Penguins and Polar Bears and Plants?
Penguins and Polar Bears and Plants?
November 17, 2022
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| A picture of a peat bog located in the Arctic (ArcticToday). |
Climate change is threatening the Arctic. However, up until now, little was known about the environmental role of vegetation. Thanks to a new study, we are able to more accurately predict future climate changes not only in the Arctic, but globally as well.
Vegetation in the Arctic?
What do you associate the Arctic with? Glaciers? Penguins? Polar bears? I can almost guarantee you did not think of plants. You may not have even known that vegetation existed in the Arctic. Well, it’s true. They do exist, and they actually play a larger role in the Arctic's climate dynamic than you think.
Climate change is one of the world’s most daunting issues today. The Arctic is the most susceptible biome to climate change- it is “warming three times faster than the global average” (ScienceDaily). Land that used to be covered in snow is now barren, allowing for more heat absorption through the terrain. Even worse, vegetation can emerge from the melting snow, which attracts even more heat through solar radiation absorption. However, to what degree does this affect the Arctic?
A Variety of Vegetation
New studies have found there are distinctions between different types of vegetation and the amount of energy absorbed on the Arctic’s surface. Using measurements that calculated the surface energy budget, which determines how much solar energy is converted in contact with the ground, scientists found that different terrains found in the Arctic vary in the amount of influence they have in solar energy conversion.
Energy conversion varies between dry and wet areas, which is partially due to differing amounts of vegetation in each area. In the Arctic, grasses and lichens grow in drier areas. Peat bogs, mosses, small trees, and shrubs are found in wetter areas. Soil moisture plays a major role: drier areas typically produce more heat energy than wet areas due to evaporation. The study determined that the type of vegetation greatly influences the amount of direct warming produced; it influences “the degree to which solar energy is absorbed and how it gets converted” (ScienceDaily).
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| A picture showing the diversity of vegetation in the Arctic (Open Access Government). |
Predicting the Future
"The results are very likely to influence our way of predicting climatic changes in the Arctic and globally, because we can now put a few values on vegetation-related differences" (ScienceDaily).
As arctic amplification continues to increase in the future, so will the emergence of vegetation. It is more important now than ever to monitor the emergence of vegetation to make accurate climate predictions. This new research will influence how we predict “climatic changes in the Arctic and globally, because we can now put a few values on vegetation-related differences” (ScienceDaily). The Arctic is a major indicator of climate change, which makes it incredibly important that we pay attention to. Although it is extremely complex to predict, this research is proof that it is not completely impossible.
So, when you think of the Arctic, what will you associate it with now? Although penguins and polar bears are perfectly acceptable answers, do not forget about the influence of the vegetation in the region. They play a bigger role in the Arctic than you think.
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References
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221116133846.htm
https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/arctic-tundra-vegetation/107095/
https://www.arctictoday.com/we-mapped-the-worlds-frozen-peatlands-what-we-found-was-very-worrying/?wallit_nosession=1
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change
https://ugc.berkeley.edu/background-content/reflection-absorption-sunlight/
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/EnergyBalance/page5.php
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/81214/arctic-amplification
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ReplyDeleteYour writing style is very engaging! I like how the info in this blog is concise and very clear when conveying the importance of vegetation in the Arctic. I would love to learn more about how the changing Arctic vegetation can let us know about the effects of climate change!
ReplyDeleteThe tone of this article does a good job of emphasizing the urgency of monitoring and understanding the changing climate. Arctic vegetation is not the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the influence of climate change in the arctic, and this positive feedback seems very alarming. You did a good job of describing the different types of soil and vegetation and how they differentially facilitate climate change. I am inclined to look more into this topic to expand my knowledge of the depth of the issue of climate change.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, I never associated vegetation with the arctic. Its crazy to learn and see the different types of vegetation present in the arctic and what role it has on climate change! I absolutely never would have guessed that a feedback loop like that would be occurring there! Your title got me really intrigued into your blog, absolutely loved the alliteration, but I was also really intrigued by the photo since that is not what I associate the arctic looking like! Such a cool topic!
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting. I wonder why exactly there is a net negative affect of vegetation, as I would expect the greater presence of vegetation to be useful in sequestering carbon. Perhaps that is because sequestration is a longer process, whereas solar radiation absorption causes more rapid effects? Regardless, I'll be sure to look out for more arctic-related news.
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