Response of Arctic Tundra to Variation of Temperature

摘要 粤ICP备09000000号-1 密歇根州立大学帕特里克·韦伯 这一研究项目是美国为实现国际苔原实验目标而开展的研究工作的一个组成部分。 ITEX正在研究全球变暖对整个北极苔原生态系统的作用。 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人工实验，通过在冻土带的孤立部分放置透明的塑料锥，使冻土带人工升温3- 5摄氏度。球果内的物种组成将在年度和更长的时间尺度上确定。 人工升温造成的植被变化的短期和长期反应将用于预测环北极地区对大气中温室气体加倍可能造成的全球气候变化的反应。 这项研究是对美国全球变化研究计划的一个非常重要的贡献，因为北极地区被预测对全球气候变化比地球上其他地区更敏感，因此，冻原对这种变化的反应的知识可能提供一种手段来评估任何可能的全球变暖。

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.