Response of Arctic Tundra to Variation of Temperature

这个研究项目是美国研究工作的一个组成部分，它有助于实现国际冻土带实验（ITEX）的目标。ITEX正在研究全球变暖对整个北极冻土带生态系统的影响。这个美国项目将在阿拉斯加的巴罗和阿特卡苏克进行一项操纵实验，在冻土带的孤立部分放置透明的塑料锥，人为地将冻土带加热3- 50摄氏度。球果内的物种组成将在年和更长的时间尺度上确定。由人为温度升高引起的植被变化的短期和长期响应将用于预测北极周边地区对全球气候变化的响应，而全球气候变化可能是由大气中温室气体增加一倍引起的。这项研究对美国全球变化研究计划做出了非常重要的贡献，因为北极地区被预测为比地球上其他地区对全球气候变化更敏感，因此，了解苔原对这种变化的反应可能为评估任何可能的全球变暖的开始提供一种手段。

ABSTRACT OPP-9714103 WEBBER, PATRICK MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY This research project represents one component of a United States research effort that contributes to the goals of the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX). ITEX is examining the role of global warming on tundra ecosystems throughout the Arctic. This US project will conduct a manipulative experiment at Barrow and Atqasuk, Alaska in which the tundra will be artificially warmed by 3-5o C by placing clear plastic cones on isolated portions of the tundra. The species composition within the cones will be determined on annual and longer time scales. The short- and long-term response of the vegetation changes that result from the artificial temperature increase will be used to project the circumarctic response to global climate change that could be caused by a doubling of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This study is a very important contribution to the US Global Change Research Program because the Arctic region has been predicted to be more sensitive to global climate change than other areas of the Earth and, therefore, a knowledge of tundra response to that change may provide a means to assess any possible onset of global warming.