Ecological Dynamics Across the Arctic Associated with Recent Climate Change

• Published in: Science
• Main Authors: Post, Eric, Forchhammer, Mads C, Bret-Harte, M Syndonia, Callaghan, Terry V, Christensen, Torben R, Elberling, Bo, Fox, Anthony D, Gilg, Olivier, Hik, David S, Hoye, Toke T, Ims, Rolf A, Jeppesen, Erik, Klein, David R, Madsen, Jesper, McGuire, A David, Rysgaard, Soren, Schindler, Daniel E, Stirling, Ian, Tamstorf, Mikkel P, Tyler, Nicholas J C, van der Wal, Rene, Wookey, Philip, Schmidt, Niels Martin, Aastrup, Peter
• Other Authors: Penn State University, Aarhus University, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Sheffield, Lund University, University of Copenhagen, Aalborg University, University of Helsinki, University of Alberta, University of Tromso, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, University of Washington, Canadian Wildlife Service, University of Aberdeen, Biological and Environmental Sciences, orcid:0000-0001-5957-6424
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2009
• Subjects: Arctic; Climate change; Ecological dynamics; International Polar Year; Climate changing; Polar regions Climate
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/1737; https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1173113; http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/325/5946/1355; http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/1737/2/Post%20et%20al.%20Science%2014%20July%202009.pdf; http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/1737/1/Post%20et%20al.%20Science%2014%20July%202009.doc

Substantial abiotic changes have recently been observed across the Arctic. At the close of the Fourth International Polar Year, we take stock of the ecological consequences of recent climate change in the Arctic, focusing on effects at population, community, and ecosystem scales. Despite the buffering effect of landscape heterogeneity, Arctic ecosystems and the trophic relationships that structure them have been severely perturbed. These rapid changes may be a bellwether of changes to come at lower latitudes, and have the potential to affect ecosystem services related to natural resources, food production, climate regulation, and cultural integrity. We highlight areas of ecological research that deserve priority as the Arctic continues to warm.