Siberian Arctic Field Research Notes

Why the Siberian Arctic?

• Field research opportunity in the Siberian Arctic.

The Arctic Region

• Map of the Arctic region showing various locations including: North Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Alaska, Hudson Bay, Baffin Bay, Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, Arctic Ocean, Greenland Sea, Norwegian Sea, and Barents Sea.
• Key locations mentioned: Kodiak, Bethel, Juneau, Whitehorse, Dawson, Watson Lake, Hay River, Yellowknife, Anchorage, Valdez, Fairbanks, Prudhoe Bay, Inuvik, Cambridge Bay, Kangiqtiniq, Kaujuitoq, Iqaluit, Provideniya, Anadyr', Magadan, Okhotsk, Nome, Arctic Circle, Oymyakon, Cherskiy, Pevek, Wrangel Island, Yakutsk, Barrow, Tiksi, Dikson, Noril'sk, Murmansk, Tromsø, Arkhangel'sk, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Moscow
• Temperature data for Verkhoyansk, Russia:
  • Presents high and low temperatures across the months.
  • Lowest temperatures recorded in January and February (below $-30°C$).
  • Highest temperatures in June, July, and August (around $10°C$ to $20°C$).
• Arctic region definition: Area where the average temperature for the warmest month is below $10°C$.

Forest and Tundra

• Transition from larch forests to tundra in the Arctic region.
• Arctic Ocean Photo of Duvany Yar Yedoma Exposure: Nikita Zimov
• Larch forests develop on top of ice-rich “yedoma” permafrost
• Various classifications:
  • Broadleaf Needleleaf.
  • Evergreen Needleleaf Deciduous.
  • Mixed leaf Flooded tree.
  • Forest Mosaic Burned Forest Evergreen Shrub Deciduous Shrub.
  • Herbaceous closed-open Sparse herbaceous - shrub Flooded herbaceous-shrub.
  • Other.
• Permafrost Extent
  • Continuous.
  • Discontinuous.

Carbon Stocks in Arctic Terrestrial Ecosystems

• Arctic terrestrial ecosystems store approximately one-half of all terrestrial carbon stocks.
• Siberia stores 1,900 Pg of carbon in the top three meters of soil.
• https://www.borealbirds.org/announcements/carbon-world-forgot
• https://arctic.noaa.gov/Report-Card/Report-Card-
  2019/ArtMID/7916/ArticleID/844/Permafrost-and-the-
  Global-Carbon-Cycle

Wildfires and Forest Recovery

• Gray areas:
  • Larch forest underlain by continuous permafrost.
• Red areas:
  • Fire activity from 2000 – 2013 (approximately 300,000 $km^2$).

Wildfire Occurence and Recovery

• Occurence:
  • Wildfire occurs.
• Wind-Dispersed Seeds:
  • From Nearby Unburned Trees Provide Propagules for Recovery.
• Trees Recruit:
  • In Relatively Even-Aged Cohort.
• Trees Mature:
  • With Little Additional Recruitment.

Impacts of Increased Burned Area

• Increased burned area in eastern Siberian taiga and tundra regions.
• Increased greenhouse gas emissions.
• Increased forest loss.
• Decreased permafrost stability.

Why are these Fires Happening?

• Global temperature anomalies in 2019 compared to the mid-20th century show significant warming in the Arctic region.
• Much of Russia experienced $+3°C$ or more warming.
• Nearly 300 wildfires in Siberia amid record warm weather in July 2020.
• https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/01/15/climate/hottest-year-2019.html

Warming in the Arctic

• Polar amplification: Temperatures rise, ice disappears, darker ocean water absorbs more heat creating positive feedback loop.
• Arctic sea ice melts in areas such as Russia, Alaska, Beaufort Sea, and Greenland.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw7GfNR5PLA

Why Should We Care About Fires in Siberia?

• Siberian smoke travels 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean, affecting the U.S. and Canada, causing hazy sunsets.
• NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) data shows smoke from Siberia wildfires over the Pacific Northwest.
• Summer 2020's Arctic wildfires set new emission records.
• Raging forest fires could accelerate melting of ice in the Arctic.
• CBS News warns of the climate threat posed by Siberia wildfires.

Research Focus

• Our Research Focuses on Understanding Factors Limiting Forest Recovery.
• Seed availability.
• Seedbed conditions.
• Seed predation.
• Cajander larch forest.