Decadal ecosystem response to an anomalous melt season in a polar desert in Antarctica
© 2017 The Author(s). Amplified climate change in polar regions is significantly altering regional ecosystems, yet there are few long-term records documenting these responses. The McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) cold desert ecosystem is the largest ice-free area of Antarctica, comprising soils, glaciers,...
Published in: | Nature Ecology & Evolution |
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ftlouisianastuir:oai:digitalcommons.lsu.edu:geo_pubs-1591 2023-06-11T04:07:11+02:00 Decadal ecosystem response to an anomalous melt season in a polar desert in Antarctica Gooseff, Michael N. Barrett, John E. Adams, Byron J. Doran, Peter T. Fountain, Andrew G. Lyons, W. Berry McKnight, Diane M. Priscu, John C. Sokol, Eric R. Takacs-Vesbach, Cristina Vandegehuchte, Martijn L. Virginia, Ross A. Wall, Diana H. 2017-09-01T07:00:00Z https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/geo_pubs/592 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0253-0 unknown LSU Digital Commons https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/geo_pubs/592 doi:10.1038/s41559-017-0253-0 Faculty Publications text 2017 ftlouisianastuir https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0253-0 2023-05-28T18:16:59Z © 2017 The Author(s). Amplified climate change in polar regions is significantly altering regional ecosystems, yet there are few long-term records documenting these responses. The McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) cold desert ecosystem is the largest ice-free area of Antarctica, comprising soils, glaciers, meltwater streams and permanently ice-covered lakes. Multi-decadal records indicate that the MDV exhibited a distinct ecosystem response to an uncharacteristic austral summer and ensuing climatic shift. A decadal summer cooling phase ended in 2002 with intense glacial melt ('flood year') - a step-change in water availability triggering distinct changes in the ecosystem. Before 2002, the ecosystem exhibited synchronous behaviour: declining stream flow, decreasing lake levels, thickening lake ice cover, decreasing primary production in lakes and streams, and diminishing soil secondary production. Since 2002, summer air temperatures and solar flux have been relatively consistent, leading to lake level rise, lake ice thinning and elevated stream flow. Biological responses varied; one stream cyanobacterial mat type immediately increased production, but another stream mat type, soil invertebrates and lake primary productivity responded asynchronously a few years after 2002. This ecosystem response to a climatic anomaly demonstrates differential biological community responses to substantial perturbations, and the mediation of biological responses to climate change by changes in physical ecosystem properties. Text Antarc* Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys polar desert LSU Digital Commons (Louisiana State University) Austral McMurdo Dry Valleys Nature Ecology & Evolution 1 9 1334 1338 |
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LSU Digital Commons (Louisiana State University) |
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ftlouisianastuir |
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description |
© 2017 The Author(s). Amplified climate change in polar regions is significantly altering regional ecosystems, yet there are few long-term records documenting these responses. The McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) cold desert ecosystem is the largest ice-free area of Antarctica, comprising soils, glaciers, meltwater streams and permanently ice-covered lakes. Multi-decadal records indicate that the MDV exhibited a distinct ecosystem response to an uncharacteristic austral summer and ensuing climatic shift. A decadal summer cooling phase ended in 2002 with intense glacial melt ('flood year') - a step-change in water availability triggering distinct changes in the ecosystem. Before 2002, the ecosystem exhibited synchronous behaviour: declining stream flow, decreasing lake levels, thickening lake ice cover, decreasing primary production in lakes and streams, and diminishing soil secondary production. Since 2002, summer air temperatures and solar flux have been relatively consistent, leading to lake level rise, lake ice thinning and elevated stream flow. Biological responses varied; one stream cyanobacterial mat type immediately increased production, but another stream mat type, soil invertebrates and lake primary productivity responded asynchronously a few years after 2002. This ecosystem response to a climatic anomaly demonstrates differential biological community responses to substantial perturbations, and the mediation of biological responses to climate change by changes in physical ecosystem properties. |
format |
Text |
author |
Gooseff, Michael N. Barrett, John E. Adams, Byron J. Doran, Peter T. Fountain, Andrew G. Lyons, W. Berry McKnight, Diane M. Priscu, John C. Sokol, Eric R. Takacs-Vesbach, Cristina Vandegehuchte, Martijn L. Virginia, Ross A. Wall, Diana H. |
spellingShingle |
Gooseff, Michael N. Barrett, John E. Adams, Byron J. Doran, Peter T. Fountain, Andrew G. Lyons, W. Berry McKnight, Diane M. Priscu, John C. Sokol, Eric R. Takacs-Vesbach, Cristina Vandegehuchte, Martijn L. Virginia, Ross A. Wall, Diana H. Decadal ecosystem response to an anomalous melt season in a polar desert in Antarctica |
author_facet |
Gooseff, Michael N. Barrett, John E. Adams, Byron J. Doran, Peter T. Fountain, Andrew G. Lyons, W. Berry McKnight, Diane M. Priscu, John C. Sokol, Eric R. Takacs-Vesbach, Cristina Vandegehuchte, Martijn L. Virginia, Ross A. Wall, Diana H. |
author_sort |
Gooseff, Michael N. |
title |
Decadal ecosystem response to an anomalous melt season in a polar desert in Antarctica |
title_short |
Decadal ecosystem response to an anomalous melt season in a polar desert in Antarctica |
title_full |
Decadal ecosystem response to an anomalous melt season in a polar desert in Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Decadal ecosystem response to an anomalous melt season in a polar desert in Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Decadal ecosystem response to an anomalous melt season in a polar desert in Antarctica |
title_sort |
decadal ecosystem response to an anomalous melt season in a polar desert in antarctica |
publisher |
LSU Digital Commons |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/geo_pubs/592 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0253-0 |
geographic |
Austral McMurdo Dry Valleys |
geographic_facet |
Austral McMurdo Dry Valleys |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys polar desert |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys polar desert |
op_source |
Faculty Publications |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/geo_pubs/592 doi:10.1038/s41559-017-0253-0 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0253-0 |
container_title |
Nature Ecology & Evolution |
container_volume |
1 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
1334 |
op_container_end_page |
1338 |
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1768380039933460480 |