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Global assessment of experimental climate warming on tundra vegetation: heterogeneity over space and time
Author(s) -
Elmendorf Sarah C.,
Henry Gregory H. R.,
Hollister Robert D.,
Björk Robert G.,
Bjorkman Anne D.,
Callaghan Terry V.,
Collier Laura Siegwart,
Cooper Elisabeth J.,
Cornelissen Johannes H. C.,
Day Thomas A.,
Fosaa Anna Maria,
Gould William A.,
Grétarsdóttir Járngerður,
Harte John,
Hermanutz Luise,
Hik David S.,
Hofgaard Annika,
Jarrad Frith,
Jónsdóttir Ingibjörg Svala,
Keuper Frida,
Klanderud Kari,
Klein Julia A.,
Koh Saewan,
Kudo Gaku,
Lang Simone I.,
Loewen Val,
May Jeremy L.,
Mercado Joel,
Michelsen Anders,
Molau Ulf,
MyersSmith Isla H.,
Oberbauer Steven F.,
Pieper Sara,
Post Eric,
Rixen Christian,
Robinson Clare H.,
Schmidt Niels Martin,
Shaver Gaius R.,
Stenström Anna,
Tolvanen Anne,
Totland Ørjan,
Troxler Tiffany,
Wahren CarlHenrik,
Webber Patrick J.,
Welker Jeffery M.,
Wookey Philip A.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01716.x
Subject(s) - tundra , environmental science , vegetation (pathology) , climate change , global warming , ecosystem , ecology , biodiversity , climatology , atmospheric sciences , biology , medicine , pathology , geology
Ecology Letters (2011) Abstract Understanding the sensitivity of tundra vegetation to climate warming is critical to forecasting future biodiversity and vegetation feedbacks to climate. In situ warming experiments accelerate climate change on a small scale to forecast responses of local plant communities. Limitations of this approach include the apparent site‐specificity of results and uncertainty about the power of short‐term studies to anticipate longer term change. We address these issues with a synthesis of 61 experimental warming studies, of up to 20 years duration, in tundra sites worldwide. The response of plant groups to warming often differed with ambient summer temperature, soil moisture and experimental duration. Shrubs increased with warming only where ambient temperature was high, whereas graminoids increased primarily in the coldest study sites. Linear increases in effect size over time were frequently observed. There was little indication of saturating or accelerating effects, as would be predicted if negative or positive vegetation feedbacks were common. These results indicate that tundra vegetation exhibits strong regional variation in response to warming, and that in vulnerable regions, cumulative effects of long‐term warming on tundra vegetation – and associated ecosystem consequences – have the potential to be much greater than we have observed to date.