Aspen Bibliography
Herbivory-mediated responses of selected boreal forests to climatic change
Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Climatic Change
Volume
48
Issue
2-3
First Page
427
Last Page
440
Publication Date
2001
Abstract
Recent efforts to project vegetationresponses to climatic warming have emphasized thetight linkages between climate and vegetationdistribution. Here we provide several examplesindicating that the direct effects of climatic warmingon boreal vegetation can be qualitatively differentthan the indirect effects mediated by climaticresponses of herbivores. These herbivore-mediatedvegetation responses to climatic warming will likelyvary regionally. In southern Fennoscandia, we projectthat the climatically induced changes in animalpopulations should enhance the density of spruce atthe expense of pine and broadleafed trees. In northernFennoscandia we project reduced herbivory onbroadleafed trees and increased herbivory on pine,leading to an increase in broadleafed trees and spruceand a reduction in pine. Climatic warming in interiorAlaska may reduce herbivory on broadleafed trees andincrease herbivory on evergreen spruce, thusreinforcing the impact of increased fire frequency.
Recommended Citation
Niemelä, P., Chapin, F.S., Danell, K. et al. Herbivory-Mediated Responses of Selected Boreal Forests to Climatic Change. Climatic Change 48, 427–440 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010787714349