Sammendrag
The reduction of cold temperature constraints on photosynthesis in recent decades has led to extended
growing seasons and increased plant productivity (greening) in significant parts of Polar, Arctic and
Boreal regions, here called northern lands. However, most territories within these regions display
stable productivity in recent years. Smaller portions of Arctic and Boreal regions show reduced
productivity (browning). Summer drought and wildfires are the best documented drivers causing
browning of continental areas. Yet factors like winter warming events dampening the greening effect
of more maritime regions have remained elusive, least monitored and least understood. ANorway-US
network project called ArcticBiomass was launched in 2013 to further reveal both positive and
negative effects of climate change on biomass in Arctic and Boreal regions. This focus collection
named Focus on Recent, Present and Future Arctic and Boreal Productivity and Biomass Changes includes
24 articles and is an important outcome of this work and addresses recent changes in phenology,
biomass and productivity and the mechanisms. These mechanisms include former human
interactions (legacies) and drivers that control such changes (both greening and browning), along with
consequences for local, regional and global scale processes.Wecomplete our synthesis by stressing
remaining challenges and knowledge gaps, and provide an outlook on future needs and research
questions in the study of climate and human driven interactions in terrestrial Arctic and Boreal
ecosystems.
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