Background
The Arctic has warmed four times faster than the global average. In addition to warming, climate change alters precipitation patterns. Consequently, the amounts of nutrients and suspended solids draining from catchments to waterbodies will increase. Arctic freshwaters are one of the most vulnerable ecosystems in terms of biodiversity. Microbes, organisms invisible to the naked eye, are still relatively poorly understood in these waters. Microbes include specific algae, bacteria and fungi, among others, and their various functions are related to, for example, carbon and nutrient cycling, photosynthesis and decomposition.
Aims
This project brings much needed insights on microbial communities in Arctic freshwater ecosystems. Specifically, this research reveals how taxonomic diversity, community assembly, and various functions vary with climatic conditions, simultaneously acknowledging local environmental factors and catchment properties, within the Circum-Arctic region.
The project examines
- past changes using temporal, existing data,
- current patterns based on sampling in seven Circum-Arctic study areas and by employing molecular methods, and
- future trends by incorporating advanced statistical modelling and climate change scenarios.
The results help to understand what climate change means for biodiversity in Arctic freshwaters that have already gone through and will face even stronger changes in temperature, precipitation, and related factors. Understanding climate change impacts on microbial communities is vital as they regulate ecosystem processes and contribute to ecosystem services through their biodiversity and functions.
More information
Researcher Annika Vilmi, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), forename.surname@syke.fi
Freshwater microbes in the warming Arctic: Insights on diversity, community assembly and ecosystem functions (FRAMES) (research.fi)
