High Arctic ecosystem states: Conceptual models of vegetation change to guide long-term monitoring and research
Abstract Vegetation change has consequences for terrestrial ecosystem structure and functioning and may involve climate feedbacks. Hence, when monitoring ecosystem states and changes thereof, the vegetation is often a primary monitoring target. Here, we summarize current understanding of vegetation...
Published in: | Ambio |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
2020
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x.pdf http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x/fulltext.html |
id |
crspringernat:10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crspringernat:10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x 2023-05-15T14:58:14+02:00 High Arctic ecosystem states: Conceptual models of vegetation change to guide long-term monitoring and research Ravolainen, Virve Soininen, Eeva M. Jónsdóttir, Ingibjörg Svala Eischeid, Isabell Forchhammer, Mads van der Wal, René Pedersen, Åshild Ø. 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x.pdf http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x/fulltext.html en eng Springer Science and Business Media LLC https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 CC-BY Ambio volume 49, issue 3, page 666-677 ISSN 0044-7447 1654-7209 Ecology Environmental Chemistry Geography, Planning and Development General Medicine journal-article 2020 crspringernat https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x 2022-01-04T15:51:08Z Abstract Vegetation change has consequences for terrestrial ecosystem structure and functioning and may involve climate feedbacks. Hence, when monitoring ecosystem states and changes thereof, the vegetation is often a primary monitoring target. Here, we summarize current understanding of vegetation change in the High Arctic—the World’s most rapidly warming region—in the context of ecosystem monitoring. To foster development of deployable monitoring strategies, we categorize different kinds of drivers (disturbances or stresses) of vegetation change either as pulse (i.e. drivers that occur as sudden and short events, though their effects may be long lasting) or press (i.e. drivers where change in conditions remains in place for a prolonged period, or slowly increases in pressure). To account for the great heterogeneity in vegetation responses to climate change and other drivers, we stress the need for increased use of ecosystem-specific conceptual models to guide monitoring and ecological studies in the Arctic. We discuss a conceptual model with three hypothesized alternative vegetation states characterized by mosses, herbaceous plants, and bare ground patches, respectively. We use moss-graminoid tundra of Svalbard as a case study to discuss the documented and potential impacts of different drivers on the possible transitions between those states. Our current understanding points to likely additive effects of herbivores and a warming climate, driving this ecosystem from a moss-dominated state with cool soils, shallow active layer and slow nutrient cycling to an ecosystem with warmer soil, deeper permafrost thaw, and faster nutrient cycling. Herbaceous-dominated vegetation and (patchy) bare ground would present two states in response to those drivers. Conceptual models are an operational tool to focus monitoring efforts towards management needs and identify the most pressing scientific questions. We promote greater use of conceptual models in conjunction with a state-and-transition framework in monitoring to ensure fit for purpose approaches. Defined expectations of the focal systems’ responses to different drivers also facilitate linking local and regional monitoring efforts to international initiatives, such as the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Circumpolar biodiversity monitoring program Climate change permafrost Svalbard Tundra Springer Nature (via Crossref) Arctic Svalbard Ambio 49 3 666 677 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Springer Nature (via Crossref) |
op_collection_id |
crspringernat |
language |
English |
topic |
Ecology Environmental Chemistry Geography, Planning and Development General Medicine |
spellingShingle |
Ecology Environmental Chemistry Geography, Planning and Development General Medicine Ravolainen, Virve Soininen, Eeva M. Jónsdóttir, Ingibjörg Svala Eischeid, Isabell Forchhammer, Mads van der Wal, René Pedersen, Åshild Ø. High Arctic ecosystem states: Conceptual models of vegetation change to guide long-term monitoring and research |
topic_facet |
Ecology Environmental Chemistry Geography, Planning and Development General Medicine |
description |
Abstract Vegetation change has consequences for terrestrial ecosystem structure and functioning and may involve climate feedbacks. Hence, when monitoring ecosystem states and changes thereof, the vegetation is often a primary monitoring target. Here, we summarize current understanding of vegetation change in the High Arctic—the World’s most rapidly warming region—in the context of ecosystem monitoring. To foster development of deployable monitoring strategies, we categorize different kinds of drivers (disturbances or stresses) of vegetation change either as pulse (i.e. drivers that occur as sudden and short events, though their effects may be long lasting) or press (i.e. drivers where change in conditions remains in place for a prolonged period, or slowly increases in pressure). To account for the great heterogeneity in vegetation responses to climate change and other drivers, we stress the need for increased use of ecosystem-specific conceptual models to guide monitoring and ecological studies in the Arctic. We discuss a conceptual model with three hypothesized alternative vegetation states characterized by mosses, herbaceous plants, and bare ground patches, respectively. We use moss-graminoid tundra of Svalbard as a case study to discuss the documented and potential impacts of different drivers on the possible transitions between those states. Our current understanding points to likely additive effects of herbivores and a warming climate, driving this ecosystem from a moss-dominated state with cool soils, shallow active layer and slow nutrient cycling to an ecosystem with warmer soil, deeper permafrost thaw, and faster nutrient cycling. Herbaceous-dominated vegetation and (patchy) bare ground would present two states in response to those drivers. Conceptual models are an operational tool to focus monitoring efforts towards management needs and identify the most pressing scientific questions. We promote greater use of conceptual models in conjunction with a state-and-transition framework in monitoring to ensure fit for purpose approaches. Defined expectations of the focal systems’ responses to different drivers also facilitate linking local and regional monitoring efforts to international initiatives, such as the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ravolainen, Virve Soininen, Eeva M. Jónsdóttir, Ingibjörg Svala Eischeid, Isabell Forchhammer, Mads van der Wal, René Pedersen, Åshild Ø. |
author_facet |
Ravolainen, Virve Soininen, Eeva M. Jónsdóttir, Ingibjörg Svala Eischeid, Isabell Forchhammer, Mads van der Wal, René Pedersen, Åshild Ø. |
author_sort |
Ravolainen, Virve |
title |
High Arctic ecosystem states: Conceptual models of vegetation change to guide long-term monitoring and research |
title_short |
High Arctic ecosystem states: Conceptual models of vegetation change to guide long-term monitoring and research |
title_full |
High Arctic ecosystem states: Conceptual models of vegetation change to guide long-term monitoring and research |
title_fullStr |
High Arctic ecosystem states: Conceptual models of vegetation change to guide long-term monitoring and research |
title_full_unstemmed |
High Arctic ecosystem states: Conceptual models of vegetation change to guide long-term monitoring and research |
title_sort |
high arctic ecosystem states: conceptual models of vegetation change to guide long-term monitoring and research |
publisher |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x.pdf http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x/fulltext.html |
geographic |
Arctic Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Svalbard |
genre |
Arctic Circumpolar biodiversity monitoring program Climate change permafrost Svalbard Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic Circumpolar biodiversity monitoring program Climate change permafrost Svalbard Tundra |
op_source |
Ambio volume 49, issue 3, page 666-677 ISSN 0044-7447 1654-7209 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x |
container_title |
Ambio |
container_volume |
49 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
666 |
op_container_end_page |
677 |
_version_ |
1766330322260066304 |