Climate and Vegetation of the Interior Lowlands of Southern Baffin Island : Long-term Stability at the Low Arctic Limit

Jacobs, John D.; Hedley, A.N.; Maus, Linda Ann.; Mode, William N.; Simms, Élizabeth L.

doi:10.14430/arctic1099

Cited by 18 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 22 publications

(23 reference statements)

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“…Alder-birch shrub tundra and forest tundra expanded in Québec-Labrador (McAndrews and Samson, 1977;Richard, 1979;Stravers, 1981;Gajewski et al, 1993Gajewski et al, , 1996, and larch extended to a point somewhat beyond its present range (needles dated 4.96 ka BP; Richard, 1981). Birch (Betula glandulosa) shrub tundra advanced broadly onto southern Baffin Island Jacobs et al, 1990;Escamilla, 1994;Jacobs et al, 1997) and juniper and birch (Betula glandulosa and B. nana) shrubs continued to expand their range in southwest Greenland (Fredskild, 1983;Eisner et al, 1995).…”

Section: Ka Bpmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Quaternary Vegetation History of Northern North America Based on Pollen, Macrofossil, and Faunal Remains*

Dyke

2007

gpq

114

118

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AbstractBiome maps spanning the interval from the last glacial maximum to modern times are presented. The biome distributions at 18 ka BP were probably as nearly in equilibrium with climate as are the modern distributions, but deglacial biomes were probably in disequilibrium. Ice sheet configuration was a strong control of climate until 7 ka BP. Regional climate trends can be inferred from changing biome distributions, but during periods of disequilibrium, biome distributions under-represent summer warming. Because of summer cooling by 2-4 °C during the Holocene, largely in the last 3-5 ka, middle and certain early Holocene biome distributions and species compositions are reasonable analogues of future equilibrium displacements due to equivalent warming, at least in areas that were long-since deglaciated. Past biome migration rates in response to rapid regional warming during deglaciation were mainly in the range of 100-200 m per year. If these rates pertain in the future, biomes may shift 10-20 km in most regions over the next century. A major impediment to using former Holocene conditions as a guide to future conditions is that warmer Holocene summers were accompanied by colder winters, whereas warmer future summers will be accompanied by warmer winters.

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Section: Ka Bpmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Quaternary Vegetation History of Northern North America Based on Pollen, Macrofossil, and Faunal Remains*

Dyke

2007

gpq

114

118

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“…The flora is more or less in equilibrium with the regional atmospheric and soil climates (e.g. Jacobs et al . 1997).…”

Section: Climatic Conditions In the Boreal And Arctic Zonesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land–atmosphere energy exchange in Arctic tundra and boreal forest: available data and feedbacks to climate

Eugster

Rouse

Pielke

et al. 2000

Global Change Biology

376

365

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Summary This paper summarizes and analyses available data on the surface energy balance of Arctic tundra and boreal forest. The complex interactions between ecosystems and their surface energy balance are also examined, including climatically induced shifts in ecosystem type that might amplify or reduce the effects of potential climatic change. High latitudes are characterized by large annual changes in solar input. Albedo decreases strongly from winter, when the surface is snow‐covered, to summer, especially in nonforested regions such as Arctic tundra and boreal wetlands. Evapotranspiration (QE) of high‐latitude ecosystems is less than from a freely evaporating surface and decreases late in the season, when soil moisture declines, indicating stomatal control over QE, particularly in evergreen forests. Evergreen conifer forests have a canopy conductance half that of deciduous forests and consequently lower QE and higher sensible heat flux (QH). There is a broad overlap in energy partitioning between Arctic and boreal ecosystems, although Arctic ecosystems and light taiga generally have higher ground heat flux because there is less leaf and stem area to shade the ground surface, and the thermal gradient from the surface to permafrost is steeper. Permafrost creates a strong heat sink in summer that reduces surface temperature and therefore heat flux to the atmosphere. Loss of permafrost would therefore amplify climatic warming. If warming caused an increase in productivity and leaf area, or fire caused a shift from evergreen to deciduous forest, this would increase QE and reduce QH. Potential future shifts in vegetation would have varying climate feedbacks, with largest effects caused by shifts from boreal conifer to shrubland or deciduous forest (or vice versa) and from Arctic coastal to wet tundra. An increase of logging activity in the boreal forests appears to reduce QE by roughly 50% with little change in QH, while the ground heat flux is strongly enhanced.

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“…A 4700-year core was collected from Burwash Bay of Nettilling Lake of southern Baffin Island (Jacobs et al 1997). Few distinct changes occurred in the diagram, suggesting vegetation more or less stable during this time.…”

Section: Pollen Diagramsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climatic change in northern Canada

Gajewski

Atkinson²

2003

Environ. Rev.

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Climatic variations during the past 10 000 and 1 000 years in the Canadian Arctic are recorded in a variety of proxy-climate records. Paleoclimates of the past 1000 years are interpreted from ice cores, lake sediments, and primarily tree rings. The past 500 years, between A.D. 1500 and A.D. 1850 were relatively cool, with coolest temperatures in the 1600s and 1800s. In the 1700s temperatures were slightly warmer, but still not as warm as the latter half of the 20th Century. Warming in the 20th century is also apparent in most records. Paleoclimates of the past 10 000 years can be interpreted from ice cores, pollen diagrams, and the analysis of frequency distributions of fossils. During the past 10 000 years, the Arctic experienced maximum temperatures in the early Holocene, although there are also regional variations.

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Climate and Vegetation of the Interior Lowlands of Southern Baffin Island : Long-term Stability at the Low Arctic Limit

Cited by 18 publications

References 22 publications

Late Quaternary Vegetation History of Northern North America Based on Pollen, Macrofossil, and Faunal Remains*

Late Quaternary Vegetation History of Northern North America Based on Pollen, Macrofossil, and Faunal Remains*

Land–atmosphere energy exchange in Arctic tundra and boreal forest: available data and feedbacks to climate

Climatic change in northern Canada

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