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Summer warming explains widespread but not uniform greening in the Arctic tundra biome

Author

Listed:
  • Logan T. Berner

    (Northern Arizona University)

  • Richard Massey

    (Northern Arizona University)

  • Patrick Jantz

    (Northern Arizona University)

  • Bruce C. Forbes

    (University of Lapland)

  • Marc Macias-Fauria

    (University of Oxford)

  • Isla Myers-Smith

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Timo Kumpula

    (University of Eastern Finland)

  • Gilles Gauthier

    (Université Laval)

  • Laia Andreu-Hayles

    (Columbia University)

  • Benjamin V. Gaglioti

    (University of Alaska Fairbanks)

  • Patrick Burns

    (Northern Arizona University)

  • Pentti Zetterberg

    (University of Eastern Finland)

  • Rosanne D’Arrigo

    (Columbia University)

  • Scott J. Goetz

    (Northern Arizona University)

Abstract

Arctic warming can influence tundra ecosystem function with consequences for climate feedbacks, wildlife and human communities. Yet ecological change across the Arctic tundra biome remains poorly quantified due to field measurement limitations and reliance on coarse-resolution satellite data. Here, we assess decadal changes in Arctic tundra greenness using time series from the 30 m resolution Landsat satellites. From 1985 to 2016 tundra greenness increased (greening) at ~37.3% of sampling sites and decreased (browning) at ~4.7% of sampling sites. Greening occurred most often at warm sampling sites with increased summer air temperature, soil temperature, and soil moisture, while browning occurred most often at cold sampling sites that cooled and dried. Tundra greenness was positively correlated with graminoid, shrub, and ecosystem productivity measured at field sites. Our results support the hypothesis that summer warming stimulated plant productivity across much, but not all, of the Arctic tundra biome during recent decades.

Suggested Citation

  • Logan T. Berner & Richard Massey & Patrick Jantz & Bruce C. Forbes & Marc Macias-Fauria & Isla Myers-Smith & Timo Kumpula & Gilles Gauthier & Laia Andreu-Hayles & Benjamin V. Gaglioti & Patrick Burns , 2020. "Summer warming explains widespread but not uniform greening in the Arctic tundra biome," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-18479-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18479-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Yanlan Liu & William J. Riley & Trevor F. Keenan & Zelalem A. Mekonnen & Jennifer A. Holm & Qing Zhu & Margaret S. Torn, 2022. "Dispersal and fire limit Arctic shrub expansion," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Ronny Rotbarth & Egbert H. Nes & Marten Scheffer & Jane Uhd Jepsen & Ole Petter Laksforsmo Vindstad & Chi Xu & Milena Holmgren, 2023. "Northern expansion is not compensating for southern declines in North American boreal forests," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Yating Chen & Xiao Cheng & Aobo Liu & Qingfeng Chen & Chengxin Wang, 2023. "Tracking lake drainage events and drained lake basin vegetation dynamics across the Arctic," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, December.

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