the myia smithii) has shifted towards that of more southern end of this century (ACIA, 2005). This rapid increase in populations, thus lengthening the breeding season for these temperature is expected to have wide-ranging implications populations (Bradshaw and Holzapfel, 2001). In the Yukon, for Arctic ecosystems, including changes in biodiversity, evolutionary adaptation accounted for 13% of an observed ecosystem functioning, and nutrient cycles. The future of shift in parturition date for red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hud Arctic ecosystems will depend on three factors: the extent sonicus) (62% was a result of phenotypic plasticity) (Reale to which individuals can adjust to warmer temperatures et al., 2003; Berteaux et al., 2004). In plants, evolution in through phenotypic plasticity, the rate of immigration of response to increased drought was detected in a population species from southern latitudes, and the rate at which evoof Brassica rapa after only a few generations (Franks et lutionary adaptation at the species level can take place in a al., 2007). However, the vast majority of studies describing rapidly changing environment (Aitken et ah, 2008; Gienapp observed trait shifts in response to climate change provide et ah, 2008). In essence, if species cannot adjust to warmer no evidence of whether these shifts are plastic or adaptive temperatures in situ (phenotypic plasticity), they must (Parmesan and Yohe, 2003; Gienapp et ah, 2008). move, adapt, or die. Migration in response to warming temperatures has also Widespread changes in the Arctic are already underbeen widely documented. In the United Kingdom, 63% of way. Recent syntheses of plant community composition evaluated butterfly species have experienced northward data have shown that some functional groups, particurange shifts over the past century (Parmesan et ah, 1999). larly shrubs and graminoids, have responded positively to Similarly, British bird species have experienced an aver warming, while others, including lichens, have declined age northward range shift of 18.9 km (Thomas and Len (Elmendorf et ah, 2012). This shrubification of the Arctic non, 1999). In the Arctic, a majority of surveyed sites show is likely to have important consequences for the herbivore evidence of northward tree line advancement (Harsch et community and to alter snow distribution, duration, and ah, 2009). In a meta-analysis of data from 1700 plant and albedo effects (Myers-Smith et ah, 2011). Individual species animal species worldwide, Parmesan and Yohe (2003) have also shown changes in response to warming. Plants described an average northward range shift of 6.1 km (or in areas of rapid warming often respond by flowering and 6.1 m upward in elevation) per decade across all species, senescing earlier, although responses vary substantially by Although migration is perhaps the most widely discussed location and growth form (Oberbauer et ah, 2013). of the three climate-change responses, it is far from cer Despite a growing body of evidence that plants are tain that species will be able to track their optimal climate changing in response to warming temperatures, little is northward as the climate warms. Predicted rates of future known about the mechanisms behind these changes. Clasclimate change are much greater than those of historical sical studies of Arctic species have demonstrated that changes; species will therefore be required to track changes although individual populations show a high degree of in climate at speeds 100 times those of historical migra phenotypic plasticity, adaptation to local conditions was tions (Davis, 1989; Aitken et al., 2008). In addition, poten also widespread (Mooney and Billings, 1961). This genetic tial migration pathways have been considerably fragmented diversity within the species as a whole could become by human land use, especially agriculture and residential important as environmental conditions change. If plastic settlement (McCarty, 2001). These obstacles represent a responses are not sufficient to keep up with the rapid rise in further barrier to species dispersal and migration. Finally,

Carbon-Degrading Enzyme Activities Stimulated by Increased Nutrient Availability in Arctic Tundra Soils

Climate-induced warming of the Arctic tundra is expected to increase nutrient availability to soil microbes, which in turn may accelerate soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. We increased nutrient availability via fertilization to investigate the microbial response via soil enzyme activities. Specifically, we measured potential activities of seven enzymes at four temperatures in three soil profiles (organic, organic/mineral interface, and mineral) from untreated native soils and from soils which had been fertilized with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) since 1989 (23 years) and 2006 (six years). Fertilized plots within the 1989 site received annual additions of 10 g N⋅m-2⋅year-1 and 5 g P⋅m-2⋅year-1. Within the 2006 site, two fertilizer regimes were established – one in which plots received 5 g N⋅m-2⋅year-1 and 2.5 g P⋅m-2⋅year-1 and one in which plots received 10 g N⋅m-2⋅year-1 and 5 g P⋅m-2⋅year-1. The fertilization treatments increased activities of enzymes hydrolyzing carbon (C)-rich compounds but decreased phosphatase activities, especially in the organic soils. Activities of two enzymes that degrade N-rich compounds were not affected by the fertilization treatments. The fertilization treatments increased ratios of enzyme activities degrading C-rich compounds to those for N-rich compounds or phosphate, which could lead to changes in SOM chemistry over the long term and to losses of soil C. Accelerated SOM decomposition caused by increased nutrient availability could significantly offset predicted increased C fixation via stimulated net primary productivity in Arctic tundra ecosystems.

