Article
Environmental Sciences
Jason A. Clark, Ken D. Tape, Latha Baskaran, Clayton Elder, Charles Miller, Kimberley Miner, Jonathan A. O'Donnell, Benjamin M. Jones
Summary: Beaver engineering in the Arctic tundra leads to hydrologic and geomorphic changes that promote methane production. This methane emission is caused by factors such as vegetation inundation, conversion from flowing to stagnant systems, accumulation of organic sediments, elevated water tables, anaerobic conditions, and permafrost thawing. A study using hyperspectral remote sensing data found that methane hotspots were concentrated within 30 meters of water bodies, and there was a significantly higher occurrence of methane hotspots around beaver ponds compared to non-beaver water bodies. This highlights the impact of beaver-mediated methane emissions on the Arctic carbon cycle and the effects of climate change.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Zoe Rehder, Thomas Kleinen, Lars Kutzbach, Victor Stepanenko, Moritz Langer, Victor Brovkin
Summary: The Arctic is warming at an above-average rate, and small, shallow waterbodies such as ponds are vulnerable to this warming due to their low thermal inertia compared to larger lakes. While the response of pond methane emissions to warming is uncertain, a new model called MeEP has been developed to investigate the methane emission response of polygonal-tundra ponds in northeastern Siberia. The model differentiates between pond types and pathways of methane emissions and shows an approximately linear increase in emissions with temperature increase.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Manudeo Singh, Rajiv Sinha
Summary: A framework has been developed to assess the health status of wetlands by evaluating hydrogeomorphic characteristics and vegetation dynamics at the Kaabar Tal wetland in eastern India. The wetland is found to be in a degraded state, primarily due to agriculture, with varying degrees of degradation within the wetland.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Howard E. Epstein, Donald A. Walker, Gerald Frost, Martha K. Raynolds, Uma Bhatt, Ronald Daanen, Bruce Forbes, Jozsef Geml, Elina Kaarlejarvi, Olga Khitun, Artem Khomutov, Patrick Kuss, Marina Leibman, Georgy Matyshak, Nataliya Moskalenko, Pavel Orekhov, Vladimir E. Romanovsky, Ina Timling
Summary: Field sampling along the Eurasia Arctic Transect in northwestern Siberia showed that aboveground vegetation biomass, NDVI, and LAI all increased with the summer warmth index. Different soil types influenced the spatial patterns of these vegetation properties. Shrub biomass increased non-linearly with summer warmth index, while moss and lichen biomass responded differently to the increase in temperature.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adria Descals, David L. A. Gaveau, Aleixandre Verger, Douglas Sheil, Daisuke Naito, Josep Penuelas
Summary: Arctic fires can release large amounts of carbon from permafrost peatlands. Recent decades have seen an increase in temperature-related fire factors, which have a near-exponential relationship with annual burned area. With climactic warming, large fires in the Arctic are likely to occur before mid-century.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lucas Deschamps, Vincent Maire, Lin Chen, Daniel Fortier, Gilles Gauthier, Amelie Morneault, Elisabeth Hardy-Lachance, Isabelle Dalcher-Gosselin, Francois Tanguay, Charles Gignac, Jeffrey M. McKenzie, Line Rochefort, Esther Levesque
Summary: Understanding the feedbacks caused by the release of carbon stored in permafrost and the direct impacts of climate variations on permafrost dynamics is crucial. Indirect effects of global change, such as changes in soil nutrient availability and grazing pressure, can also impact soil properties and heat transfer in the Arctic tundra, affecting the resilience of Arctic ecosystems.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ryan T. Choi, Matteo Petit Bon, A. Joshua Leffler, Katharine C. Kelsey, Jeffrey M. Welker, Karen H. Beard
Summary: This study reveals that short-term goose grazing has a greater impact on the composition of low-Arctic coastal wetland plant communities compared to short-term summer warming. However, the responses vary among different communities and functional groups, emphasizing the importance of investigating the effects of biotic and abiotic drivers in different contexts.
JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Wojciech Szymanski, Klaudia Jagi, Marek Drewnik, Lukasz Musielok, Mateusz Stolarczyk, Magdalena Gus-Stolarczyk, Sebastian Sikora
Summary: The study aims to determine the variability of topsoil temperature under different types of tundra vegetation in the Arctic region. The results show that wet sites with marsh and moss tundra vegetation have higher topsoil temperatures, while sites with Arctic meadow and heath tundra vegetation have lower temperatures. The topsoil temperature is highly correlated with air temperature, with variations in different seasons.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Leon Nill, Inge Grunberg, Tobias Ullmann, Matthias Gessner, Julia Boike, Patrick Hostert
Summary: This study successfully estimated the fractional cover of shrubs and other surface components in the Arctic tundra using satellite observations and synthetic training data. The results showed an increase in shrub cover and a decline in herbaceous plant and lichen cover, indicating a replacement and homogenisation of Arctic vegetation communities. The proposed method provides new opportunities for quantitatively estimating the fractional cover of tundra vegetation and advancing our understanding of shrub expansion.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emma L. Davis, Andrew J. Trant, Robert G. Way, Luise Hermanutz, Darroch Whitaker
Summary: Northern protected areas play a crucial role in safeguarding habitats and species, but their fixed spatial boundaries make them highly susceptible to environmental changes. Using satellite remote sensing and geostatistical modelling, a study focused on Torngat Mountains National Park in Canada revealed the drivers of land cover change and predicted future expansion of shrub vegetation based on biotic and topographic variables. The study anticipates a significant increase in shrub cover by 2039/43, emphasizing the importance of establishing long-term monitoring plots to validate remote sensing observations and understand the impacts on the tundra ecosystem.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Donatella Zona, Peter M. Lafleur, Koen Hufkens, Beniamino Gioli, Barbara Bailey, George Burba, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Jennifer D. Watts, Kyle A. Arndt, Mary Farina, John S. Kimball, Martin Heimann, Mathias Gockede, Martijn Pallandt, Torben R. Christensen, Mikhail Mastepanov, Efren Lopez-Blanco, Albertus J. Dolman, Roisin Commane, Charles E. Miller, Josh Hashemi, Lars Kutzbach, David Holl, Julia Boike, Christian Wille, Torsten Sachs, Aram Kalhori, Elyn R. Humphreys, Oliver Sonnentag, Gesa Meyer, Gabriel H. Gosselin, Philip Marsh, Walter C. Oechel
Summary: Long-term records of atmospheric CO2 concentration indicate a decrease in the positive effect of warming on carbon uptake in high-latitude regions since the 1990s. This study used data from permafrost tundra sites across the circumpolar Arctic to examine the temperature responses of ecosystem carbon fluxes and their relationship with soil moisture. The results suggest that reduced soil moisture during peak summer may limit plant productivity and carbon sequestration in tundra ecosystems.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
David Olefeldt, Mikael Hovemyr, McKenzie A. Kuhn, David Bastviken, Theodore J. Bohn, John Connolly, Patrick Crill, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Sarah A. Finkelstein, Helene Genet, Guido Grosse, Lorna Harris, Liam Heffernan, Manuel Helbig, Gustaf Hugelius, Ryan Hutchins, Sari Juutinen, Mark J. Lara, Avni Malhotra, Kristen Manies, A. David McGuire, Susan M. Natali, Jonathan A. O'Donnell, Frans-Jan W. Parmentier, Aleksi Raesaenen, Christina Schaedel, Oliver Sonnentag, Maria Strack, Suzanne E. Tank, Claire Treat, Ruth K. Varner, Tarmo Virtanen, Rebecca K. Warren, Jennifer D. Watts
Summary: The study introduces the BorealArctic Wetland and Lake Dataset (BAWLD) to estimate the distribution of wetlands and lakes in the Arctic region. Using expert assessments and random forest modeling, the dataset provides the distribution of various wetland and lake classes, helping to improve assessments of current and future methane emissions.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Shinya Takano, Youhei Yamashita, Shunsuke Tei, Maochang Liang, Ryo Shingubara, Tomoki Morozumi, Trofim C. Maximov, Atsuko Sugimoto
Summary: Arctic tundra wetlands could be a significant source of dissolved organic carbon in Arctic rivers and the Arctic Ocean. The stable water isotopes and DOC concentrations in wetlands, tributaries, and mainstream of the Indigirka River showed differences, with wetlands having higher values, indicating their role as potential sources of riverine DOC. Temporal variations in riverine delta O-18 and DOC concentration suggest complex hydrological interactions between wetlands, tributaries, and the mainstream, highlighting the importance of wetlands in contributing to riverine DOC fluxes.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
