Question 6

Question 6 icon

Disturbances

What controls the vulnerability of Arctic ecosystems to disturbance, and how do disturbances alter the structure and function of these ecosystems?

Disturbances such as wildfire, thermokarst, and thermal erosion are expected to increase in frequency and magnitude over the coming decades due to a warmer climate and the intensification of human activities in the Arctic, and have the potential to cause profound changes by disrupting processes that regulate climate feedbacks. Observations and model simulations have targeted knowledge gaps and interactions among multiple forms of disturbance.

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