Arctic Regions "Shrubifying" Rapidly Because Of Warming - Xinhua

[hatrack]

EDIT

Mike Gill, of the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, said the biggest declines in caribou are in Canada and parts of Alaska. The herds are sensitive to changes in their range and sometimes have problems migrating in changing conditions, meaning that calving occurs before they get to new feeding grounds, resulting in higher mortality.

The tundra itself is "shrubifying," he said and the increased shrub cover over many regions affects habitat and local climate, since it tends to absorb more solar radiation. The global goose population has been on the increase, he added, resulting in overgrazing in some areas.

Scientists have expected polar regions to experience the first results of global warming and the 2006 State of the Arctic report provided a benchmark for tracking changes. Wednesday's follow-up was the first update.

Sea ice cover this year is 23 percent smaller than the past record low set in 2005 and 39 percent less than average, said Jacqueline A. Richter-Menge of the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover, N.H.

EDIT

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-10/19/content_6909497.htm

[XemaSab]

1. Paging Swamp Rat... Paging Swamp Rat...

(the word "Shrubifying" brought a vivid image to mind that I suspect Swamp Rat could turn into reality :) )

[Systematic Chaos]

4. I'm moss definitely lichen the thought of this.

:)

[Swamp Rat]

5. "Shrubifying" brings this image to mind:

:hi:

[XemaSab]

6. You

are my hero.

[kestrel91316]

2. They need to let Mother Nature grow what she will, where she will.

I hope nobody thinks they can intervene in this process of vegetation - it would be unwise. Those "shrubs" are a huge carbon sink.

[XemaSab]

3. A lot of them are plants that were already there in prostrate form

Plants are cool. :)