“…, plot-based observations (large and dwarf shrubs: Elmendorf, Henry, Hollister, Björk, Boulanger-Lapointe, et al, 2012) and experiments (dwarf shrubs: Elmendorf, Henry, Hollister, Björk, Bjorkman, et al, 2012;Walker et al, 2006). These changes have been associated with increases in temperature, growing season length and precipitation Elmendorf, Henry, Hollister, Björk, Bjorkman, et al, 2012;Elmendorf, Henry, Hollister, Björk, Boulanger-Lapointe, et al, 2012;Macias-Fauria, Forbes, Zetterberg, & Kumpula, 2012;Myers-Smith et al, 2015), and consequent alterations in snow cover and soil moisture conditions, which can essentially affect high latitude vegetation (Hallinger, Manthey, & Wilmking, 2010;Myers-Smith et al, 2015).…”