Amplified climate warming across the Arctic has led to increases in plant productivity, intensifying fire regimes, and permafrost thaw, among other consequences. These changes will alter the carbon cycle and energy balance enough to impact regional and global climate, thereby acting as feedbacks to anthropogenic climate change. Boreal forests in northeastern Siberia contain a unique combination of vegetation, fire, and permafrost dynamics that is unlike anywhere else in the pan-Arctic, and changing rapidly.

In this talk, Associate Professor of Geography, Mike Loranty, will provide an overview of key ecosystem changes related to wildfire and permafrost that are occurring in Siberian larch forests that draws upon a decade of research combining field and remote sensing observations. The results highlight how changing interactions between wildfire, vegetation dynamics, and permafrost create uncertainty around key Arctic climate feedbacks.

Lunch from Hamilton Whole Foods will be provided. Please come early and eat outside – eating will not be allowed during the talk. Food will be available at noon, the talk will begin at 12:15 PM.