J 2017

Open tundra persist, but arctic features decline—Vegetation changes in the warming Fennoscandian tundra

VUORINEN, Katariina E. M., Lauri OKSANEN, Tarja OKSANEN, Anni Kanerva PYYKÖNEN, Johan OLOFSSON et. al.

Basic information

Original name

Open tundra persist, but arctic features decline—Vegetation changes in the warming Fennoscandian tundra

Authors

VUORINEN, Katariina E. M. (246 Finland), Lauri OKSANEN (246 Finland), Tarja OKSANEN (246 Finland), Anni Kanerva PYYKÖNEN (246 Finland, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Johan OLOFSSON (752 Sweden) and Risto VIRTANEN (246 Finland)

Edition

Global Change Biology, Hoboken, USA, Wiley, 2017, 1354-1013

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10600 1.6 Biological sciences

Country of publisher

United States of America

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

Impact factor

Impact factor: 8.997

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/17:00097812

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

UT WoS

000406812100030

Keywords in English

alpine; arctic; climate change; disturbance; Empetrum nigrum; lichens; mosses; reindeer; tree line; tundra; vegetation

Tags

Změněno: 14/4/2020 09:29, Mgr. Lucie Jarošová, DiS.

Abstract

V originále

In the forest-tundra ecotone of the North Fennoscandian inland, summer and wintertemperatures have increased by two to three centigrades since 1965, which isexpected to result in major vegetation changes. To document the expected expan-sion of woodlands and scrublands and its impact on the arctic vegetation, werepeated a vegetation transect study conducted in 1976 in the Darju, spanning fromwoodland to a summit, 200 m above the tree line. Contrary to our expectations,tree line movement was not detected, and there was no increase in willows orshrubby mountain birches, either. Nevertheless, the stability of tundra was apparent.Small-sized, poorly competing arctic species had declined, lichen cover haddecreased, and vascular plants, especially evergreen ericoid dwarf shrubs, hadgained ground. The novel climate seems to favour competitive clonal species andspecies thriving in closed vegetation, creating a community hostile for seedlingestablishment, but equally hostile for many arctic species, too. Preventing trees andshrubs from invading the tundra is thus not sufficient for conserving arctic biota inthe changing climate. The only dependable cure is to stop the global warming.