Arctic tundra becoming source of carbon dioxide emissions

Transcript

Intro

0:00

[Music]

Changing ecosystem

0:06

The Arctic is an ecosystem in transition,

0:09

and adaptation to a warmer Arctic

0:12

is essential to the survival and resilience

0:14

of its plants and wildlife,

0:16

and the well-being of the communities that depend on them.

Arctic tundra

0:20

Transformation is especially clear on the Arctic tundra.

0:24

The tundra has absorbed

0:25

and stored carbon in frozen soil for millennia,

Wildfires and carbon dioxide

0:29

but wildfires across warming permafrost regions

0:32

are increasing and tipping the scales,

0:35

resulting in the release of carbon back into the atmosphere,

0:39

accelerating human-caused climate change.

Sea ice

0:43

Another of the region’s most defining characteristics,

0:46

sea ice, has served as a bellwether of the Arctic’s shift

0:50

to a new environmental state,

0:52

particularly over the last two decades.

Surface air temperature

0:56

And, Arctic surface air temperatures continue to rise,

1:00

with 2024 being the second warmest year on record.

1:04

In August, record-breaking heat waves

1:06

baked Northern Alaskan and Canadian communities.

1:10

But these changes aren’t uniform.

1:12

In the Eurasian Arctic,

Non-uniform changes

1:14

sea surface temperatures were unusually high,

1:17

while temperatures in the Pacific Arctic were much lower.

1:21

In parts of the Canadian Arctic and Siberia,

1:24

an extremely dry summer stood in stark contrast

1:28

to heavy precipitation over much of Alaska and Scandinavia.

1:32

And across the Arctic,

1:34

winter snow accumulation was above average,

1:37

but the length of the snow season

1:39

contrasted sharply by region.

1:42

For parts of the Canadian Arctic, a late onset of snow

1:45

and early spring melt resulted in the shortest snow season

1:49

in 26 years.

Seals

1:52

Despite challenges, the threatened ringed

1:55

seal populations in the Pacific Arctic region

1:58

are persevering, even though their primary food source,

2:01

Arctic cod, is becoming less available as ocean waters warm.

2:06

But as the sea ice, where females nurse their pups,

2:10

becomes less stable in spring and recedes earlier,

2:13

the seal’s future remains uncertain.

Migratory caribou

2:17

Unlike ice seals,

2:19

many North American migratory caribou

2:21

are facing severe population declines,

2:24

plummeting by 65% overall in recent decades.

2:29

Though small coastal caribou populations

2:31

have recently grown or remain stable,

2:34

rapid declines in large inland populations

2:37

are a serious concern for local communities.

2:40

The increase in freezing rain

2:42

and rain-on-snow events makes it difficult

2:45

for foraging caribou to access food,

2:47

and warmer temperatures allow taller shrubs

2:50

to crowd the lichen the caribou depend on.

Indigenous resilience and adaptability

2:54

As the Arctic warms,

2:55

Indigenous Peoples work to preserve

2:58

and evolve their cultural practices,

3:00

demonstrating resilience and adaptability

3:03

in the face of extreme environmental transformations.

Worldwide impacts

3:07

But Arctic changes have worldwide impacts,

3:10

and global attention is critical

3:12

to reduce risks into the future

3:14

and support successful adaptation

3:17

in the Arctic and beyond.

3:19

[Music]