What Is The Impact Of Climate Change On Boreal Forest

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The Impact of Climate Change on Boreal Forests.

In this essay I will focus on the growth response to climate change in the boreal biome and the key factors impacting this forest. I will discuss how the rise in global temperatures has had an already observable effect, a potential future for the forest following it’s adaptation to the change in climate and disturbance factors that will worsen dramatically as the temperature rises.

The impact of global warming is already evident and affecting an abundance of terrestrial ecosystems. Essentially all projections of global temperature increase show that warming in the Arctic region will far exceed the global average. (ACIA: 2005) With respect to Northern forests, observed changes such as poleward …show more content…

Different species have reacted differently with growth increasing and decreasing depending on site type and region. Some growth decline has been substantial and spread sporadically across a wide area. An identified cause has been temperature-induced drought in some areas. (ACIA: 2005) Studies of tree rings from across the boreal zone have demonstrated that negative growth responses to temperature in the 20th century are far reaching, occurring in every species investigated and in nearly all locations. In the warmer distribution areas of each species a more notable decline in growth was observed lending to the idea that temperature stress was a leading factor. (Amir, B D: 2006) The effects of climate change are already clearly …show more content…

During the greenhouse interval of the Late Mesozoic and Paleogene era evergreen forests do not appear to have been in abundance in the areas they are today. Vegetation in this area instead consisted of deciduous plantlife and broadleaved trees. (MS Balshi: 2009) A potential feedback response to global warming is the development of deciduous boreal forest. While this is unlikely to happen in the near future, it is a distinct possibility. A replacement tree population would be undoubtedly beneficial as the boreal region and tundra house close to 27% of the earths terrestrially stored carbon, sparse tree cover and prevalent wildfires would be disastrous in this