Soil–plant N processes in a High Arctic ecosystem, NW Greenland are altered by long‐term experimental warming and higher rainfall

Rapid temperature and precipitation changes in High Arctic tundra ecosystems are altering the biogeochemical cycles of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), but in ways that are difficult to predict. The challenge grows from the uncertainty of N cycle responses and the extent to which shifts in soil N are coupled with the C cycle and productivity of tundra systems. We used a long-term (since 2003) experiment of summer warming and supplemental summer water additions to a High Arctic ecosystem in NW Greenland, and applied a combination of discrete sampling and in situ soil core incubations to measure C and N pools and seasonal microbial processes that might control plant-available N. We hypothesized that elevated temperature and increased precipitation would stimulate microbial activity and net inorganic N mineralization, thereby increasing plant N-availability through the growing season. While we did find increased N mineralization rates under both global change scenarios, water addition also significantly increased net nitrification rates, loss of NO3 (-) -N via leaching, and lowered rates of labile organic N production. We also expected the chronic warming and watering would lead to long-term changes in soil N-cycling that would be reflected in soil δ(15) N values. We found that soil δ(15) N decreased under the different climate change scenarios. Our results suggest that temperature accelerates biological processes and existing C and N transformations, but moisture increases soil hydraulic connectivity and so alters the pathways, and changes the fate of the products of C and N transformations. In addition, our findings indicate that warmer, wetter High Arctic tundra will be cycling N and C in ways that may transform these landscapes in part leading to greater C sequestration, but simultaneously, N losses from the upper soil profile that may be transported to depth dissolved in water and or transported off site in lateral flow.

Landscape heterogeneity drives intra-population niche variation and reproduction in an arctic top predator.

While intra-population variability in resource use is ubiquitous, little is known of how this measure of niche diversity varies in space and its role in population dynamics. Here we examined how heterogeneous breeding environments can structure intra-population niche variation in both resource use and reproductive output. We investigated intra-population niche variation in the Arctic tundra ecosystem, studying peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus tundrius, White) breeding within a terrestrial-marine gradient near Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada. Using stable isotope analysis, we found that intra-population niches varied at the individual level; we examined within-nest and among-nest variation, though only the latter varied along the terrestrial-marine gradient (i.e., increased among-nest variability among birds nesting within the marine environment, indicating higher degree of specialization). Terrestrial prey species (small herbivores and insectivores) were consumed by virtually all falcons. Falcons nesting within the marine environment made use of marine prey (sea birds), but depended heavily on terrestrial prey (up to 90% of the diet). Using 28-years of peregrine falcon nesting data, we found a positive relationship between the proportion of terrestrial habitat surrounding nest sites and annual nestling production, but no relationship with the likelihood of successfully rearing at least one nestling reaching 25 days old. Annually, successful inland breeders raised 0.47 more young on average compared to offshore breeders, which yields potential fitness consequences for this long-living species. The analyses of niche and reproductive success suggest a potential breeding cost for accessing distant terrestrial prey, perhaps due to additional traveling costs, for those individuals with marine nest site locations. Our study indicates how landscape heterogeneity can generate proximate (niche variation) and ultimate (reproduction) consequences on a population of generalist predator. We also show that within-individual and among-individual variation are not mutually exclusive, but can simultaneously arise and structure intra-population niche variation.

