Ninth International Conference on Permafrost ... - IARC Research

Ni n t h In t e r n at i o n a l Co n f e r e n c e o n Pe r m a f r o s tthe rest of the globe. Drying of soils allows increased O 2levels to penetrate the soil deeper and may therefore increasethe release of CO 2to the atmosphere (Oechel et al. 2000).Expansion of thaw lakes due to thawing of permafrost,increasing the expanse of waterlogged soils, may increasethe release of CH 4into the atmosphere (Walter et al. 2006).Closer examination of the taiga-tundra ecotone revealsa more complex situation than the simple northwardmigration of trees in response to warming (Skre et al. 2002).Permafrost thawing, surface water drainage, and dryingof soils in areas of low precipitation are likely to lead toa shift to grassy tundra vegetation (Callaghan et al. 2004).Wet systems of relatively continental climates, for examplewet sedge tundra, experience high evapotranspiration, coolsurface, and, therefore, a high latent heat flux. Dry systems,for example dry heath, have a warm surface and experiencehigh sensible heat flux (McFadden 1998). The regionalsurface energy balance forces regional weather patterns.Global climate change is made up of long-lasting regionalweather changes. Habitat for migratory waterfowl, affectedby the availability of surface water, is an issue of concernto wildlife managers. This is also a region where societalimpacts are acute. Town and village infrastructure will likelyexperience a variety of changes due to permafrost and surfacewater changes. Changes in permafrost cause the pavementto heave and slump on Farmers Loop Road in Fairbanks,and uncontrolled flow from wells damaged houses in thesame area. This area of upwelling holds potential danger.Traditional travel routes, berry picking, and hunting placesare likely to be affected.AcknowledgmentsSupport for this research is provided by the U.S. NationalScience Foundation (Grant No. 0327664).Jorgenson, M.T., Racine, C.H., Walters, J.C. & Osterkamp,T.E. 2001. Permafrost degradation and ecologicalchanges associated with a warming climate in centralAlaska. Climatic Change 48: 551-579.Lehner, B., Verdin, K. & Jarvis, A. 2008. New GlobalHydrography Derived from Spaceborne ElevationData. EOS 89(10): 93-94.McFadden, J.P., Chapin III, F.S. & Hollinger, D.Y. 1998.Subgrid-scale variability in the surface energy balanceof arctic tundra. Journal of Geophysical Research103: 28,947-28,961.Oechel, W.C., Vourlitis, G.L., Hastings S.J., Zulueta R.C.,Hinzman, L.D. & Kane, D.L. 2000. Acclimation ofecosystem CO 2exchange in the Alaskan Arctic inresponse to decadal climate warming. Nature 406:978-981.Shaver, G.R., Billings, W.D., Chapin III, F.S, Giblin, A.E.,Nadelhoffer, K.J., Oechel, W.C. & Rastetter E.B.1992. Global Change and the Carbon Balance ofArctic Ecosystems. BioScience 42(6): 433-441.Skre, O., Baxter, R., Crawford, R.M.M., Callaghan, T.V. &Fedorkov, A. 2002. How will the tundra-taiga interfacerespond to climate change? Swedish Royal Academyof Sciences, Ambio Special Report 12: 37-46.Smith, M.W. & Riseborough, D.W. 1996. Permafrostmonitoring and detection of climate change.Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 7: 301-310.Walter, K.M., Zimov, S.A., Chanton, J.P., Verbyla, D.& Chapin III, F.S. 2006. Methane bubbling fromSiberian thaw lakes as a positive feedback to climatewarming. Nature 443(7107): 71-75.Yoshikawa, K. & Hinzman, L.D. 2003. Shrinking thermokarstponds and groundwater dynamics in discontinuouspermafrost near Council, Alaska. Permafrost andPeriglacial Processes 14: 151-160.ReferencesBrown, J., Ferrians Jr., O.J., Heginbottom, J.A. & Melnikov,E.S. 1998. Revised February 2001. Circum-Arctic mapof permafrost and ground-ice conditions. Boulder,CO: National Snow and Ice Data Center/World DataCenter for Glaciology. Digital Media.Busey R.C., Hinzman, L.D., Cassano, J.J. & Cassano,E. 2008. Permafrost distributions on the SewardPeninsula: Past, present, and future. Proceedings ofthe <strong>Ninth</strong> <strong>International</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Permafrost,Fairbanks, Alaska, June 29–July 3, 2008.Callaghan, T.V., Björn, L.O., Chernov, Y., Chapin, T.,Christensen, T.R., Huntley, B., Ims, R.A., Johansson,M., Jolly, D., Jonasson, S., Matveyeva, N., Panikov,N., Oechel, W., Shaver, G., Schaphoff, S. & Sitch,S. 2004. Effects of changes in climate on landscapeand regional processes, and feedbacks to the climatesystem. Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Ambio33(7): 459-468.36