Impacts of abiotic and biotic factors on tundra productivity near Utqiaġvik, Alaska

Zhang, Qingyuan; Zhang, Xuesong; Lara, Mark J.; Li, Zhengpeng; Xiao, Jingfeng; Zhao, Kaiguang; Hu, Tongxi

doi:10.1088/1748-9326/acf7d6

Title: Impacts of abiotic and biotic factors on tundra productivity near Utqiaġvik, Alaska

Journal Article · 17 September 2023 · Environmental Research Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acf7d6 · OSTI ID:2000783

; Zhang, Xuesong;

; Li, Zhengpeng;

; Zhao, Kaiguang; Hu, Tongxi

Abstract Earlier snowmelt, warmer temperatures and herbivory are among the factors that influence high-latitude tundra productivity near the town of Utqiaġvik in northern Alaska. However, our understanding of the potential interactions between these factors is limited. MODIS observations provide cover fractions of vegetation, snow, standing water, and soil, and fractional absorption of photosynthetically active radiation by canopy chlorophyll (fAPAR _chl ) per pixel. Here, we evaluated a recent time-period (2001–2014) that the tundra experienced large interannual variability in vegetation productivity metrics (i.e. fAPAR _chl and APAR _chl ), which was explainable by both abiotic and biotic factors. We found earlier snowmelt to increase soil and vegetation cover, and productivity in June, while warmer temperatures significantly increased monthly productivity. However, abiotic factors failed to explain stark decreases in productivity during August of 2008, which coincided with a severe lemming outbreak. MODIS observations found this tundra ecosystem to completely recover two years later, resulting in elevated productivity. This study highlights the potential roles of both climate and herbivory in modulating the interannual variability of remotely retrieved plant productivity metrics in Arctic coastal tundra ecosystems.

View Journal Article

Cite

Export

Save

Research Organization:: Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0021094

OSTI ID:: 2000783

Journal Information:: Environmental Research Letters, Journal Name: Environmental Research Letters Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 18; ISSN 1748-9326

Publisher:: IOP PublishingCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

References (53)