CARD-FISH analysis of prokaryotic community composition and abundance along small-scale vegetation gradients in a dry arctic tundra ecosystem

The size and composition of soil microbial communities have important influences on terrestrial ecosystem processes such as soil decomposition. However, compared with studies of aboveground plant communities, there are relatively few studies on belowground microbial communities and their interactions with aboveground vegetations in the arctic region. In this study, we conducted the first investigation of the abundance and composition of prokaryotic communities along small-scale vegetation gradients (ca. 1–3 m) in a dry arctic tundra ecosystem in Northern Sweden using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) coupled with catalyzed reporter deposition (CARD). The number of prokaryotic cells increased with increasing vegetation cover along vegetation gradients, mainly as a function of increased amounts of soil carbon and moisture. Eubacteria and Archaea constituted approximately 59.7% and 33.4% of DAPI-positive cells, respectively. Among the analyzed bacterial phyla and sub-phyla, Acidobacteria and α-proteobacteria were the most dominant groups, constituting approximately 13.5% and 10.7% of DAPI-positive cells, respectively. Interestingly, the soil prokaryotic community composition was relatively unaffected by the dramatic changes in the aboveground vegetation community. Multivariate analyses suggested that the prokaryotic community composition depended on soil pH rather than on aboveground vegetation. Surface plants are weak predictors of the composition of the soil microbial community in the studied soil system and the size of the community is constrained by carbon and water availability. In addition, our study demonstrated that CARD-FISH, which is still a rarely-used technique in soil ecology, is effective for quantifying soil microbes.

Geochemical Influences on Solubility of Soil Organic Carbon in Arctic Tundra Ecosystems

In northern Alaska, variations in ecosystem characteristics, including plant species composition, soil pH, depth of the organic layer, and microbial activity, appear to be closely related to substrate age and landscape position. In this study, we conducted an extraction experiment on soils from Alaskan tundra ecosystems differing in substrate age and landscape position to elucidate the geochemical controls on solubility of organic C in these soils. The extraction experiment showed higher yields of phosphate-buffer-extractable (soluble) organic C (PEOC) in organic-layer soil from older sites with low soil pH than from younger sites with high soil pH. This was due to the strong relationship between the yield of PEOC and soil pH. Similar relationships were found with mineral soils. A significant correlation was also found between PEOC and extractable Al, suggesting that soluble organic matter is strongly adsorbed to Al oxides and hydroxides, presumably through organic chelation. The importance of geochemical factors in controlling PEOC yields was tested using soils from a variety of ecosystem types that had received long-term additions of P fertilizer. Yields of PEOC from organic soils from P-fertilized plots were significantly lower than yields from control plots, regardless of whether or not P fertilization had increased biomass or changed plant species composition in these plots. This indicates that organic matter adsorbed to minerals in organic soils is strongly controlled by geochemical factors.

Wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) resources use in the Taimyr peninsula: Aspects of the principle of ecological law

Rapid development of modern industry on the Taimyr peninsula together with global changes of environmental conditions and great anthropogenic pressure have caused observable disruption of some Arctic and sub Arctic tundra ecosystems. These changes have several effects on the animal populations, Wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) in particular, that are the resources of living for the indigenous people of the Taimyr peninsula. Many problems are eliminated by existing environmental, health, housing and civil rights laws, research and educational activities. In future, they should be developed and advanced so that R. tarandus resources could be balanced according to the indigenous people demands.

The footprint of Alaskan tundra fires during the past half-century: implications for surface properties and radiative forcing

Recent large and frequent fires above the Alaskan arctic circle have forced a reassessment of the ecological and climatological importance of fire in arctic tundra ecosystems. Here we provide a general overview of the occurrence, distribution, and ecological and climate implications of Alaskan tundra fires over the past half-century using spatially explicit climate, fire, vegetation and remote sensing datasets for Alaska. Our analyses highlight the importance of vegetation biomass and environmental conditions in regulating tundra burning, and demonstrate that most tundra ecosystems are susceptible to burn, providing the environmental conditions are right. Over the past two decades, fire perimeters above the arctic circle have increased in size and importance, especially on the North Slope, indicating that future wildfire projections should account for fire regime changes in these regions. Remote sensing data and a literature review of thaw depths indicate that tundra fires have both positive and negative implications for climatic feedbacks including a decadal increase in albedo radiative forcing immediately after a fire, a stimulation of surface greenness and a persistent long-term (>10 year) increase in thaw depth. In order to address the future impact of tundra fires on climate, a better understanding of the control of tundra fire occurrence as well as the long-term impacts on ecosystem carbon cycling will be required.

