Collaborative Research: Modeling the Role of High Latitude Terrestrial Ecosystems in the Arctic System: A Retrospective Analysis of Alaska as a Regional System

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This project will build a comprehensive model to simulate interactions between energy, water, and carbon dioxide using data collected from tundra regions in northern Alaska. The model will be used to examine the role of global climate change on terrestrial ecosystems in an area that is predicted to be the first to feel the greatest effects of global warming. The project will utilize satellite images and data, data collected from recent field programs, and output from other models of the individual environmental components. The project will develop a regional simulation of climate impacts on terrestrial ecosystems and address the questions of energy and water balance in the Arctic system. The research will identify critical gaps in the understanding of climate-sensitive variables in the Arctic terrestrial ecosystem as well as the exchange of carbon dioxide with the atmosphere. Therefore, the project will be an important contribution to understanding the biocomplexity of the environment in an area undergoing rapid climate change at present.