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How will High Arctic Tundra Respond to Global Warming?

Apr 13, 2011; 6:45 PM ET

Canadian researchers recently completed a 12 year experiment on Canada's Ellesmere Island that measured the response of high Arctic tundra to air which was passively warmed by 1 to 3 degrees celsius during the short growing season.

The artificial warming experiment resulted in enhanced reproductive effort and success in most plant species.

The findings "support predictions that long-term warming in the High Arctic will likely enhance sexual reproduction in tundra plants, which could lead to an increase in plant cover," and that the resulting "greater abundance of vegetation has implications for primary consumers, via increased forage availability," according to Klady et al.

Ellesmere Island, Canada

Klady et al. adds that "with future warming, polar oases may play an important role as a seed source to the surrounding polar desert landscape," according to the CO2 Science story.

Arctic fireweed on Ellesmere Island

The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of AccuWeather, Inc. or AccuWeather.com

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