TY - JOUR
T1 - Ecosystem change and stability over multiple decades in the Swedish subarctic
T2 - Complex processes and multiple drivers
AU - Callaghan, Terry V.
AU - Jonasson, Christer
AU - Thierfelder, Tomas
AU - Yang, Zhenlin
AU - Hedenås, Henrik
AU - Johansson, Margareta
AU - Molau, Ulf
AU - van Bogaert, Rik
AU - Michelsen, Anders
AU - Olofsson, Johan
AU - Gwynn-Jones, Dylan
AU - Bokhorst, Stef
AU - Phoenix, Gareth
AU - Bjerke, Jarle W.
AU - Tømmervik, Hans
AU - Christensen, Torben R.
AU - Hanna, Edward
AU - Koller, Eva K.
AU - Sloan, Victoria L.
PY - 2013/8/19
Y1 - 2013/8/19
N2 - The subarctic environment of northernmost Sweden has changed over the past century, particularly elements of climate and cryosphere. This paper presents a unique geo-referenced record of environmental and ecosystem observations from the area since 1913. Abiotic changes have been substantial. Vegetation changes include not only increases in growth and range extension but also counterintuitive decreases, and stability: all three possible responses. Changes in species composition within the major plant communities have ranged between almost no changes to almost a 50 per cent increase in the number of species. Changes in plant species abundance also vary with particularly large increases in trees and shrubs (up to 600%). There has been an increase in abundance of aspen and large changes in other plant communities responding to wetland area increases resulting from permafrost thaw. Populations of herbivores have responded to varying management practices and climate regimes, particularly changing snow conditions. While it is difficult to generalize and scale-up the site-specific changes in ecosystems, this very site-specificity, combined with projections of change, is of immediate relevance to local stakeholders who need to adapt to new opportunities and to respond to challenges. Furthermore, the relatively small area and its unique datasets are a microcosm of the complexity of Arctic landscapes in transition that remains to be documented.
AB - The subarctic environment of northernmost Sweden has changed over the past century, particularly elements of climate and cryosphere. This paper presents a unique geo-referenced record of environmental and ecosystem observations from the area since 1913. Abiotic changes have been substantial. Vegetation changes include not only increases in growth and range extension but also counterintuitive decreases, and stability: all three possible responses. Changes in species composition within the major plant communities have ranged between almost no changes to almost a 50 per cent increase in the number of species. Changes in plant species abundance also vary with particularly large increases in trees and shrubs (up to 600%). There has been an increase in abundance of aspen and large changes in other plant communities responding to wetland area increases resulting from permafrost thaw. Populations of herbivores have responded to varying management practices and climate regimes, particularly changing snow conditions. While it is difficult to generalize and scale-up the site-specific changes in ecosystems, this very site-specificity, combined with projections of change, is of immediate relevance to local stakeholders who need to adapt to new opportunities and to respond to challenges. Furthermore, the relatively small area and its unique datasets are a microcosm of the complexity of Arctic landscapes in transition that remains to be documented.
KW - Climate change impacts
KW - Ecosystem stability
KW - Subarctic environment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84879963792&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2160/36394
U2 - 10.1098/rstb.2012.0488
DO - 10.1098/rstb.2012.0488
M3 - Article
C2 - 23836792
AN - SCOPUS:84879963792
SN - 0800-4622
VL - 368
JO - Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences
JF - Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences
IS - 1624
ER -