An expected response to climate warming in cold regions is an increase in the abundance and extent of shrubs in tundra areas. Evidence suggests a pan-Arctic vegetation transition that, if continued, will alter the fundamental architecture and function of the Arctic ecosystem with important ramifications for the climate, the biota, and humans. Also, vegetation architecture strongly influences energy input to the snow (or ground) surface, which varies with space and time, and depends on species, size, and location of gaps. Radiative transfer through forest canopies is complex and energy balance modeling presents challenges to account for the large variations of energy incident on the snow surface. |
Description of Research