Acidobacteriadominate the active bacterial communities of Arctic tundra with widely divergent winter-time snow accumulation and soil temperatures

The timing and extent of snow cover is a major controller of soil temperature and hence winter-time microbial activity and plant diversity in Arctic tundra ecosystems. To understand how snow dynamics shape the bacterial communities, we analyzed the bacterial community composition of windswept and snow-accumulating shrub-dominated tundra heaths of northern Finland using DNA- and RNA-based 16S rRNA gene community fingerprinting (terminal restriction fragment polymorphism) and clone library analysis. Members of the Acidobacteria and Proteobacteria dominated the bacterial communities of both windswept and snow-accumulating habitats with the most abundant phylotypes corresponding to subdivision (SD) 1 and 2 Acidobacteria in both the DNA- and RNA-derived community profiles. However, different phylotypes within Acidobacteria were found to dominate at different sampling dates and in the DNA- vs. RNA-based community profiles. The results suggest that different species within SD1 and SD2 Acidobacteria respond to environmental conditions differently and highlight the wide functional diversity of these organisms even within the SD level. The acidic tundra soils dominated by ericoid shrubs appear to select for diverse stress-tolerant Acidobacteria that are able to compete in the nutrient poor, phenolic-rich soils. Overall, these communities seem stable and relatively insensitive to the predicted changes in the winter-time snow cover.

Soils Associated with Biotic Activity on Frost Boils in Arctic Alaska

Frost boils occur extensively across arctic tundra ecosystems, and biotic crusts form on the mineral soils exposed in centers of boils. These center areas of the frost boils eventually become completely covered by tundra vegetation. We studied the biogeochemistry of the surface soils (0‐ to 10‐cm depth) on frost boils at nine sites across a soil pH gradient in arctic Alaska. Soils under biotic crusts were compared with adjacent bare and fully vegetated areas within the centers of the same boil. Near the sea coast we found segregation of Na salts to the bare surface areas of boils and concentration of Ca under adjacent crusted areas within the boils. In contrast, inland coastal plain soils with nonacidic tundra showed Ca accumulation under both crusted and vegetated areas within the boils. Nonacidic soils rich in inorganic C were effective at buffering pH changes with organic carbon (OC) accumulations of up to 200 g kg−1. Soil water‐soluble OC (OCws) stocks of nonacidic boil sites correlated well with soil total OC (R2 = 0.62, p < 0.01), while OCws for boils formed in acidic soils was correlated to total soil N stocks (R2 = 0.69, p < 0.01), consistent with there being different limitations to soil biological activity for soils across the soil pH gradient. Although there were differences in quantity of accumulated organic matter across the soil pH gradient, soil nutrient pools increased as OC accumulated under crusted and then vegetated soils across all sites.

Temperature and water controls on vegetation emergence, microbial dynamics, and soil carbon and nitrogen fluxes in a high Arctic tundra ecosystem

Summary Arctic tundra ecosystems contain 14% of the global soil carbon (C) store which is becoming vulnerable to decomposition. Arctic soil organic matter (SOM) contains large amounts of old, recalcitrant, high molecular weight (MW) C compounds which are protected from decomposition whilst soils remain frozen. Climatic change alters soil temperature and water regimes in the Arctic, however, the impact of these changes on C decomposition and storage is poorly understood. We investigated vegetation emergence, microbial dynamics and nutrient fluxes in response to snow melt on the high Arctic Svalbard archipelago using field and laboratory studies. Using bacterial and archaeal genetic material (16S rRNA) and ammonia‐oxidising genes, microbial communities were quantified in transects across the active snow melt front. The effects of soil temperature and water content on SOM decomposition rates were measured using 14C‐labelled low and high MW compounds. Vegetation and below‐ground microbial communities, in the field, responded rapidly with peaks in nutrient availability and soil respiration observed within 72 h of snowmelt. Temperature strongly drives early growing season C dynamics in the Arctic. We suggest the nutrient peaks following snowmelt, coupled with higher levels of DNA in the subniveal zone are due to the decomposition of bacteria and archaea from previous years. We show, in the laboratory, when soils thaw, mineralisation of recalcitrant C (high MW) compounds was sensitive to soil water but not to increasing temperatures. In contrast, low MW compounds exhibited sensitivity to both temperature and soil water. We suggest that if future soil water content increases under climate change, high MW compounds could become more susceptible to decomposition, releasing more C to the atmosphere.

