High Arctic ecosystem states: Conceptual models of vegetation change to guide long-term monitoring and research

Publisher's version (útgefin grein) 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 curr...

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Published in:Ambio
Main Authors: Ravolainen, Virve, Soininen, Eeva M., Jónsdóttir, Ingibjörg Svala, Eischeid, Isabell, Forchhammer, Mads, van der Wal, René, Pedersen, Åshild Ø.
Other Authors: Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ), School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI), Háskóli Íslands, University of Iceland
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/2411
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x
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spelling ftopinvisindi:oai:opinvisindi.is:20.500.11815/2411 2023-05-15T14:26:30+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. Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ) School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI) Háskóli Íslands University of Iceland 2020-01-18 666-677 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/2411 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x en eng Springer Science and Business Media LLC Ambio;49(3) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x Ravolainen, V., Soininen, E.M., Jónsdóttir, I.S. et al. High Arctic ecosystem states: Conceptual models of vegetation change to guide long-term monitoring and research. Ambio 49, 666–677 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x 0044-7447 1654-7209 (eISSN) https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/2411 Ambio doi:10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Arctic tundra Climate change Ecological monitoring Ecosystem state Press driver Pulse driver Túndrur Loftslagsbreytingar Vistkerfi info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2020 ftopinvisindi https://doi.org/20.500.11815/2411 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x 2022-11-18T06:52:06Z Publisher's version (útgefin grein) 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 ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Climate change permafrost Svalbard Tundra Opin vísindi (Iceland) Arctic Svalbard Ambio 49 3 666 677
institution Open Polar
collection Opin vísindi (Iceland)
op_collection_id ftopinvisindi
language English
topic Arctic tundra
Climate change
Ecological monitoring
Ecosystem state
Press driver
Pulse driver
Túndrur
Loftslagsbreytingar
Vistkerfi
spellingShingle Arctic tundra
Climate change
Ecological monitoring
Ecosystem state
Press driver
Pulse driver
Túndrur
Loftslagsbreytingar
Vistkerfi
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 Arctic tundra
Climate change
Ecological monitoring
Ecosystem state
Press driver
Pulse driver
Túndrur
Loftslagsbreytingar
Vistkerfi
description Publisher's version (útgefin grein) 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 ...
author2 Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ)
School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI)
Háskóli Íslands
University of Iceland
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 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/2411
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x
geographic Arctic
Svalbard
geographic_facet Arctic
Svalbard
genre Arctic
Arctic
Climate change
permafrost
Svalbard
Tundra
genre_facet Arctic
Arctic
Climate change
permafrost
Svalbard
Tundra
op_relation Ambio;49(3)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x
Ravolainen, V., Soininen, E.M., Jónsdóttir, I.S. et al. High Arctic ecosystem states: Conceptual models of vegetation change to guide long-term monitoring and research. Ambio 49, 666–677 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x
0044-7447
1654-7209 (eISSN)
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/2411
Ambio
doi:10.1007/s13280-019-01310-x
op_rights info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
op_doi https://doi.org/20.500.11815/2411
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
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