This paper published by NordBorN researchers in Frontiers in Environmental Science as part of the research topic Climate Change Impacts on Arctic Ecosystems and Associated Climate Feedbacks highlights the role of biota in feedback loops from tundra ecosystems to the atmosphere.
Ecosystem modelling has greatly improved or understanding of ongoing and future changes in the Arctic, but beyond vegetation and to some extent microbes, most ecosystem models still do not consider the influence of biotic components on feedback loops between biosphere and atmosphere. This article provides an overview of the influence of three key ecosystem compartments (vegetation, decomposers and herbivores) on three key feedback loops between tundra and atmosphere
(carbon dynamics, albedo and permafrost thaw). Including these dynamics
into ecosystem models will likely improve the magnitude, accuracy and credibility of model projections.
Reference: Schmidt, N.M., Barrio, I.C., Kristensen, J.A., López-Blanco, E. and Van Beest, F.M., 2024. Highlighting the role of biota in feedback loops from tundra ecosystems to the atmosphere. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 12, p.1491604. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1491604
Photo: diagram of feedback loops mediated by biota from tundra ecosystems to the atmosphere (credit: Niels Martin Schmidt)