Broad‐scale satellite Normalized Difference Vegetation Index data predict plant biomass and peak date of nitrogen concentration in Arctic tundra vegetation

AbstractQuestionsIs the satellite‐derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) an adequate proxy for the timing of the peak in plant nitrogen concentration in an Arctic tundra system? Can NDVI be used to reliably assess seasonal changes in aboveground plant biomass?LocationThe south plain of Bylot Island, an Arctic tundra ecosystem north of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada (73°08′ N, 80°00′ W).MethodsUsing plant data collected every 2 wk throughout the summer in 1991, 1993–1996 and 2006–2008, we assessed the relationship between four NDVI indices (AVHRR satellite data at 1‐km2 spatial resolution) and the date of peak nitrogen concentration in wetland graminoid plants, which represents seasonal variability in plant quality. We also examined the relationship between NDVI and the seasonal changes in aboveground live plant biomass.ResultsThree out of the four NDVI metrics that we tested were significantly related to date of peak nitrogen concentration. The strongest relationship was found with the date at which NDVI values reached 50% of their annual maximum (r2 = 0.87). We also found a positive exponential relationship between NDVI and aboveground biomass of plants (r2 = 0.58), though this relationship was strongest early in the growing season.ConclusionsNDVI can be used as a proxy to determine date of peak nitrogen concentration in some tundra plants, and can thus be a reliable measure of the yearly changes in the timing of the availability of high quality food for herbivores. To a lesser extent, NDVI can also be used to assess seasonal change in plant biomass. This study provides additional support for the use of broad‐scale satellite‐derived NDVI to assess seasonal changes in habitat quality for herbivores.

Disentangling trophic relationships in a High Arctic tundra ecosystem through food web modeling

Determining the manner in which food webs will respond to environmental changes is difficult because the relative importance of top-down vs. bottom-up forces in controlling ecosystems is still debated. This is especially true in the Arctic tundra where, despite relatively simple food webs, it is still unclear which forces dominate in this ecosystem. Our primary goal was to assess the extent to which a tundra food web was dominated by plant-herbivore or predator-prey interactions. Based on a 17-year (1993-2009) study of terrestrial wildlife on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada, we developed trophic mass balance models to address this question. Snow Geese were the dominant herbivores in this ecosystem, followed by two sympatric lemming species (brown and collared lemmings). Arctic foxes, weasels, and several species of birds of prey were the dominant predators. Results of our trophic models encompassing 19 functional groups showed that <10% of the annual primary production was consumed by herbivores in most years despite the presence of a large Snow Goose colony, but that 20-100% of the annual herbivore production was consumed by predators. The impact of herbivores on vegetation has also weakened over time, probably due to an increase in primary production. The impact of predators was highest on lemmings, intermediate on passerines, and lowest on geese and shorebirds, but it varied with lemming abundance. Predation of collared lemmings exceeded production in most years and may explain why this species remained at low density. In contrast, the predation rate on brown lemmings varied with prey density and may have contributed to the high-amplitude, periodic fluctuations in the abundance of this species. Our analysis provided little evidence that herbivores are limited by primary production on Bylot Island. In contrast, we measured strong predator-prey interactions, which supports the hypothesis that this food web is primarily controlled by top-down forces. The presence of allochthonous resources subsidizing top predators and the absence of large herbivores may partly explain the predominant role of predation in this low-productivity ecosystem.

Shrub expansion in tundra ecosystems: dynamics, impacts and research priorities

Recent research using repeat photography, long-term ecological monitoring and dendrochronology has documented shrub expansion in arctic, high-latitude and alpine tundra ecosystems. Here, we (1) synthesize these findings, (2) present a conceptual framework that identifies mechanisms and constraints on shrub increase, (3) explore causes, feedbacks and implications of the increased shrub cover in tundra ecosystems, and (4) address potential lines of investigation for future research. Satellite observations from around the circumpolar Arctic, showing increased productivity, measured as changes in ‘greenness’, have coincided with a general rise in high-latitude air temperatures and have been partly attributed to increases in shrub cover. Studies indicate that warming temperatures, changes in snow cover, altered disturbance regimes as a result of permafrost thaw, tundra fires, and anthropogenic activities or changes in herbivory intensity are all contributing to observed changes in shrub abundance. A large-scale increase in shrub cover will change the structure of tundra ecosystems and alter energy fluxes, regional climate, soil–atmosphere exchange of water, carbon and nutrients, and ecological interactions between species. In order to project future rates of shrub expansion and understand the feedbacks to ecosystem and climate processes, future research should investigate the species or trait-specific responses of shrubs to climate change including: (1) the temperature sensitivity of shrub growth, (2) factors controlling the recruitment of new individuals, and (3) the relative influence of the positive and negative feedbacks involved in shrub expansion.

