Hill, Geoff B; Henry, Gregory HR (2011): (Table 1) Biomass and total standing crop of major wet sedge tundra species at five sites at Alexandra Fiord in 1981 and 2005 [dataset]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.811179, Supplement to: Hill, GB; Henry, GHR (2011): Responses of High Arctic wet sedge tundra to climate warming since 1980. Global Change Biology, 17(1), 276-287, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02244.x
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Abstract:
The global climate is changing rapidly and Arctic regions are showing responses to recent warming. Responses of tundra ecosystems to climate change have been examined primarily through short-term experimental manipulations, with few studies of long-term ambient change. We investigated changes in above- and belowground biomass of wet sedge tundra to the warming climate of the Canadian High Arctic over the past 25 years. Aboveground standing crop was harvested from five sedge meadow sites and belowground biomass was sampled from one of the sites in the early 1980s and in 2005 using the same methods. Aboveground biomass was on average 158% greater in 2005 than in the early 1980s. The belowground biomass was also much greater in 2005: root biomass increased by 67% and rhizome biomass by 139% since the early 1980s. Dominant species from each functional group (graminoids, shrubs and forbs) showed significant increases in aboveground biomass. Responsive species included the dominant sedge species Carex aquatilis stans, C. membranacea, and Eriophorum angustifolium, as well as the dwarf shrub Salix arctica and the forb Polygonum viviparum. However, diversity measures were not different between the sample years. The greater biomass correlated strongly with increased annual and summer temperatures over the same time period, and was significantly greater than the annual variation in biomass measured in 1980-1983. Increased decomposition and mineralization rates, stimulated by warmer soils, were likely a major cause of the elevated productivity, as no differences in the mass of litter were found between sample periods. Our results are corroborated by published short-term experimental studies, conducted in other wet sedge tundra communities which link warming and fertilization with elevated decomposition, mineralization and tundra productivity. We believe that this is the first study to show responses in High Arctic wet sedge tundra to recent climate change.
Project(s):
Coverage:
Latitude: 78.883300 * Longitude: -75.916700
Date/Time Start: 1981-01-01T00:00:00 * Date/Time End: 2005-01-01T00:00:00
Event(s):
Alexandra_Fiord_sites * Latitude: 78.883300 * Longitude: -75.916700 * Location: Ellesmere Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago * Method/Device: Sampling by hand (HAND)
Comment:
Biomass refers to all live above- or belowground plant tissue. Standing crop refers to all live and attached dead plant material, above- or belowground. Litter is unattached aboveground dead plant material. Data extracted in the frame of a joint ICSTI/PANGAEA IPY effort, see http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.150150
Parameter(s):
# | Name | Short Name | Unit | Principal Investigator | Method/Device | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Site | Site | Hill, Geoff B | |||
2 | DATE/TIME | Date/Time | Geocode | |||
3 | Sample amount | N | # | Hill, Geoff B | ||
4 | Carex spp., biomass | Carex spp. biom | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | |
5 | Carex spp., standard deviation | Carex spp. std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | biomass |
6 | Standing crop, vegetation | Stand crop veg | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | Carex spp. |
7 | Carex spp., standard deviation | Carex spp. std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | standing crop |
