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Causes, Impacts and Solutions to Global Warming pp 3–16Cite as

Vegetation at Northern High Latitudes Under Global Warming

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Abstract

Northern areas are warming at a rapid rate. Global warming may disturb plant overwintering in the northern hemisphere in several ways: (1) Preparation for winter may be delayed, (2) warm spells in winter may prematurely interrupt dormancy, (3) extreme changes in temperature may result in lethal freezing, as well as (4) activity beginning too early in spring at high temperatures. In addition, (5) some species may be damaged due to thinning or lack of snow cover. Patterns predicted for global warming will undoubtedly extend the growing season, thus increasing plant biomass and productivity, but incidence of forest fires and pathogen attacks will reduce the significance of any positive impacts. In addition, invasion of aggressive alien species is one potential threat for northern biodiversity.

Temperature is the most important ecological filter for range shifts in species and populations towards northern areas. Thus, under a warmer climate, temperate vegetation may replace parts of boreal vegetation, with boreal vegetation shifting partly to tundra, although summer droughts may cause confounding effects on these expectations. In addition, photoperiod and other light related factors (light quality and quantity), may modify the adaptation of a given species or population to the new environment. Thus, the overall prediction on a vegetation community level is unpredictable without experimental studies. Understanding of the mechanisms behind vegetation range shifts is important from the biodiversity, forestry, and agricultural points of view.

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Abbreviations

Common garden experiment:

An experiment where populations from different latitudes are reciprocally collected into same garden.

Deacclimation (dehardening):

Opposite process to autumn cold hardening process; refers to loss of hardening against low temperatures due to physiological readiness and high temperature exposure.

Drought:

Extended period without water supply or precipitation.

Ecodormancy:

Plant resting stage during which physiology is ready for break of dormancy, but exogenous factors (low temperature) prevent from it.

Ecological filter:

Ecological filter is an environmental factor that determines distribution of species and populations.

Endodormancy:

Plant resting stage during which endogenous factors (physiology) maintain dormancy irrespective of the high temperatures.

Freezing tolerance (frost hardiness):

Ability of plant to withstand temperatures below 0 °C.

Light saturation point:

Irradiance level to reach maximum photosynthesis; increase in irradiance cannot increase photosynthesis after saturation point.

Morphogenic response:

Light mediated response to shape of growth.

Perennial species:

Species living longer than 2 years.

Supercooling:

Cooling below freezing point without becoming solid form (crystallization).

Winter dormancy:

Plant resting stage over the cold season.

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Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Dr Erja Taulavuori and Prof Kari Saikkonen for the comments on this paper. I am also grateful to Prof Ibrahim Dincer for his invitation to speak at the Global Congress on Global Warming 2012 (Istanbul). The Kone Foundation is thanked for funding experimental facilities to study the issues discussed. Ms. Sally Ulich is thanked for revision of the English language.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Oulu, 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland

    Kari Taulavuori

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  1. Kari Taulavuori
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Correspondence to Kari Taulavuori .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

    Ibrahim Dincer

  2. Makina Muhendisligi Bolumu, Dokuz Eylul University, Buca, Izmir, Turkey

    Can Ozgur Colpan

  3. Faculty of Civil Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey

    Fethi Kadioglu

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Taulavuori, K. (2013). Vegetation at Northern High Latitudes Under Global Warming. In: Dincer, I., Colpan, C., Kadioglu, F. (eds) Causes, Impacts and Solutions to Global Warming. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7588-0_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7588-0_1

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