Stand Biomass at Treeline Ecotone in Russian Subarctic Mountains Is Primarily Related to Species Composition but Its Dynamics Driven by Improvement of Climatic Conditions

Recent climate improvements have significantly boosted tree growth and establishment at the forest-tundra transition on Russia's Putorana Plateau, leading to a substantial accumulation of aboveground biomass. Over the 20th century, stand biomass increased exponentially, with 621–748 tons per km of treeline length added due to warmer early summers and increased winter precipitation. While regional biomass patterns are primarily shaped by species composition—dictated by macroclimatic factors like continentality and snowpack depth—the study reveals that recent biomass dynamics are driven by climatic improvements, highlighting the complex interplay between species adaptation and environmental change in subarctic ecosystems.

Moiseev, P. A., Hagedorn, F., Balakin, D. S., Bubnov, M. O., Devi, N. M., Kukarskih, V. V., Mazepa, V. S., Viyukhin, S. O., Viyukhina, A. A., & Grigoriev, A. A. (2022). Stand Biomass at Treeline Ecotone in Russian Subarctic Mountains Is Primarily Related to Species Composition but Its Dynamics Driven by Improvement of Climatic Conditions. Forests, 13(2), 254. https://doi.org/10.3390/f13020254