Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 08/27/2013 - 20:51
Forums
Arctic Sunlight and Microbial Interactions

Hi Mr.Taterka. I have been reading a lot about your research in the tundra, and I was wondering if the melting permafrost has other effects on the tundras ecosystem? What are the ecological changes taking place and how is the ecosystem adapting to the changes in the permafrost?

Annissa DeSilva

Wed, 08/28/2013 - 06:41

Anonymous

Anissa -
Good questions, and hard ones to answer. The thawing permafrost has some direct effects on the streams and the land where it's happening, and broader indirect effects from the release of carbon. There's a lot of ecological changes that could result, from changing habitats and food webs to changes in the chemistry of the air and water. How the ecosystem adapts will be a very interesting question, but we really don't know at this point. That's really the key question, and one that scientists are working on now but don't have clear answer to.
- Mr. T