IGBP northern Eurasia study

Abstract

Northern Eurasia is of increasing interest within global change research. A vast area, about which relatively little is known in the Western Scientific community, it is predicted to have the greatest temperature rise due to anthropogenic climate forcing. This report provides a prospectus for an integrated hydrological, atmospheric chemical, biochemical, and ecological global change study in the tundra/boreal region of Northern Eurasia with the unifying theme of the terrestrial carbon cycle, its controlling factors and how these will alter under global change. Two major issues are addressed: firstly the understanding of the interaction between ecosystem composition and ecosystem process, and secondly a projection of biome productivity. Major activities will be: the development and operation of north-south transects in eastern Siberia; the development and operation of a network of observing sites focusing on trace gas emissions and their controlling factors; a water energy and carbon flux study; studies of disturbance regimes; scaling up, modelling, integration and finally associated studies. Finally, the next steps in the implementation of the IGBP Northern Eurasia Study are briefly detailed. -H.R.Goode Show more