Scoping completed for an experiment to assess vulnerability of Arctic and boreal ecosystems

Over the past 100 years, high northern latitude regions have experienced more rapid warming than elsewhere on Earth. This trend is expected to continue over the next century. Arctic tundra, boreal forests, and peatlands are already undergoing major changes, reinforced by the cascading effects of thawing permafrost, increasing disturbance (particularly fire and insect pests), and altered surface hydrology. These changes influence processes at the ecosystem and landscape scales, including energy balance and vegetation productivity, which feed back to regional and global climate in addition to affecting wildlife habitat and ecosystem resources available to local communities.