Natural Features & Ecosystems

Read the abstract and get the link to an article published in Environmental Research Letters that connects vegetation shift to warming Arctic and Boreal soils under vegetation. Kropp, H., M. M. Loranty, S. M. Natali, A. L. Kholodov, A. V. Rocha, … J. A. O’Donnell … et al. 2020. Shallow soils are warmer under trees and tall shrubs across Arctic and Boreal ecosystems. Environmental Research Letters.

Read the abstract and link to a paper that describes increasing temperatures and their effects on permafrost in northern parks: Swanson, D. K., P. J. Sousanes, and K. Hill. 2021. Increased mean annual temperatures in 2014-2019 indicate permafrost thaw in Alaskan national parks. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 53(1): 1-19.

Read a summary and get the link to an article about caribou foraging: Ehlers, L., E. Palm, J. Herriges, T. Bentzen, M. Suitor, K. Joly, J. Millspaugh, P. Donnelly, J. Gross, J. Wells, B. Larue, and M. Hebblewhite. 2024. A taste of space: Remote animal observations and discrete-choice models provide new insights into foraging and density dynamics for a large subarctic herbivore. Journal of Animal Ecology 93(7): 891-905.

Alaska is one of the most heavily glaciated areas in the world outside of the polar regions. Approximately 23,000 square miles of the state are covered in glaciers—an area nearly the size of West Virginia. Glaciers have shaped much of Alaska’s landscape and continue to influence its lands, waters, and ecosystems. Because of their importance, National Park Service scientists measure glacier change. They found that glaciers are shrinking in area and volume across the state.

Alaska, shaped by and dependent on ice and snow, is among the fastest-warming regions on Earth. As the mean annual air temperature warms above the freezing threshold of 0°C, the frozen water of its glaciers, permafrost, and snow will thaw and melt, altering the physical landscape and creating a cascade of effects. Alaska Park Science 22(1), 2023

Deciding how to act in the face of climate change can be overwhelming. Yet any park can act to begin integrating climate change considerations into their operations. Read how Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the National Park Service Climate Change Response Program, and their partners advanced the park’s efforts to understand, adapt to, mitigate, and communicate with the public about climate change. Alaska Park Science 22(1), 2023

Climate is a fundamental driver of the character, structure, and distribution of plant communities in the Far North. Periodic and massive change is deeply woven into the fabric of Alaska’s ecosystems, which have been subject to repeated, dramatic shifts precipitated by disturbance and changing climatic conditions, among other drivers. We are just starting to see the earliest results of a huge experiment playing out on northern ecosystems. Alaska Park Science, 22(1), 2023

Read the abstract and get the link to an article that shows the relationship between warming climate, thawing permafrost, fire, and lake chemistry: Larsen, A. S., D. L. Rupp, D. K. Swanson, and K. R. Hill. 2023. Cascading effects of climate change and wildfire on a subarctic lake: A 20-year case study of watershed change. Ecosphere 14(7): e4558.

Read the abstract and get the link to a peer-reviewed article on the use of climate models in ecological modeling: Sardoti, G., S. A. McAfee, E. F. Nicklen, P. J. Sousanes, and C. A. Roland. 2020. Evaluating multiple historical climate products in ecological models under current and projected temperatures. Ecological Applications 0(0): e2240.

Read the abstract and get the link to an article on how climate change is impacting park roads in Alaska: Lader, R., P. Sousanes, U. S. Bhatt, J. E. Walsh, and P. A. Bieniek. 2023. Climate indicators of landslide risks on Alaska national park road corridors. Atmosphere 14(1): 34.