Arctic ecosystems are especially sensitive to climate change. As the Arctic warms, shrubs have been observed to expand. Such changes in vegetation could have major implications on how Arctic ecosystems respond to and feedback on climate change. However, it remains unclear why such shrub expansion remains spatially uneven across the Arctic, with herbivory suggested as a key regulating factor. This study mapped the changes in shrub cover in Yamal Peninsula over three decades using satellite imagery and related these changes to summer temperature and reindeer population size. Surprisingly, we found no evidence that shrubs had expanded, despite the increasing temperatures. At the same time, local reindeer population size grew by over 75%. The results indicate that herbivory pressures could counteract the climate-induced shrub expansion in the region. This suggests that the strategic management of semi-domesticated reindeer husbandry could be a promising tool to maintain tundra landscapes in a warming Arctic.
Reference: Verma, M., to Bühne, H.S., Lopes, M., Ehrich, D., Sokovnina, S., Hofhuis, S.P. and Pettorelli, N., 2020. Can reindeer husbandry management slow down the shrubification of the Arctic?. Journal of Environmental Management, 267:110636
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110636
Image credit: @Photo by Steve Morgan/GreenPeace