8 | Carex misandra, biomass | C. misandra biom | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | |
9 | Carex misandra, standard deviation | C. misandra std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | biomass |
10 | Standing crop, vegetation | Stand crop veg | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | Carex misandra |
11 | Carex misandra, standard deviation | C. misandra std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | standing crop |
12 | Eriophorum angustifolium, biomass | E. angustifolium biom | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | |
13 | Eriophorum angustifolium, standard deviation | E. angustifolium std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | biomass |
14 | Standing crop, vegetation | Stand crop veg | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | Eriophorum angustifolium |
15 | Eriophorum angustifolium, standard deviation | E. angustifolium std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | standing crop |
16 | Kobresia spp., biomass | Kobresia spp. biom | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | |
17 | Kobresia spp., standard deviation | Kobresia spp. std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | biomass |
18 | Standing crop, vegetation | Stand crop veg | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | Kobresia spp. |
19 | Kobresia spp., standard deviation | Kobresia spp. std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | standing crop |
20 | Arctagrostis latifolia, biomass | A. latifolia biom | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | |
21 | Arctagrostis latifolia, standard deviation | A. latifolia std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | biomass |
22 | Standing crop, vegetation | Stand crop veg | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | Arctagrostis latifolia |
23 | Arctagrostis latifolia, standard deviation | A. latifolia std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | standing crop |
24 | Juncus biglumis, biomass | J. biglumis biom | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | |
25 | Juncus biglumis, standard deviation | J. biglumis std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | biomass |
26 | Standing crop, vegetation | Stand crop veg | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | Juncus biglumis |
27 | Juncus biglumis, standard deviation | J. biglumis std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | standing crop |
28 | Polygonum viviparum, biomass | P. viviparum biom | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | |
29 | Polygonum viviparum, standard deviation | P. viviparum std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | biomass |
30 | Standing crop, vegetation | Stand crop veg | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | Polygonum viviparum |
31 | Polygonum viviparum, standard deviation | P. viviparum std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | standing crop |
32 | Equisetum spp., biomass | Equisetum spp. biom | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | |
33 | Equisetum spp., standard deviation | Equisetum spp. std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | biomass |
34 | Dryas integrifolia, biomass | D. integrifolia biom | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | |
35 | Dryas integrifolia, standard deviation | D. integrifolia std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | biomass |
36 | Standing crop, vegetation | Stand crop veg | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | Dryas integrifolia |
37 | Dryas integrifolia, standard deviation | D. integrifolia std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | standing crop |
38 | Salix arctica, biomass | S. arctica biom | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | |
39 | Salix arctica, standard deviation | S. arctica std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | biomass |
