Arctic Tundra Vegetation Dynamics under Changing Environmental Conditions

Abstract

The Arctic is a system with strong interconnectedness among components and now is experiencing dramatic alterations due to climate change. With amplified climate warming and greater accessibility to the Arctic, anthropogenic factors such as industrial development, climate change, and animal husbandry have become increasingly important to arctic ecosystems. The objective of this dissertation is to use a vegetation model and remote sensing to better understand the dynamics of the arctic tundra biome in a chaning environment with emphasis on the effects of climate, soils, grazing and land use.