Browning events in Arctic ecosystems: Diverse causes with common consequences

Arctic ecosystems are experiencing extreme climatic, biotic and physical disturbance events that can cause substantial loss of plant biomass and productivity, sometimes at scales of >1000 km 2 . Collectively known as browning events, these are key contributors to the spatial and temporal complexity of Arctic greening and vegetation dynamics. If we are to properly understand the future of Arctic terrestrial ecosystems, their productivity, and their feedbacks to climate, understanding browning events is essential. Here we bring together understanding of browning events in Arctic ecosystems to compare their impacts and rates of recovery, and likely future changes in frequency and distribution. We also seek commonalities in impacts across these contrasting event types. We find that while browning events can cause high levels of plant damage (up to 100% mortality), ecosystems have substantial capacity for recovery, with biomass largely re-established within five years for many events. We also find that despite the substantial loss of leaf area of dominant species, compensatory mechanisms such as increased productivity of undamaged subordinate species lessen the impacts on carbon sequestration. These commonalities hold true for most climatic and biotic events, but less so for physical events such as fire and abrupt permafrost thaw, due to the greater removal of vegetation. Counterintuitively, some events also provide conditions for greater productivity (greening) in the longer-term, particularly where the disturbance exposes ground for plant colonisation. Finally, we find that projected changes in the causes of browning events currently suggest many types of events will become more frequent, with events of tundra fire and abrupt permafrost thaw expected to be the greatest contributors to future browning due to their severe impacts and occurrence in many Arctic regions. Overall, browning events will have increasingly important consequences for ecosystem structure and function, and for feedback to climate.

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Publication Details

Journal
PLOS Climate
Published
2025-01-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000570
Citations
9
Primary Topic
Climate change and permafrost
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
11.71

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article

Browning events in Arctic ecosystems: Diverse causes with common consequences

Rachael Treharne, Howard E. Epstein, Frans‐Jan W. Parmentier, Casper T. Christiansen et al.
9 citations
PLOS Climate
Climate change and permafrost
11.71
article

Browning events in Arctic ecosystems: Diverse causes with common consequences

Rachael Treharne, Howard E. Epstein, Frans‐Jan W. Parmentier, Casper T. Christiansen, Thomas C. Parker, Carolina Voigt, Johan Olofsson, Robert G. Björk, Andrew M. Cunliffe, Gareth K. Phoenix, Terry V. Callaghan, Scott J. Davidson, Hans Tømmervik, Frøde Stordal, Daan Blok, Isla H. Myers‐Smith, Anders Bryn, Andrew Martin, Michael Mark Loranty, Jarle W. Bjerke
article en
9 citations

Abstract

Arctic ecosystems are experiencing extreme climatic, biotic and physical disturbance events that can cause substantial loss of plant biomass and productivity, sometimes at scales of >1000 km 2 . Collectively known as browning events, these are key contributors to the spatial and temporal complexity of Arctic greening and vegetation dynamics. If we are to properly understand the future of Arctic terrestrial ecosystems, their productivity, and their feedbacks to climate, understanding browning events is essential. Here we bring together understanding of browning events in Arctic ecosystems to compare their impacts and rates of recovery, and likely future changes in frequency and distribution. We also seek commonalities in impacts across these contrasting event types. We find that while browning events can cause high levels of plant damage (up to 100% mortality), ecosystems have substantial capacity for recovery, with biomass largely re-established within five years for many events. We also find that despite the substantial loss of leaf area of dominant species, compensatory mechanisms such as increased productivity of undamaged subordinate species lessen the impacts on carbon sequestration. These commonalities hold true for most climatic and biotic events, but less so for physical events such as fire and abrupt permafrost thaw, due to the greater removal of vegetation. Counterintuitively, some events also provide conditions for greater productivity (greening) in the longer-term, particularly where the disturbance exposes ground for plant colonisation. Finally, we find that projected changes in the causes of browning events currently suggest many types of events will become more frequent, with events of tundra fire and abrupt permafrost thaw expected to be the greatest contributors to future browning due to their severe impacts and occurrence in many Arctic regions. Overall, browning events will have increasingly important consequences for ecosystem structure and function, and for feedback to climate.

PLOS ClimateVol. 4(1)
University of Copenhagen (DK), Woodwell Climate Research Center (US), University of British Columbia (CA), Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (NL), James Hutton Institute (GB), Universität Hamburg (DE), University of Eastern Finland (FI), University of Oslo (NO), National Research Tomsk State University (RU), University of Exeter (GB), Dutch Research Council (NL), Colgate University (US), University of Oxford (GB), Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NO), The FRAM Centre (NO), University of Virginia (US), UiT The Arctic University of Norway (NO), University of Gothenburg (SE), University of Plymouth (GB), Umeå University (SE), University of Sheffield (GB), University of Edinburgh (GB)
National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Sight Research UK, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, Vetenskapsrådet, Norges Forskningsråd, Framsenteret, Natural Environment Research Council, Horizon 2020
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Climate change and permafrost
11.71
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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