Response of a tundra ecosystem to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide and CO2-induced climate change (Progress Report)
- San Diego State Univ., CA (United States)
This report presents the progress on the DOE funded project: "Response of a Tundra Ecosystem to Elevated Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and CO2-Induced Climate Change." The current funding cycle was initiated on September 1, 1989, to run through August 31, 1992. There was an initial reduction in scope dictated by budget availabilities, primarily manipulations of CO2, temperature and nutrients at a wet tundra located at Barrow, Alaska. These experiments still need to be done over the mid- to longer term in order to accurately predict, a priori, the effects of climate change on the arctic tundra as well as possible feedbacks. Coordination and cooperation with other agencies was initiated in 1990 and formally proposed in our 1991 renewal at the national and international level and has become an important aspect of the research. To accurately and precisely scale plot and transect measurements to the circumpolar tundra is beyond the scope of the current DOE project. It is possible, however to determine the patterns and controls of CO2 flux from the current circumpolar arctic tundra with the involvement of additional agencies and governments. Results from the past two years of this project confirm that the arctic has become a source of CO2 to the atmosphere. This change coincides with recent climatic variation in the arctic, and suggest a positive feedback of arctic ecosystems on atmospheric CO2 and global change. Measurements along a latitudinal gradient across the north slope of Alaska indicate a loss of carbon from tussock tundra and wet tundra, decreasing in magnitude along a decreasing gradient of temperature but an increasing gradient in soil moisture. These data are in agreement with work done on tussock tundra in 1983-85 and 1987.
- Research Organization:
- San Diego State Univ., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG03-86ER60479
- OSTI ID:
- 10147564
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/60479-T1; ON: DE92013925
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Apr 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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