Disappearing Arctic tundra ponds: Fine-scale analysis of surface hydrology in drained thaw lake basins over a 65 year period (1948-2013): Disappearing Arctic tundra ponds Andresen, Christian G.; Lougheed, Vanessa L. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, Vol. 120, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JG002778	journal	March 2015
Linkages between lake shrinkage/expansion and sublacustrine permafrost distribution determined from remote sensing of interior Alaska, USA: LAKE TALIKS VS LAKE SHRINKAGE/EXPANSION Jepsen, S. M.; Voss, C. I.; Walvoord, M. A. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 40, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1002/grl.50187	journal	March 2013
Identifying historical and future potential lake drainage events on the western Arctic coastal plain of Alaska Jones, Benjamin M.; Arp, Christopher D.; Grosse, Guido Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, Vol. 31, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2038	journal	January 2020
Population cycles of lemmings near Barrow, Alaska: a historical review Pitelka, Frank A.; Batzli, George O. Acta Theriologica, Vol. 52, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03194229	journal	September 2007
Evidence and Implications of Recent Climate Change in Northern Alaska and Other Arctic Regions Hinzman, Larry D.; Bettez, Neil D.; Bolton, W. Robert Climatic Change, Vol. 72, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-005-5352-2	journal	October 2005
Estimating Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) at the earth's surface from satellite observations Frouin, Robert; Pinker, Rachel T. Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol. 51, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/0034-4257(94)00068-X	journal	January 1995
Impacts of light use efficiency and fPAR parameterization on gross primary production modeling Cheng, Yen-Ben; Zhang, Qingyuan; Lyapustin, Alexei I. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Vol. 189-190 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2014.01.006	journal	June 2014
Estimation of crop gross primary production (GPP): I. impact of MODIS observation footprint and impact of vegetation BRDF characteristics Zhang, Qingyuan; Cheng, Yen-Ben; Lyapustin, Alexei I. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Vol. 191 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2014.02.002	journal	June 2014
Estimation of crop gross primary production (GPP): II. Do scaled MODIS vegetation indices improve performance? Zhang, Qingyuan; Cheng, Yen-Ben; Lyapustin, Alexei I. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Vol. 200 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2014.09.003	journal	January 2015
Mapping fine-scale human disturbances in a working landscape with Landsat time series on Google Earth Engine Hu, Tongxi; Myers Toman, Elizabeth; Chen, Gang ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Vol. 176 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2021.04.008	journal	June 2021
An optimal method for validating satellite-derived land surface phenology using in-situ observations from national phenology networks Ye, Yongchang; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Shen, Yu ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Vol. 194 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2022.09.018	journal	December 2022
Characterization of a seasonally snow-covered evergreen forest ecosystem Zhang, Qingyuan International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, Vol. 103 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2021.102464	journal	December 2021
Remote sensing of vegetation and land-cover change in Arctic Tundra Ecosystems Stow, Douglas A.; Hope, Allen; McGuire, David Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol. 89, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2003.10.018	journal	February 2004
Estimating light absorption by chlorophyll, leaf and canopy in a deciduous broadleaf forest using MODIS data and a radiative transfer model Zhang, Q.; Xiao, X.; Braswell, B. Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol. 99, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2005.09.009	journal	November 2005
Characterization of seasonal variation of forest canopy in a temperate deciduous broadleaf forest, using daily MODIS data Zhang, Qingyuan; Xiao, Xiangming; Braswell, Bobby Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol. 105, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2006.06.013	journal	December 2006
Can a satellite-derived estimate of the fraction of PAR absorbed by chlorophyll (FAPARchl) improve predictions of light-use efficiency and ecosystem photosynthesis for a boreal aspen forest? Zhang, Qingyuan; Middleton, Elizabeth M.; Margolis, Hank A. Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol. 113, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2009.01.002	journal	April 2009
Estimation of crop gross primary production (GPP): fAPARchl versus MOD15A2 FPAR Zhang, Qingyuan; Cheng, Yen-Ben; Lyapustin, Alexei I. Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol. 153 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2014.07.012	journal	October 2014
