Spatiotemporal distribution of threatened high-latitude snowbed and snow patch habitats in warming climate
We studied the interannual variation of late summer snow covered area (SCA), i.e. snowbeds and permanent snow patches, in northern Finland and analyzed the role of topographical factors and climatic conditions on the recent and future occurrence of summer snow. SCA for the years 2000, 2004, 2006 and...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2012-01-01
|
| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/3/034024 |
| _version_ | 1797748529389633536 |
|---|---|
| author | Sonja Kivinen Elina Kaarlejärvi Kirsti Jylhä Jouni Räisänen |
| author_facet | Sonja Kivinen Elina Kaarlejärvi Kirsti Jylhä Jouni Räisänen |
| author_sort | Sonja Kivinen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We studied the interannual variation of late summer snow covered area (SCA), i.e. snowbeds and permanent snow patches, in northern Finland and analyzed the role of topographical factors and climatic conditions on the recent and future occurrence of summer snow. SCA for the years 2000, 2004, 2006 and 2009 was derived from Landsat images using a normalized difference snow index (NDSI). Late summer SCA varied notably between the years (1.5–23.0 km ^2 ). A major part of the late summer snow was located above 900–1000 m and on northern and eastern slopes. A generalized additive model (GAM) showed that the number of years with snow present in 1 km grid squares was strongly positively related to altitude and terrain ruggedness. Parallel examination of interannual variation of SCA and climatic conditions showed that snow cover declines were linked to relatively low snowfall-to-rainfall ratios. Annual mean air temperatures, particularly spring and early winter temperatures, showed increasing trends during the study period. Projected increases in air temperatures and rainfall suggest earlier and more efficient snow melt in the future. This may threaten the occurrence of species and communities related to snowbeds and decrease the β-diversity of the landscape, and could also affect ecosystem services of the region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:06:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f1a261f3b4cb46cdb0638d80d946bced |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:06:05Z |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-f1a261f3b4cb46cdb0638d80d946bced2023-08-09T14:21:45ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262012-01-017303402410.1088/1748-9326/7/3/034024Spatiotemporal distribution of threatened high-latitude snowbed and snow patch habitats in warming climateSonja Kivinen0Elina Kaarlejärvi1Kirsti Jylhä2Jouni Räisänen3Department of Geography, University of Oulu , PO Box 3000, FI-90014 University of Oulu, FinlandDepartment of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University , SE-90187 Umeå, SwedenFinnish Meteorological Institute, Climate Change , PO Box 503, FI-00101 Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Physics, University of Helsinki , PO Box 48, FI-00014, FinlandWe studied the interannual variation of late summer snow covered area (SCA), i.e. snowbeds and permanent snow patches, in northern Finland and analyzed the role of topographical factors and climatic conditions on the recent and future occurrence of summer snow. SCA for the years 2000, 2004, 2006 and 2009 was derived from Landsat images using a normalized difference snow index (NDSI). Late summer SCA varied notably between the years (1.5–23.0 km ^2 ). A major part of the late summer snow was located above 900–1000 m and on northern and eastern slopes. A generalized additive model (GAM) showed that the number of years with snow present in 1 km grid squares was strongly positively related to altitude and terrain ruggedness. Parallel examination of interannual variation of SCA and climatic conditions showed that snow cover declines were linked to relatively low snowfall-to-rainfall ratios. Annual mean air temperatures, particularly spring and early winter temperatures, showed increasing trends during the study period. Projected increases in air temperatures and rainfall suggest earlier and more efficient snow melt in the future. This may threaten the occurrence of species and communities related to snowbeds and decrease the β-diversity of the landscape, and could also affect ecosystem services of the region.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/3/034024climate warminghigh-latitude regionsremote sensingsnowthreatened habitats |
| spellingShingle | Sonja Kivinen Elina Kaarlejärvi Kirsti Jylhä Jouni Räisänen Spatiotemporal distribution of threatened high-latitude snowbed and snow patch habitats in warming climate Environmental Research Letters climate warming high-latitude regions remote sensing snow threatened habitats |
| title | Spatiotemporal distribution of threatened high-latitude snowbed and snow patch habitats in warming climate |
| title_full | Spatiotemporal distribution of threatened high-latitude snowbed and snow patch habitats in warming climate |
| title_fullStr | Spatiotemporal distribution of threatened high-latitude snowbed and snow patch habitats in warming climate |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatiotemporal distribution of threatened high-latitude snowbed and snow patch habitats in warming climate |
| title_short | Spatiotemporal distribution of threatened high-latitude snowbed and snow patch habitats in warming climate |
| title_sort | spatiotemporal distribution of threatened high latitude snowbed and snow patch habitats in warming climate |
| topic | climate warming high-latitude regions remote sensing snow threatened habitats |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/3/034024 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sonjakivinen spatiotemporaldistributionofthreatenedhighlatitudesnowbedandsnowpatchhabitatsinwarmingclimate AT elinakaarlejarvi spatiotemporaldistributionofthreatenedhighlatitudesnowbedandsnowpatchhabitatsinwarmingclimate AT kirstijylha spatiotemporaldistributionofthreatenedhighlatitudesnowbedandsnowpatchhabitatsinwarmingclimate AT jouniraisanen spatiotemporaldistributionofthreatenedhighlatitudesnowbedandsnowpatchhabitatsinwarmingclimate |