Surface ultraviolet-B radiation and atmospheric CO2 concentrations have increased as a result of ozone depletion and burning of fossil fuels1, 2. The effects are likely to be most apparent in polar regions3 where ozone ...

Stark and Hart question our finding that increased UV-B irradiation affects the biomass C:N ratio of Arctic soil microbial communities. Our data for microbial carbon biomass (Cmic; 1.0–3.1 mg per g soil) and nitrogen (Nmic; ...

Although hemiparasitic plants have a number of roles in shaping the structure and composition of plant communities, the impact of this group on ecosystem processes, such as decomposition and nutrient cycling, has been ...

While there is considerable knowledge of the effects of enhanced levelsof ultraviolet radiation (UV) on plant species, much less is known of theimportance of ambient levels of solar UV, particularly on natural plantcommunities. ...

1 The responses of sub-Arctic heathland vegetation to enhanced UV-B radiation and increased summer precipitation over 7 years were investigated in a field experiment in northern Sweden. 2 Growth, phenology and reproduction ...

Macrolichens are important for the functioning and biodiversity of cold northern ecosystems and their reindeer-based cultures and economies. 2We hypothesized that, in climatically milder parts of the Arctic, where ecosystems ...

1. Herbivory and litter decomposition are key controllers of ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling. We hypothesized that foliar defences of plant species against vertebrate herbivores would reduce leaf digestibility and ...

We investigated the effects of long-term (7-yr) in situ CO2 enrichment (600 µmol/mol) and increased exposure to UV-B radiation, the latter an important component of global change at high latitudes, on the ice nucleation ...