Publication Date

4-2020

First Advisor

Robert Hollister

Abstract

Shrubs are expanding across the Arctic due to longer growing seasons and rapidly increasing air temperatures. Likewise, graminoid height is increasing. Changes in community composition may impact critical feedback loops and result in trophic cascades. Here, we analyzed vegetation cover change at a long-term research site in Atqasuk, Alaska. We compared cover across forty-eight, one-square-meter plots between 1997 and 2017. Shrubs and graminoids increased significantly over time, while bryophytes decreased over time. Other functional groups were inconsistent or showed no trend. We mapped the shrub and graminoid vegetation change in order to examine cover trends within the context of the surrounding landscape. Future studies may examine the shrub and graminoid change at Utqiagvik, AK.

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