文章基本信息

标题：Mapping the Vulnerability of Arctic Wetlands to Global Warming
本地全文：下载
作者：Elisie Kåresdotter ; Georgia Destouni ; Navid Ghajarnia 等
期刊名称：Earth's Future
电子版ISSN：2328-4277
出版年度：2021
卷号：9
期号：5
页码：e2020EF001858
DOI：10.1029/2020EF001858
出版社：John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
摘要：Wetlands provide multiple ecosystem services of local and global importance, but currently there exists no comprehensive, high-quality wetland map for the Arctic region. Improved information about Arctic wetland extents and their vulnerability to climate change is essential for adaptation and mitigation efforts, including for indigenous people dependent on the ecosystem services that wetlands provide, as inadequate planning could result in dire consequences for societies and ecosystems alike. Synthesizing high-resolution wetland databases and datasets on soil wetness and soil types from multiple sources, we created the first high-resolution map with full coverage of Arctic wetlands. We assess the vulnerability of Arctic wetlands for the years 2050, 2075, and 2100, using datasets on permafrost extent, soil types, and projected mean annual air temperature from the HadGEM2-ES climate model for three change scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5). Our mapping shows that wetlands cover approximately 3.5 million km 2 or roughly 25% of Arctic landmass and 99% of these wetlands are in permafrost areas, indicating considerable vulnerability to future climate change. Unless global warming is limited to scenario RCP2.6, robust results show that large areas of Arctic wetlands are vulnerable to ecosystem regime shifts. If scenario RCP8.5 becomes a reality, at least 50% of the Arctic wetland area would be highly vulnerable to regime shifts with considerable adverse impacts on human health, infrastructure, economics, ecosystems, and biodiversity. The developed wetland and vulnerability maps can aid planning and prioritization of the most vulnerable areas for protection and mitigation of change. Plain Language Abstract Wetlands play an important role in the Arctic; they cool the global climate, hold freshwater for animals and plants, regulate water, carbon, and nutrient cycling, and are biologically diverse and of great importance for indigenous human activities. Large areas lie on frozen ground (permafrost), but this could thaw out under expected future global and regional warming. Permafrost thaw can lead to wetland change leading to ecosystem as well as societal problems since the permafrost also acts as the foundation for roads and buildings in the Arctic. Through combined multi-variable mapping, we estimate that wetlands cover 25% of land in the Arctic region, almost entirely on permafrost areas. Air temperatures above −2 degrees Celsius may lead to permafrost thaw and associated wetlands drainage, and this is enhanced by higher temperatures and longer durations of temperature elevation. If global temperatures increase by more than 2 degrees Celsius from preindustrial levels to year 2100, 30%–50% of Arctic wetlands are vulnerable to change. Limiting global warming is critical for preserving Arctic wetlands and reducing societal and ecosystem impacts of their changes.
关键词：Arctic wetlands;climate-driven regime shifts climate projection;permafrost thaw;regime shift vulnerability