Development of Landsat-based annual US forest disturbance history maps (1986–2010) in support of the North American Carbon Program (NACP) Zhao, Feng; Huang, Chengquan; Goward, Samuel N. Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol. 209 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2018.02.035	journal	May 2018
Evaluating impacts of snow, surface water, soil and vegetation on empirical vegetation and snow indices for the Utqiaġvik tundra ecosystem in Alaska with the LVS3 model Zhang, Qingyuan; Yao, Tian; Huemmrich, K. Fred Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol. 240 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2020.111677	journal	April 2020
Earlier spring snowmelt in northern Alaska as an indicator of climate change: EARLY SNOWMELT AS AN INDICATOR OF CLIMATE CHANGE Stone, Robert S.; Dutton, Ellsworth G.; Harris, Joyce M. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 107, Issue D10 https://doi.org/10.1029/2000JD000286	journal	May 2002
Greening of arctic Alaska, 1981-2001: GREENING OF ARCTIC ALASKA, 1981-2001 Jia, Gensuo J.; Epstein, Howard E.; Walker, Donald A. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 30, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.1029/2003GL018268	journal	October 2003
Abrupt increase in permafrost degradation in Arctic Alaska Jorgenson, M. Torre; Shur, Yuri L.; Pullman, Erik R. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 33, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL024960	journal	January 2006
Shrinking lakes of the Arctic: Spatial relationships and trajectory of change: SHRINKING LAKES OF THE ARCTIC Carroll, M. L.; Townshend, J. R. G.; DiMiceli, C. M. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 38, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL049427	journal	October 2011
Modern thermokarst lake dynamics in the continuous permafrost zone, northern Seward Peninsula, Alaska Jones, B. M.; Grosse, G.; Arp, C. D. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 116 https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JG001666	journal	January 2011
Diverse Responses of Multiple Satellite‐Derived Vegetation Greenup Onsets to Dry Periods in the Amazon Zhang, Xiaoyang; Shen, Yu; Gao, Shuai Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 49, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL098662	journal	October 2022
Increased plant growth in the northern high latitudes from 1981 to 1991 Myneni, R. B.; Keeling, C. D.; Tucker, C. J. Nature, Vol. 386, Issue 6626 https://doi.org/10.1038/386698a0	journal	April 1997
Vole and lemming activity observed from space Olofsson, Johan; Tømmervik, Hans; Callaghan, Terry V. Nature Climate Change, Vol. 2, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1537	journal	May 2012
Summer warming explains widespread but not uniform greening in the Arctic tundra biome Berner, Logan T.; Massey, Richard; Jantz, Patrick Nature Communications, Vol. 11, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18479-5	journal	September 2020
Carbon response of tundra ecosystems to advancing greenup and snowmelt in Alaska Kim, JiHyun; Kim, Yeonjoo; Zona, Donatella Nature Communications, Vol. 12, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26876-7	journal	November 2021
Increased drought effects on the phenology of autumn leaf senescence Wu, Chaoyang; Peng, Jie; Ciais, Philippe Nature Climate Change, Vol. 12, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01464-9	journal	September 2022
Reduced arctic tundra productivity linked with landform and climate change interactions Lara, Mark J.; Nitze, Ingmar; Grosse, Guido Scientific Reports, Vol. 8, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-20692-8	journal	February 2018
Earlier snowmelt may lead to late season declines in plant productivity and carbon sequestration in Arctic tundra ecosystems Zona, Donatella; Lafleur, Peter M.; Hufkens, Koen Scientific Reports, Vol. 12, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07561-1	journal	March 2022
Tundra landform and vegetation productivity trend maps for the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska Lara, Mark J.; Nitze, Ingmar; Grosse, Guido Scientific Data, Vol. 5, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2018.58	journal	April 2018
Satellite-observed photosynthetic trends across boreal North America associated with climate and fire disturbance Goetz, S. J.; Bunn, A. G.; Fiske, G. J. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 102, Issue 38 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0506179102	journal	September 2005
Impact of satellite based PAR on estimates of terrestrial net primary productivity Pinker, Rachel T.; Zhao, Maosheng; Wang, Hengmao International Journal of Remote Sensing, Vol. 31, Issue 19 https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2010.496474	journal	October 2010
Exclusion of brown lemmings reduces vascular plant cover and biomass in Arctic coastal tundra: resampling of a 50 + year herbivore exclosure experiment near Barrow, Alaska Johnson, D. R.; Lara, M. J.; Shaver, G. R. Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 6, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/6/4/045507	journal	October 2011