David K. Swanson
Summary: The study found that over half of the spring rise in NDVI was due to the transition from snow-covered landscapes to snow-free surfaces, while fall NDVI fluctuated between representing senesced vegetation and clouds/snow. Additionally, by fitting multi-year data, the NDVI value of snow-free surfaces after fall leaf senescence can be estimated.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
S. A. Pedron, R. G. Jespersen, X. Xu, Y. Khazindar, J. M. Welker, C. I. Czimczik
Summary: Snow is crucial to the Arctic's energy budget, biogeochemistry, ecology, and people. While climate change shortens the snow cover period, snow mass has been increasing in many Arctic regions. Deeper snow thaws permafrost and releases ancient organic matter, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. However, more snow also leads to warmer soil temperatures and increased carbon loss, impacting Arctic ecosystems and accelerating permafrost carbon release.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrew J. Kohlenberg, Merritt R. Turetsky, Dan K. Thompson, Brian A. Branfireun, Carl P. J. Mitchell
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2018)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Joshua M. Johnston, Natasha Jackson, Colin McFayden, Linh Ngo Phong, Brian Lawrence, Didier Davignon, Martin J. Wooster, Helena van Mierlo, Dan K. Thompson, Alan S. Cantin, Daniel Johnston, Lynn M. Johnston, Meghan Sloane, Rebecca Ramos, Tim J. Lynham
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Dan K. Thompson, Daniel A. Yip, Eunmo Koo, Rod Linn, Ginny Marshall, Razim Refai, Dave Schroeder
Summary: Firebrand travel is a major concern in the Wildland-Urban Interface and in wildfire operations overall. Recent advances in acoustic analysis have enabled the quantification of firebrand rates and distances, allowing for the observation of key areas of medium-distance spotting. Low-cost instrumentation can easily quantify the number of firebrands landing.
Article
Ecology
Christine E. Kuntzemann, Ellen Whitman, Diana Stralberg, Marc-Andre Parisien, Dan K. Thompson, Scott E. Nielsen
Summary: In the boreal forests of North America, the presence of fire refugia is influenced by a combination of bottom-up controls on fuel configuration, top-down climate controls, as well as hydrological, ecological, and topographic heterogeneity. Forested fens have a higher probability of fire refugia compared to upland forests, while forested bogs have a similar likelihood of fire refugia as upland forests. Climate and physical setting are the strongest factors affecting fire refugia in uplands and peatlands, respectively.
Article
Ecology
Oleg M. Melnik, Stephen A. Paskaluk, Mark Y. Ackerman, Katharine O. Melnik, Dan K. Thompson, Sara S. McAllister, Mike D. Flannigan
Summary: Improving the accuracy of fire behavior prediction requires better understanding of live fuel, the dominant component of tree crowns. Current evaluation methods do not accurately represent the flammability of live fuel. To better characterize the interactions between fuel and flame, a method for quantifying flammability is proposed.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ming Lyu, Dan K. Thompson, Nianci Zhang, Chad W. Cuss, Cora J. Young, Sarah A. Style
Summary: The study characterizes the composition of wildfire BrC and systematically explores its hydrophobicity, lability, and size-dependent light absorption properties using a new approach. The results show that fresh wildfire BrC components span a wide range of sizes, polarities, and light absorption characteristics.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-ATMOSPHERES
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Dan K. Thompson, Kimberly Morrison
NATURAL HAZARDS AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Quamrul Huda, David Lyder, Marty Collins, Dave Schroeder, Dan K. Thompson, Ginny Marshall, Alberto J. Leon, Ken Hidalgo, Masum Hossain
Article
Ecology
Brett Moore, Dan K. Thompson, Dave Schroeder, Joshua M. Johnston, Steven Hvenegaard
Article
Ecology
Ginny Marshall, Dan K. Thompson, Kerry Anderson, Brian Simpson, Rodman Linn, Dave Schroeder
Article
Ecology
Jonathan Reimer, Dan K. Thompson, Nicholas Povak
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jack Chen, Kerry Anderson, Radenko Pavlovic, Michael D. Moran, Peter Englefield, Dan K. Thompson, Rodrigo Munoz-Alpizar, Hugo Landry
GEOSCIENTIFIC MODEL DEVELOPMENT
(2019)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Matthew C. Elmes, Dan K. Thompson, James H. Sherwood, Jonathan S. Price
NATURAL HAZARDS AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2018)
Article
Ecology
Dan K. Thompson, Dave Schroeder, Sophie L. Wilkinson, Quinn Barber, Greg Baxter, Hilary Cameron, Rex Hsieh, Ginny Marshall, Brett Moore, Razim Refai, Chris Rodell, Tom Schiks, Gregory J. Verkaik, Jessica Zerb
Article
Environmental Sciences
K. L. Webster, J. S. Bhatti, D. K. Thompson, S. A. Nelson, C. H. Shaw, K. A. Bona, S. L. Hayne, W. A. Kurz
CARBON BALANCE AND MANAGEMENT
(2018)