Download Ecological impacts of changes to the freshwater cycle on land:

Ecological impacts of changes to the freshwater cycle on land:
An Annotated Bibliography
A Contribution to the NSF FWI Changes, Attributions, and
Impacts Working Group (CAWG)
Lilian Alessa, University of Alaska Anchorage
Callaghan, T. V. et al. 2005. ACIA: Arctic Climate Impacts Assessment: Chapter 7,
Arctic Tundra and Polar Desert Ecosystems. Cambridge University Press, 1042p.
“The dominant response of current arctic species to climate change, as in the past, is very
likely to be relocation rather than adaptation. Relocation possibilities vary according to
region and geographic barriers. Some changes are occurring now. Changes in populations
are triggered by trends and extreme events, particularly winter processes. Forest is very
likely to replace a significant proportion of the tundra and this will have a great effect on
the composition of species. Uncertainties are high. Rapid climate change that exceeds the
ability of species to relocate is very likely to lead to increased incidence of fires, disease,
and pest outbreaks. Enhanced carbon dioxide concentrations and ultraviolet-B radiation
levels affect plant tissue chemistry and thereby have subtle but long-term impacts on
ecosystem processes that reduce nutrient cycling and have the potential to decrease
productivity and increase or decrease herbivory.”
RISA: The Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments Program. Prepared by
Susanne Moser. Summary of an exploratory workshop held in Anchorage, AK,
February 18-19, 2004.
“RISA activities contribute to identifying a) uses and limitations of observations, data,
forecasts, and other projections in decision support for selected sectors and regions; b)
best-practice approaches to characterize, communicate, and incorporate scientific
uncertainty in decision-making; c) decision-support experiments and evaluations using
seasonal to inter-annual forecasts and observational data.”
SEARCH SSC, SEARCH: Study of Environmental Arctic Change, Science Plan.
Morison, J.; Alexander, V.; Codispoti, L.; Delworth, T.; Dickson, B.; Eicken, H.;
Grebmeier, J.; Kruse, J.; Overland, J.; Overpeck, J.; Schlosser, P.; Serreze, M.;
and Walsh J. eds. 2001. Published by Polar Science Center, Applied Physics
Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, 91pp.
“Because the observed changes have made it harder for those who live in the North to
predict what the future may bring, we have given the name Unaami (the Yup’ik word for
“tomorrow”) to the complex of intertwined, pan-arctic changes. The Study of
Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) has been conceived as a broad,
interdisciplinary, multiscale program with a core aim of understanding Unaami. Part of
gaining this understanding will be to determine the full scope of Unaami. These changes
include, among other things, a decline in sea level atmospheric pressure, an increase in
surface air temperature, cyclonic ocean circulation, and a decrease in sea ice cover. The
physical changes are producing changes in the ecosystem and living resources and
affecting the human population. The changes are affecting local and hemispheric
economic activities such as shipping and fisheries totaling billions of dollars. These
biological and societal consequences may be considered part of Unaami.”
Stow, D.A.; Hope, A.; McGuire, D.; Verbyla, D.; Gamon, J.; Huemmrich, F.;
Houston, S., Racine, C.; Sturm, M.; Tape, K.; Hinzman, L.; Yoshikawa, K.;
Tweedie, C.; Noyle, B.; Silapaswan, C.; Douglas, D.; Griffith, B.; Jia, G.; Epstein,
H.; Walker, D. 2004. Remote sensing of vegetation and land-cover change in Arctic
Tundra Ecosystems. Remote Sensing of Environment, 2004, 89(3):281-299
“The objective of this paper is to review research conducted over the past decade on the
application of multi-temporal remote sensing for monitoring changes of Arctic tundra
lands. The strongest signals of ecosystem change detected thus far appear to correspond
to expansion of tundra shrubs and changes in the amount and extent of thaw lakes and
ponds. Changes in shrub cover and extent have been documented by modern repeat
imaging that matches archived historical aerial photography. NOAA Advanced Very
High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) time series provide a 20-year record for
determining changes in greenness that relates to photosynthetic activity, net primary
production, and growing season length. The strong contrast between land materials and
surface waters enables changes in lake and pond extent to be readily measured and
monitored.”
Sturm, M.; Chapin III, F.S.; Edwards, M.E.; Griffith, D.B.; Huntington, H.P.
Kofinas, G.P.; Lloyd, A.H.; Lynch, A.H.; Peterson, B.J.; Pielke Sr., R.A.; Schimel,
J.P., Serreze, M.C.; Shaver, G.R. 2003. PACTS (Pan-Arctic Cycles, Transitions, and
Sustainability): A Science Plan. Published by the Land-Atmosphere-Ice Interactions
Science Management Office, P.O. Box 757740, University of Alaska Fairbanks,
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-7740, 53pp, January 2003.
“The focus of the research is the interaction of physical and living systems (e.g., the
hydrological cycle and the tundra ecosystem), rather than the individual systems
themselves. The guiding principles behind the research are vulnerability and
sustainability: How much will changes in climate and the pathways of change affect
biotic-abiotic interaction sand what will the consequences be for humans, plants and
animals? How might these changes feed back to the climate?”
Usher, M.B. et al. 2005. ACIA: Arctic Climate Impacts Assessment: Chapter 7,
Principle’s of Conserving the Arctic’s Biodiversity. Cambridge University Press,
1042p.
“A changing climate can affect all three levels of biodiversity. There are many predicted
influences of climate change on the Arctic’s biodiversity. These include (1) changes in
the distribution ranges of species and habitats; (2) changes in the extent of many habitats;
(3) changes in the abundance of species; (4) changes in genetic diversity; (5) changes in
the behavior of migratory species; (6) some non-native species becoming problematic;
and (7) the need for protected areas to be managed in different ways.”
Woo, M.; Waddington, J.M. 1990. Effects of beaver dams on Subarctic wetland
hydrology. Arctic, 1990, 43(3):223-230
”Beaver dams are ubiquitous in subarctic wetlands, where runoff in the flat terrain is
highly prone to changes as the stream courses are modified by beaver activities.
Depending on the state of preservation, stream flow can overtop or funnel through gaps
in the dams, leak from the bottom of the dams or seep through the entire structure. Peak
and low flows are regulated by these dams to a varying extent. The formation of beaver
ponds causes local flooding, while the open water surfaces of the ponds increase water
loss from the wetlands. Water spilled from the dams may cause diversion channels to
produce complex drainage patterns. Comparing the water balance of basins with and
without a beaver dam at its outlet confirms that the dammed basin lost more water to
evaporation, suppressed the outflow and increased the basin water storage.”
Wrona, F.J.; Prowse, T.D.; Reist, J.D. et al. 2005. ACIA: Arctic Climate Impacts
Assessment: Chapter 8, Freshwater Ecosystems and Fisheries. Cambridge
University Press, 1042p.
“This chapter begins with a broad overview of the general hydrological and ecological
features of the various freshwater ecosystems in the Arctic, including descriptions of each
ACIA region, followed by a review of historical changes in freshwater systems during the
Holocene. The chapter continues with a review of the effects of climate change on broad
scale hydro-ecology; aquatic ecosystem structure and function; and arctic fish, fisheries,
and aquatic wildlife. Special attention is paid to changes in runoff, water levels, and
river- and lake-ice regimes; to biogeochemical processes, including carbon dynamics; to
rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands; to aquatic biodiversity and adaptive capacities; to fish
populations, fish habitat, anadromy, and fisheries resources; and to aquatic mammals and
waterfowl. Potential synergistic and cumulative effects are also discussed, as are the roles
of ultraviolet radiation and contaminants.”