Tundra vegetation change near Barrow, Alaska (1972–2010) Villarreal, S.; Hollister, R. D.; Johnson, D. R. Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 7, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/1/015508	journal	January 2012
Arctic tundra shrubification: a review of mechanisms and impacts on ecosystem carbon balance Mekonnen, Zelalem A.; Riley, William J.; Berner, Logan T. Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 16, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abf28b	journal	April 2021
Peak season carbon exchange shifts from a sink to a source following 50+ years of herbivore exclusion in an Arctic tundra ecosystem Lara, Mark J.; Johnson, David R.; Andresen, Christian Journal of Ecology, Vol. 105, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12654	journal	October 2016
Polygonal tundra geomorphological change in response to warming alters future CO ₂ and CH ₄ flux on the Barrow Peninsula Lara, Mark J.; McGuire, A. David; Euskirchen, Eugenie S. Global Change Biology, Vol. 21, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12757	journal	November 2014
Plant phenological responses to a long-term experimental extension of growing season and soil warming in the tussock tundra of Alaska Khorsand Rosa, Roxaneh; Oberbauer, Steven F.; Starr, Gregory Global Change Biology, Vol. 21, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13040	journal	November 2015
Contrasting responses of peak vegetation growth to asymmetric warming: Evidences from FLUXNET and satellite observations Liu, Ying; Wu, Chaoyang; Wang, Xiaoyue Global Change Biology, Vol. 29, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16592	journal	February 2023
Understanding Recent Climate Change Serreze, Mark C. Conservation Biology, Vol. 24, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01408.x	journal	February 2010
Resilience and vulnerability of permafrost to climate changeThis article is one of a selection of papers from The Dynamics of Change in Alaska’s Boreal Forests: Resilience and Vulnerability in Response to Climate Warming. Jorgenson, M. Torre; Romanovsky, Vladimir; Harden, Jennifer Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Vol. 40, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1139/X10-060	journal	July 2010
Global Distribution of Photosynthetically Active Radiation as Observed from Satellites Pinker, R. T.; Laszlo, I. Journal of Climate, Vol. 5, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(1992)005<0056:GDOPAR>2.0.CO;2	journal	January 1992
Circumpolar Arctic Tundra Vegetation Change Is Linked to Sea Ice Decline Bhatt, Uma S.; Walker, Donald A.; Raynolds, Martha K. Earth Interactions, Vol. 14, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1175/2010EI315.1	journal	August 2010
The 1953 Lemming Emigration at Point Barrow, Alaska Thompson, Daniel Q. ARCTIC, Vol. 8, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic3803	journal	January 1955
Trophic Interaction Cycles in Tundra Ecosystems and the Impact of Climate Change Ims, Rolf A.; Fuglei, Eva BioScience, Vol. 55, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2005)055[0311:TICITE]2.0.CO;2	journal	January 2005
Potential Net Primary Productivity in South America: Application of a Global Model Raich, J. W.; Rastetter, E. B.; Melillo, J. M. Ecological Applications, Vol. 1, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.2307/1941899	journal	November 1991
Multi-Decadal Surface Water Dynamics in North American Tundra Carroll, Mark; Loboda, Tatiana Remote Sensing, Vol. 9, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.3390/rs9050497	journal	May 2017
Landsat-Based Trend Analysis of Lake Dynamics across Northern Permafrost Regions Nitze, Ingmar; Grosse, Guido; Jones, Benjamin Remote Sensing, Vol. 9, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.3390/rs9070640	journal	June 2017
Recent lake ice-out phenology within and among lake districts of Alaska, U.S.A Arp, Christopher D.; Jones, Benjamin M.; Grosse, Guido Limnology and Oceanography, Vol. 58, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2013.58.6.2013	journal	October 2013
MODIS Collection 6 MAIAC algorithm Lyapustin, Alexei; Wang, Yujie; Korkin, Sergey Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, Vol. 11, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5741-2018	journal	January 2018

Similar Records

Earlier snowmelt may lead to late season declines in plant productivity and carbon sequestration in Arctic tundra ecosystems

Journal Article · 2022 · Scientific Reports · OSTI ID:1896686

Zona, Donatella; Lafleur, Peter M.; Hufkens, Koen; +39 more

An Arctic ecosystem: The Coastal Tundra at Barrow, Alaska

Book · 1981 · OSTI ID:6278522

Brown, J; Miller, P C; Tiezen, L L; +1 more

Shallow snowpack inhibits soil respiration in sagebrush steppe through multiple biotic and abiotic mechanisms

Journal Article · 2016 · Ecosphere · OSTI ID:1255631

Tucker, Colin L.; Tamang, Shanker; Pendall, Elise; +1 more

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Arctic tundra
earlier snowmelt
fAPARchl
lemming herbivory
productivity
warming

Title: Impacts of abiotic and biotic factors on tundra productivity near Utqiaġvik, Alaska

Citation Formats

References (53)

Similar Records

Related Subjects