The carbon cycle of the terrestrial Arctic in a warming world

Abstract

Large stores of C in Arctic soils are potentially vulnerable to climate change. But the response of the Arctic to warming is complex, mediated by interactions of plant-soil processes with the physical environment. Landscape heterogeneity further complicates understanding and prediction. Some simplifying relationships have been identified with regards to canopy characteristics and plant production. But major uncertainties remain in terms of plant allocation and turnover of C in
arctic soils. Models and remote sensing are becoming critical tools for evaluating field data, for monitoring change, and for making projections. However, it is critical to quantify the uncertainty in
these activities. In this talk I use recent results and analyses from an Arctic field campaign to explore these issues in detail.

CV-Mathew Williams
Article 2005-Van Wijk  et al.
Article 2007-Shaver et al.