Fig. 1: Locations of documented pan-Arctic riparian tall shrub expansion and schematic representation of the relationship between hydrology, permafrost, vegetation, and soils.
From: Arctic riparian shrub expansion indicates a shift from streams gaining water to those that lose flow
Riparian corridors (a) have primarily seen an expansion of tall (>1.5 m) shrubs across the Arctic region (b) in recent decades. Ice-rich permafrost thaw results in ground subsidence and exposure of mineral soil (c) that promote seed-based shrub recruitment. A schematic representation of the hydrology, permafrost, vegetation, and soil system where losing streams (discharge decrease downstream) have unlike gaining streams (discharge increase downstream), tall shrub cover, no near-surface permafrost, and an underlying talik (d). Field measurements were made near Toolik, Northern Alaska (b). Permafrost map (b) from ref. 86.
