Effect of Treeline Movement in the Alaskan Arctic on Global Climate Change

摘要OPP-9630913明尼苏达斯塔菲尔德大学-双子城拟议的研究将解决北极气候变化研究中的一个主要问题。将利用现代树线位置与测量的气候变量的关系来研究过去气候变化导致的树线变化的作用。对过去树线位置对气候变化的预测响应的研究结果将被用来检查未来可能由于拟议的气候变化而发生的变化。必须确定林线移动对气候变化的反馈的后果，以便就全球变化和其他干扰因素对人类利用北极森林资源的影响作出管理和政策决定。

ABSTRACT OPP-9630913 STARFIELD UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-TWIN CITIES The proposed research will address a major problem in climate change research in the Arctic. The role of shifts in treeline due to past climate change will be examined using the relationships of modern treeline position with measured climate variables. The results from the study of predicted response of treeline position to climate changes in the past will then be used to examine future changes that could take place due to proposed climate changes in the future. The consequences of feedbacks to climate change due to the movement of the treeline is important to ascertain so that management and policy decisions can be made concerning the impacts of global change and other disturbance factors on human use of forest resources in the Arctic.