Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Scheffer M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3535627 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Scheffer Marten M Hirota Marina M Holmgren Milena M Van Nes Egbert H EH Chapin F Stuart FS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20121210 52
Although the boreal region is warming twice as fast as the global average, the way in which the vast boreal forests and tundras may respond is poorly understood. Using satellite data, we reveal marked alternative modes in the frequency distributions of boreal tree cover. At the northern end and at the dry continental southern extremes, treeless tundra and steppe, respectively, are the only possible states. However, over a broad intermediate temperature range, these treeless states coexist with b ...[more]