With a warming climate, northern ecosystems will face significant ecological changes such as permafrost thaw, increased frequency of forest fires, and shifting ecosystem boundaries including the spread of canopy-forming shrubs into tundra communities. A growing number of observations show increases in canopy-forming shrubs at sites around the circumpolar Arctic, which could cause major modifications to the diversity and functioning of tundra ecosystems. In this study of changes in willow ( Salix spp.) cover and abundance in tundra ecosystems of the Yukon Territory, I found evidence that canopy-forming willow patches have expanded and canopy heights have increased on Herschel Island and that willows have advanced upslope to extend their [...]
