Trees in the Upper Treeline Ecotone in the Polar Urals: Centuries-Old Change and Spatial Patterns
Woody vegetation at the upper limit of its growth is a sensitive indicator of climate change. The aim of this study is to provide an analysis of the centuries-old spatiotemporal dynamics of larch trees at the upper limit of their growth (mountain massif Rai-Iz, Polar Urals, Russia). We used a ground...
Published in: | Mountain Research and Development |
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Language: | English |
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International Mountain Society
2020
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-20-00002.1 |
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fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:e6bb3293b5bc4fc3bb508c48dec48fb5 2023-05-15T18:40:06+02:00 Trees in the Upper Treeline Ecotone in the Polar Urals: Centuries-Old Change and Spatial Patterns Valery V. Fomin Anna P. Mikhailovich Stepan G. Shiyatov 2020-05-01 https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-20-00002.1 en eng International Mountain Society 0276-4741 1994-7151 https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-20-00002.1 undefined Mountain Research and Development, Vol 40, Iss 2, Pp R32-R40 (2020) boundary detection climate-driven shift polar urals spatiotemporal dynamics upper treeline ecotone geo demo Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2020 fttriple https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-20-00002.1 2023-01-22T19:30:47Z Woody vegetation at the upper limit of its growth is a sensitive indicator of climate change. The aim of this study is to provide an analysis of the centuries-old spatiotemporal dynamics of larch trees at the upper limit of their growth (mountain massif Rai-Iz, Polar Urals, Russia). We used a ground-based method of mapping the remnants of trees that grew in the study area and died during the Little Ice Age. Aerial photographs from the 1960s and high-spatial-resolution satellite images from 2015 were used as data sources to define the locations of trees. Maps of the forest–tundra phytocoenochoras (areas of the terrain that are relatively homogeneous for one or more components of vegetation and/or other indicators) were created using a modified method of boundary detection between forest parcels with different stand densities. The proposed method of boundary detection between the main types of phytocoenochoras allowed us to identify a 15% total increase in areas of closed and open forest and areas with sparse tree growth, as well as a decrease in areas of tundra with single trees over these last decades. Using our spatiotemporal analysis of forest–tundra demographics over the last 50 years, we found that the number of trees in the ecotone had doubled. However, modern trees have not yet reached the areas occupied by trees in the past. Article in Journal/Newspaper Tundra Unknown Mountain Research and Development 40 2 |
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Open Polar |
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Unknown |
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fttriple |
language |
English |
topic |
boundary detection climate-driven shift polar urals spatiotemporal dynamics upper treeline ecotone geo demo |
spellingShingle |
boundary detection climate-driven shift polar urals spatiotemporal dynamics upper treeline ecotone geo demo Valery V. Fomin Anna P. Mikhailovich Stepan G. Shiyatov Trees in the Upper Treeline Ecotone in the Polar Urals: Centuries-Old Change and Spatial Patterns |
topic_facet |
boundary detection climate-driven shift polar urals spatiotemporal dynamics upper treeline ecotone geo demo |
description |
Woody vegetation at the upper limit of its growth is a sensitive indicator of climate change. The aim of this study is to provide an analysis of the centuries-old spatiotemporal dynamics of larch trees at the upper limit of their growth (mountain massif Rai-Iz, Polar Urals, Russia). We used a ground-based method of mapping the remnants of trees that grew in the study area and died during the Little Ice Age. Aerial photographs from the 1960s and high-spatial-resolution satellite images from 2015 were used as data sources to define the locations of trees. Maps of the forest–tundra phytocoenochoras (areas of the terrain that are relatively homogeneous for one or more components of vegetation and/or other indicators) were created using a modified method of boundary detection between forest parcels with different stand densities. The proposed method of boundary detection between the main types of phytocoenochoras allowed us to identify a 15% total increase in areas of closed and open forest and areas with sparse tree growth, as well as a decrease in areas of tundra with single trees over these last decades. Using our spatiotemporal analysis of forest–tundra demographics over the last 50 years, we found that the number of trees in the ecotone had doubled. However, modern trees have not yet reached the areas occupied by trees in the past. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Valery V. Fomin Anna P. Mikhailovich Stepan G. Shiyatov |
author_facet |
Valery V. Fomin Anna P. Mikhailovich Stepan G. Shiyatov |
author_sort |
Valery V. Fomin |
title |
Trees in the Upper Treeline Ecotone in the Polar Urals: Centuries-Old Change and Spatial Patterns |
title_short |
Trees in the Upper Treeline Ecotone in the Polar Urals: Centuries-Old Change and Spatial Patterns |
title_full |
Trees in the Upper Treeline Ecotone in the Polar Urals: Centuries-Old Change and Spatial Patterns |
title_fullStr |
Trees in the Upper Treeline Ecotone in the Polar Urals: Centuries-Old Change and Spatial Patterns |
title_full_unstemmed |
Trees in the Upper Treeline Ecotone in the Polar Urals: Centuries-Old Change and Spatial Patterns |
title_sort |
trees in the upper treeline ecotone in the polar urals: centuries-old change and spatial patterns |
publisher |
International Mountain Society |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-20-00002.1 |
genre |
Tundra |
genre_facet |
Tundra |
op_source |
Mountain Research and Development, Vol 40, Iss 2, Pp R32-R40 (2020) |
op_relation |
0276-4741 1994-7151 https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-20-00002.1 |
op_rights |
undefined |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-20-00002.1 |
container_title |
Mountain Research and Development |
container_volume |
40 |
container_issue |
2 |
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1766229270012624896 |