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High Arctic Carbon Balance and Productivity Shifts in Baffin Island Canada Over a Multi-Decadal Time Scale

High Arctic Carbon Balance and Productivity Shifts in Baffin Island Canada Over a Multi-Decadal Time Scale
Type: 
Poster
Time: 
17 March 2010 - 3:50pm
Mark J. Lara1, Sandra Villarreal2, David R. Johnson3, Patrick Webber4, Craig E. Tweedie5
1Biology, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University ave. , El Paso, TX, 79968, USA, Phone 9152404277, mjlara [at] miners [dot] utep [dot] edu
2USA
3USA
4USA
5USA

The Canadian High Arctic has in recent history been relatively unexplored and monitored with respect to intense sampling efforts underway in other arctic regions. Presently, virtually all carbon and productivity models in this region are conducted using satellite remote sensing techniques. Recent remote sensing evidence has begun to surface, suggesting that Baffin Island has exhibited some of the most prominent decadal vegetation change throughout the arctic. During the summer of 2009 our UTEP research team spent three weeks adjacent to the Lewis glacier on Baffin Island, Canada re-sampling historical vegetation communities originally established in 1964. Our primary goal was to determine the overall magnitude of change within a 45 year period, and to understand the importance these isolated communities have on ecosystem function. We use a novel approach for quantifying decadal vegetation change using a species cover Non-Metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling (NMDS) analysis, which we then linked to environmental measurements to unravel the magnitude and trajectory of change. We explored ecosystem carbon balance, energy balance, and albedo data and quantified the net radiative forcing potential of this region. Preliminary results indicate an overall drying and an increase in the accumulated biomass in every plant community in this region providing a substantial increase in Gross Primary Production (GPP) over a 45 year time period.

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National Science Foundation | Division of Arctic Sciences
National Science Foundation
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
International Arctic Systems for Observing the Atmosphere
International Arctic Systems for Observing the Atmosphere
Study of Environmental Arctic Change
Study of Environmental Arctic Change
Arctic System Science Program
Arctic System Science Program
US Arctic Research Commission
US Arctic Research Commission
North Slope Science Initiative
North Slope Science Initiative
International Arctic Science Committee
International Arctic Science Committee
Arctic Ocean Sciences Board
Arctic Ocean Sciences Board
Alaska Ocean Observing System
Alaska Ocean Observing System
Department of Energy
Department of Energy
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
World Wildlife Fund
WWF
Association of Polar Early Career Scientists
Association of Polar Early Career Scientists
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
International Study of Arctic Change
International Study of Arctic Change
ArcticNet
ArcticNet
DAMOCLES
Developing Arctic Modeling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies

This work is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the ARCUS Cooperative Agreement ARC-0618885. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.