40 | Standing crop, vegetation | Stand crop veg | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | Salix arctica |
41 | Salix arctica, standard deviation | S. arctica std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | standing crop |
42 | Plants, total vascular, biomass | Plants vasc biom | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | |
43 | Standard deviation | Std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | total vascular biomass |
44 | Standing crop, vegetation | Stand crop veg | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | total vascular |
45 | Standard deviation | Std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | total vascular standing crop |
46 | Bryophyta, biomass | Bryophyta biom | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | |
47 | Standard deviation | Std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | bryophyta biomass |
48 | Litter, biomass | Litter biom | g/m2 | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | |
49 | Standard deviation | Std dev | ± | Hill, Geoff B | Weighing of dry specimens | litter biomass |
License:
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC-BY-3.0)
Size:
550 data points
Data
1 Site | 2 Date/Time | 3 N [#] | 4 Carex spp. biom [g/m2] | 5 Carex spp. std dev [±] (biomass) | 6 Stand crop veg [g/m2] (Carex spp.) | 7 Carex spp. std dev [±] (standing crop) | 8 C. misandra biom [g/m2] | 9 C. misandra std dev [±] (biomass) | 10 Stand crop veg [g/m2] (Carex misandra) | 11 C. misandra std dev [±] (standing crop) | 12 E. angustifolium biom [g/m2] | 13 E. angustifolium std dev [±] (biomass) | 14 Stand crop veg [g/m2] (Eriophorum angustifolium) | 15 E. angustifolium std dev [±] (standing crop) | 16 Kobresia spp. biom [g/m2] | 17 Kobresia spp. std dev [±] (biomass) | 18 Stand crop veg [g/m2] (Kobresia spp.) | 19 Kobresia spp. std dev [±] (standing crop) | 20 A. latifolia biom [g/m2] | 21 A. latifolia std dev [±] (biomass) | 22 Stand crop veg [g/m2] (Arctagrostis latifolia) | 23 A. latifolia std dev [±] (standing crop) | 24 J. biglumis biom [g/m2] | 25 J. biglumis std dev [±] (biomass) | 26 Stand crop veg [g/m2] (Juncus biglumis) | 27 J. biglumis std dev [±] (standing crop) | 28 P. viviparum biom [g/m2] | 29 P. viviparum std dev [±] (biomass) | 30 Stand crop veg [g/m2] (Polygonum viviparum) | 31 P. viviparum std dev [±] (standing crop) | 32 Equisetum spp. biom [g/m2] | 33 Equisetum spp. std dev [±] (biomass) | 34 D. integrifolia biom [g/m2] | 35 D. integrifolia std dev [±] (biomass) | 36 Stand crop veg [g/m2] (Dryas integrifolia) | 37 D. integrifolia std dev [±] (standing crop) | 38 S. arctica biom [g/m2] | 39 S. arctica std dev [±] (biomass) | 40 Stand crop veg [g/m2] (Salix arctica) | 41 S. arctica std dev [±] (standing crop) | 42 Plants vasc biom [g/m2] | 43 Std dev [±] (total vascular biomass) | 44 Stand crop veg [g/m2] (total vascular) | 45 Std dev [±] (total vascular standing crop) | 46 Bryophyta biom [g/m2] | 47 Std dev [±] (bryophyta biomass) | 48 Litter biom [g/m2] | 49 Std dev [±] (litter biomass) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Site A | 1981 | 5 | 15.12 | 5.03 | 40.10 | 10.75 | 0.57 | 0.44 | 3.80 | 2.93 | 8.81 | 1.26 | 33.30 | 5.66 | 0.510 | 0.510 | 3.40 | 3.40 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.15 | 0.14 | 0.28 | 0.27 | 0.08 | 0.05 | 0.08 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 2.26 | 1.05 | 26.10 | 11.52 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 27.65 | 10.46 | 107.36 | 8.99 | 18.59 | 9.42 | 78.68 | 25.38 |
Site A | 2005 | 4 | 24.18 | 2.20 | 58.65 | 9.02 | 2.17 | 0.40 | 16.38 | 3.49 | 17.25 | 1.90 | 49.15 | 8.21 | 0.410 | 0.200 | 2.07 | 0.83 | 0.54 | 0.22 | 1.03 | 1.08 | 0.41 | 0.10 | 0.95 | 0.20 | 0.42 | 0.04 | 0.76 | 0.14 | 0.39 | 0.37 | 6.44 | 2.44 | 47.22 | 17.64 | 0.34 | 0.10 | 0.85 | 0.32 | 52.55 | 6.91 | 177.62 | 38.00 | 81.48 | 17.54 | 91.69 | 18.86 |
Site B | 1981 | 5 | 9.77 | 4.28 | 42.38 | 19.40 | 2.43 | 1.12 | 19.23 | 10.60 | 7.99 | 2.25 | 26.90 | 8.43 | 0.380 | 0.190 | 2.09 | 0.89 | 0.95 | 0.47 | 2.46 | 1.26 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.10 | 0.08 | 0.61 | 0.33 | 0.61 | 0.33 | 0.44 | 0.25 | 2.33 | 1.33 | 25.02 | 14.27 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 24.95 | 5.18 | 119.26 | 27.53 | 28.15 | 9.03 | 146.21 | 39.56 | ||
Site B | 2005 | 6 | 44.34 | 7.76 | 111.35 | 15.25 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 11.22 | 2.92 | 27.83 | 7.04 | 0.000 | 0.00 | 0.41 | 0.36 | 0.80 | 0.67 | 0.07 | 0.04 | 0.22 | 0.12 | 1.17 | 0.33 | 1.87 | 0.57 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 6.31 | 3.72 | 22.26 | 12.91 | 7.21 | 3.55 | 12.43 | 5.26 | 70.76 | 9.47 | 176.78 | 20.49 | 223.98 | 86.90 | 76.17 | 27.86 | ||||
Site C | 1981 | 5 | 11.26 | 2.39 | 41.78 | 9.69 | 0.58 | 0.38 | 3.77 | 2.29 | 4.26 | 1.41 | 11.60 | 2.76 | 0.040 | 0.020 | 0.17 | 0.09 | 0.57 | 0.38 | 0.86 | 0.58 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 2.30 | 1.04 | 33.57 | 18.14 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 1.23 | 0.72 | 19.22 | 2.27 | 93.15 | 25.08 | 11.30 | 7.75 | 103.12 | 23.91 | ||
Site C | 2005 | 6 | 24.04 | 6.12 | 87.26 | 27.03 | 1.33 | 0.48 | 10.38 | 2.89 | 15.14 | 5.13 | 56.30 | 20.72 | 0.690 | 0.310 | 3.78 | 1.79 | 1.65 | 1.17 | 2.90 | 2.14 | 0.10 | 0.07 | 0.22 | 0.14 | 0.64 | 0.14 | 1.21 | 0.30 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 8.18 | 3.47 | 58.20 | 23.79 | 0.34 | 0.10 | 2.36 | 2.32 | 52.69 | 9.06 | 222.67 | 33.83 | 121.18 | 41.99 | 97.12 | 26.69 |
Site D | 1981 | 5 | 13.79 | 3.67 | 51.12 | 13.32 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.60 | 0.60 | 1.57 | 1.23 | 5.90 | 5.02 | 0.000 | 0.00 | 1.10 | 1.09 | 1.37 | 1.34 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.04 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.12 | 0.08 | 5.28 | 3.37 | 61.19 | 42.47 | 6.12 | 1.74 | 37.29 | 13.82 | 28.24 | 2.28 | 157.74 | 51.62 | 47.72 | 14.71 | 160.56 | 41.22 | ||
Site D | 2005 | 6 | 25.50 | 4.44 | 57.78 | 9.99 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 14.48 | 3.66 | 29.62 | 6.18 | 0.000 | 0.00 | 1.76 | 1.26 | 2.61 | 1.60 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 2.41 | 1.07 | 4.16 | 1.99 | 8.07 | 1.64 | 14.26 | 4.37 | 39.75 | 13.19 | 17.50 | 4.95 | 44.66 | 8.58 | 83.98 | 12.10 | 186.66 | 26.08 | 128.81 | 36.65 | 49.67 | 15.83 | ||||
Site E | 1981 | 5 | 18.05 | 5.77 | 41.50 | 12.02 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.35 | 0.25 | 0.68 | 0.47 | 0.000 | 0.00 | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.59 | 0.59 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.88 | 0.37 | 1.98 | 0.83 | 1.82 | 0.94 | 7.34 | 2.27 | 21.58 | 6.97 | 52.12 | 13.93 | 156.23 | 66.04 | 53.43 | 12.71 | |||||||
Site E | 2005 | 6 | 43.47 | 4.27 | 152.43 | 13.44 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.09 | 0.37 | 5.12 | 1.75 | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.51 | 0.18 | 1.19 | 0.39 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 5.29 | 1.32 | 27.01 | 8.17 | 50.42 | 3.42 | 186.04 | 11.07 | 31.49 | 23.07 | 360.00 | 76.57 | |||||
Average Site | 1981 | 25 | 13.59 | 9.71 | 43.37 | 5.56 | 0.75 | 0.29 | 5.48 | 2.51 | 4.60 | 0.90 | 15.68 | 3.32 | 0.190 | 0.110 | 1.13 | 0.70 | 0.62 | 0.25 | 1.06 | 0.40 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.10 | 0.06 | 0.17 | 0.08 | 0.17 | 0.08 | 0.14 | 0.06 | 2.61 | 0.77 | 29.57 | 9.87 | 1.61 | 0.60 | 9.22 | 3.88 | 24.33 | 3.80 | 105.93 | 12.92 | 52.40 | 16.70 | 108.40 | 14.90 |
Average Site | 2005 | 28 | 32.88 | 2.97 | 95.98 | 9.87 | 0.60 | 0.19 | 4.56 | 1.42 | 11.45 | 1.79 | 32.49 | 5.82 | 0.210 | 0.090 | 1.12 | 0.48 | 1.00 | 0.37 | 1.75 | 0.58 | 0.10 | 0.03 | 0.23 | 0.07 | 0.97 | 0.28 | 1.68 | 0.50 | 1.80 | 0.71 | 7.08 | 1.64 | 32.53 | 7.54 | 6.66 | 1.74 | 18.65 | 4.11 | 62.76 | 3.59 | 190.83 | 12.20 | 111.95 | 24.60 | 138.02 | 28.55 |