A proxy-year analysis shows reduced soil temperatures with climate warming in boreal forest.

ABSTRACT: Scientists unequivocally agree that winter air temperature (T_A) in northern high latitudes will increase sharply with anthropogenic climate change, and that such increases are already pervasive. However, contrasting hypotheses and results exist regarding the magnitude and even direction of changes in winter soil temperature (T_S). Here we use field and satellite data to examine the 'cold soil in a warm world' hypothesis for the first time in the boreal forest using a proxy year approach. In a proxy warm year with a mean annual temperature similar to that predicted for ~2080, average winter T_S was reduced relative to the baseline year by 0.43 to 1.22 ^°C in open to forested sites. Similarly, average minimum and maximum winter T_S declined,

SUBMITTER: Halim MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6237965 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature