Journal
AMBIO
Volume 41, Issue -, Pages 246-255Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s13280-012-0310-5
Keywords
Autumn; Empetrum nigrum; Icing; Snow; Snow mould; Winter
Categories
Funding
- Leverhulme Trust (UK)
- Research Council of Norway [171542/V10, 216434/E10]
- ATANS grants (EU Transnational Access Programme)
- Netherlands Polar Programme [NPP-NWO 851.20.016]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Winter climate and snow cover are the important drivers of plant community development in polar regions. However, the impacts of changing winter climate and associated changes in snow regime have received much less attention than changes during summer. Here, we synthesize the results from studies on the impacts of extreme winter weather events on polar heathland and lichen communities. Dwarf shrubs, mosses and soil arthropods were negatively impacted by extreme warming events while lichens showed variable responses to changes in extreme winter weather events. Snow mould formation underneath the snow may contribute to spatial heterogeneity in plant growth, arthropod communities and carbon cycling. Winter snow cover and depth will drive the reported impacts of winter climate change and add to spatial patterns in vegetation heterogeneity. The challenges ahead lie in obtaining better predictions on the snow patterns across the landscape and how these will be altered due to winter climate change.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available