PNNL

The Science

Rapid warming in Arctic and alpine regions is driving changes in tundra plant communities, with unknown consequences for the function of these ecosystems. A researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory contributed to an international study that combined more than 56,000 observations over nearly three decades to examine how the functional traits of tundra plants change over time and space.

Results suggest that plant height and closely related tundra ecosystem functions (e.g., carbon uptake) will show the most rapid changes with near-term warming, which is rapidly happening at high latitudes.

The Impact

The tundra is warming more rapidly than any other biome on Earth, and the potential ramifications are far-reaching due to global-scale vegetation-climate feedbacks. This study provides an understanding of how environmental factors shape biotic communities at the coldest extremes of the planet. The findings will enable improved model projections of tundra changes and related Earth system feedbacks with warming temperatures.

PNNL Researcher: Ben Bond-Lamberty

Reference: A.D. Bjorkman et al., "Change in Plant Functional Traits Across a Warming Tundra Biome." Nature (2018). [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0563-7].