Climate Change: Arctic Tundra May Cause Large Climate Warming Impact with Shrubs

The changes in the Arctic tundra due to climate change may not just be limited to just that area. It turns out that the alterations could fuel further warming in other areas.

Studies of tundra shrubs show that they grow more when temperatures are warmer. Increased shrub growth, driven by recent and future warming in the Arctic, could cause more warming in tundra ecosystems and for the planet as a whole.

Taller shrubs prevent snow from reflecting heat from the sun back into space. This, in turn, warms the Earth's surface. In fact, shrubs can influence soil temperatures and thaw permafrost. Increased shrubs can also change the cycling of nutrients and carbon in soil, affecting its decomposition and the amount of carbon released to the atmosphere. All of these factors can contribute to climate warming both in the Arctic and on a global scale.

In this latest study, the researchers found that shrub species in wet landscapes at mid-latitudes of the Arctic are the most sensitive to climate warming. These areas are vulnerable to change as they store large amounts of carbon in frozen soil, which could be released by warming and permafrost thaw.

"Arctic shrub growth in the tundra is one of the most significant examples on Earth of the effect that climate change is having on ecosystems," said Isla Myers-Smith, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Our findings show there is a lot of variation across this landscape. Understanding this should help improve predictions of climate change impacts across the tundra."

The findings reveal a bit more about this landscape and show what might happen in the future as temperatures continue to rise.

The findings are published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

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