How ecological neighbourhoods influence the structure of the scavenger guild in low arctic tundra

AbstractAim How the ecological neighbourhoods of coast and forest affect arctic tundra ecosystems is a pressing question as the circumpolar tundra belt is shrinking under global warming. Mobile facultative scavengers are likely to negatively impact tundra biodiversity as dominant competitors or predators, if they spill over into tundra. Here, we provide the first quantitative assessments of the structure of a scavenger guild in low arctic tundra with emphasis on how it changes along spatial gradients from neighbouring ecosystems (i.e. forest and coast) and with altitude (i.e. productivity gradients). We also assess the likelihood of interactions between guild members that may negatively impact vulnerable tundra species.Location North‐eastern part of Norway.Methods Extensive records of scavenger prevalence were obtained by deploying automatic digital cameras at experimental carcasses in tundra regions covering several thousand square kilometres and three winters in northern Norway.Main conclusions We found short‐range neighbourhood effects of forest and coast within the tundra scavenger guild. Species richness declined steeply with decreasing distance from the neighbouring ecosystems, in particular subarctic forest, and with increasing altitude. Bird species with strongholds in forest (golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos and hooded crow Corvus cornix) or along the coast (white‐tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla) were mostly responsible for short‐range neighbourhood effects on guild structure. However, the two most abundant guild members, the common raven Corvus corax and the red fox Vulpes vulpes, exhibited no spatial patterns within the range of neighbourhoods and altitudes examined. There was a clear diurnal segregation in the use of carcasses between birds and mammals reducing the likelihood of direct interactions between these two taxa. Presence of red fox appeared to exclude the arctic fox Vulpes lagopus, the only endemic tundra species within the guild, from carcasses.

Is the northern high-latitude land-based CO2sink weakening?

Studies indicate that, historically, terrestrial ecosystems of the northern high latitude region may have been responsible for up to 60% of the global net land-based sink for atmospheric CO2. However, these regions have recently experienced remarkable modification of the major driving forces of the carbon cycle, including surface air temperature warming that is significantly greater than the global average and associated increases in the frequency and severity of disturbances. Whether arctic tundra and boreal forest ecosystems will continue to sequester atmospheric CO2 in the face of these dramatic changes is unknown. Here we show the results of model simulations that estimate a 41 Tg C yr-1 sink in the boreal land regions from 1997 to 2006, which represents a 73% reduction in the strength of the sink estimated for previous decades in the late 20th Century. Our results suggest that CO2 uptake by the region in previous decades may not be as strong as previously estimated. The recent decline in sink strength is the combined result of 1) weakening sinks due to warming-induced increases in soil organic matter decomposition and 2) strengthening sources from pyrogenic CO2 emissions as a result of the substantial area of boreal forest burned in wildfiresmore » across the region in recent years. Such changes create positive feedbacks to the climate system that accelerate global warming, putting further pressure on emission reductions to achieve atmospheric stabilization targets.« less

The Cooling Capacity of Mosses: Controls on Water and Energy Fluxes in a Siberian Tundra Site

Arctic tundra vegetation composition is expected to undergo rapid changes during the coming decades because of changes in climate. Higher air temperatures generally favor growth of deciduous shrubs, often at the cost of moss growth. Mosses are considered to be very important to critical tundra ecosystem processes involved in water and energy exchange, but very little empirical data are available. Here, we studied the effect of experimental moss removal on both understory evapotranspiration and ground heat flux in plots with either a thin or a dense low shrub canopy in a tundra site with continuous permafrost in Northeast Siberia. Understory evapotranspiration increased with removal of the green moss layer, suggesting that most of the understory evapotranspiration originated from the organic soil layer underlying the green moss layer. Ground heat flux partitioning also increased with green moss removal indicating the strong insulating effect of moss. No significant effect of shrub canopy density on understory evapotranspiration was measured, but ground heat flux partitioning was reduced by a denser shrub canopy. In summary, our results show that mosses may exert strong controls on understory water and heat fluxes. Changes in moss or shrub cover may have important consequences for summer permafrost thaw and concomitant soil carbon release in Arctic tundra ecosystems.