Arctic plants and climate change

Guest

How are arctic plants responding to climate warming? Why should we care?

Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 24

That's a loaded question!
Tundra plants grow on permafrost and have a very short growing season.
In a way, they're like the canaries in the coal mine in that they're very sensitive to changes in their environment and are indicators of change.
One effect is that some species thrive while others suffer. This of course affects everything connected in the ecosystem. Increased release of carbon in the soils could induce a positive feedback to climate warming.
Tune in to the journal as I report on more of the science, and you can answer the second part of your question for yourself. Thanks for your interest!