Ecological and conceptual consequences of Arctic pollution.
- Kirdyanov AV Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, UK.
- Krusic PJ Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, UK.
- Shishov VV V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, Federal Research Centre, Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia.
- Vaganov EA V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, Federal Research Centre, Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia.
- Fertikov AI Institute of Ecology and Geography, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, 660041, Russia.
- Myglan VS Institute of Humanities, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, 660041, Russia.
- Barinov VV Institute of Humanities, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, 660041, Russia.
- Browse J Center for Geography and Environmental Science, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK.
- Esper J Department of Geography, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, 55099, Germany.
- Ilyin VA Mathematical Methods and IT Department, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, 660075, Russia.
- Knorre AA Institute of Ecology and Geography, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, 660041, Russia.
- Korets MA V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, Federal Research Centre, Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia.
- Kukarskikh VV Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch RAS, Ekaterinburg, 620144, Russia.
- Mashukov DA V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, Federal Research Centre, Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia.
- Onuchin AA V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, Federal Research Centre, Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia.
- Piermattei A Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, UK.
- Pimenov AV V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, Federal Research Centre, Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia.
- Prokushkin AS V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, Federal Research Centre, Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia.
- Ryzhkova VA V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, Federal Research Centre, Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia.
- Shishikin AS V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, Federal Research Centre, Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russia.
- Smith KT US Forest Service, Durham, NH, 08324, USA.
- Taynik AV Institute of Humanities, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, 660041, Russia.
- Wild M Institute for Atmosphere for Climate Science, ETH-Z, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland.
- Zorita E Helmholtz Centrum Geesthacht, Institute of Coastal Research, Geesthacht, 21502, Germany.
- Büntgen U Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, UK.
- 2020-09-25
Published in:
- Ecology letters. - 2020
Arctic Dimming
Divergence Problem
Norilsk Disaster
Russia
Siberia
boreal forest
industrial pollution
tree rings
Arctic Regions
Ecosystem
Forests
Taiga
Trees
English
Although the effect of pollution on forest health and decline received much attention in the 1980s, it has not been considered to explain the 'Divergence Problem' in dendroclimatology; a decoupling of tree growth from rising air temperatures since the 1970s. Here we use physical and biogeochemical measurements of hundreds of living and dead conifers to reconstruct the impact of heavy industrialisation around Norilsk in northern Siberia. Moreover, we develop a forward model with surface irradiance forcing to quantify long-distance effects of anthropogenic emissions on the functioning and productivity of Siberia's taiga. Downwind from the world's most polluted Arctic region, tree mortality rates of up to 100% have destroyed 24,000 km2 boreal forest since the 1960s, coincident with dramatic increases in atmospheric sulphur, copper, and nickel concentrations. In addition to regional ecosystem devastation, we demonstrate how 'Arctic Dimming' can explain the circumpolar 'Divergence Problem', and discuss implications on the terrestrial carbon cycle.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- hybrid
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1111/ele.13611
- PMID 32975023
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/121945
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