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Sep
10
2009
Scientists report on ecological changes in the Arctic
The Fourth International Polar Year has ended, and researchers have assessed the impact of climate change on the Arctic in this week’s Science. Ecosystems are changing fast, they say, and the results could portend more shifts in other parts of the world.
In their review article, the authors list numerous species that have felt the effects of global warming. Ringed seal pups in the Canadian Arctic have lost birth lairs to early spring melts, while warmer winters have allowed reindeer in Norway to thrive. Arctic fox populations are dropping as red foxes move north. And caribou calving has fallen out of sync with peak plant growth in Greenland, possibly explaining why calf survival has declined.
Some ecosystem changes have triggered even more environmental shifts, the researchers say. For example, trees and shrubs in the Low Arctic are expanding to new territory. That in turn has led to more snow build-up and warmer soil in winter.
The Arctic may not harbor many species, but its ecosystems should still be protected, the authors argue. In fact, its low biodiversity could mean that local extinctions and other changes will have even more dramatic effects than they would in species-rich environments. – Roberta Kwok
Source: Post, E., Forchhammer, M., Bret-Harte, M., Callaghan, T., Christensen, T., Elberling, B., Fox, A., Gilg, O., Hik, D., Hoye, T., Ims, R., Jeppesen, E., Klein, D., Madsen, J., McGuire, A., Rysgaard, S., Schindler, D., Stirling, I., Tamstorf, M., Tyler, N., van der Wal, R., Welker, J., Wookey, P., Schmidt, N., & Aastrup, P. (2009). Ecological Dynamics Across the Arctic Associated with Recent Climate Change Science, 325 (5946), 1355-1358 DOI: 10.1126/science.1173113
Image © REKINC1980, iStockPhoto.com
Filed Under Biodiversity, Climate change, Endangered species |
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