Called “pop-up forests” forest by a New York Times blogger, areas of the Arctic Tundra are greening faster and faster as temperatures rise. What is worse, is that with the increase of vegetation, more sunlight is absorbed and contributes to the increase in temperatures.

Time Magazine reported on work done by  Finnish and British researchers. They worked in a large area of what is known as the northwestern Eurasian tundra between Siberia and Finland. From observations gleaned from local reindeer herders and satellite images, the researchers established that “8 to 15% of the territory willow and alder shrubs had grown into trees over 6.5 ft. (2 m) tall over the past 30 to 40 years.” This is significant as this is the time when temperatures in the Arctic have been increasing at a faster rate than other areas of the planet.

This research mirrors assumptions made by a study reported on last year by Science Daily. They wrote on a team who “analyzed 16 global climate models from 1950 to 2099 and combined it with more than 100 years of observational data” to examine how climate change may affect the Arctic’s ecosystem.  Their findings were very similar to what we are seeing now.

A concern shared by both teams is the vicious circle the Arctic faces of increased vegetation. Song Feng, lead author of the 2011 study said that “the expansion of forest may amplify global warming, because the newly forested areas can reduce the surface reflectivity, thereby further warming the Arctic.”

Time Magazine’s EcoCentric blog quoted lead author of the more recent study, Dr. Marc Macias-Fauria of Oxford University, speaking about how fast the greening is occurring:

It’s a big surprise that these plants are reacting in this way. Previously people had thought that the tundra might be colonized by trees from the boreal forest to the south as the Arctic climate warms, a process that would take centuries. But what we’ve found is that the shrubs that are already there are transforming intro trees in just a few decades.

This is important research that needs to be continued not only to examine and understand how ecosystems are rapidly adapting to climate change, but to also further understand the effects global warming has on the rest of the planet.

[Sources: Science Daily, TIME, New York Times]