Living and nonliving factors that influence the types of vegetation that grow at different elevations in the Arctic tundra also regulate the types of bacteria that grow in the soil. The distribution ...

Traditional models of nutrient cycling assume that soil microorganisms must decompose organic matter, releasing inorganic N, to make N available to plants. Several lines of evidence have raised doubts ...

Abiotic factors are considered strong drivers of species distribution and assemblages. Yet these spatial patterns are also influenced by biotic interactions. Accounting for competitors or facilitators ...

Climate warming reduces the number of plant species in the tundra, but plant-eating animals, such as reindeer and voles, can turn this negative effect into something positive. The results of a study ...

A muskox stands amid Greenland's arctic tundra. Large herbivores have been found to play a critical role in maintaining tundra biodiversity. (Eric Post/UC Davis) Being common is rather unusual. It’s ...

Year after year, the tundra covering the landscape of the far north has pulled carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Tiny plants absorb it during the intense summers, when they bloom in ...

One of the consequences of a warmer climate can be that lowland and southern plants migrate higher up in the mountains. Ecologists now show that reindeer, voles and hare can prevent these invasions.

From rising oceans to species extinction, climate change is affecting our world in numerous ways. Now, an international team of researchers has revealed the wide-ranging impact that the changing ...

Climate warming reduces the number of plant species in the tundra, but plant-eating animals, such as reindeer and voles, can turn this negative effect into something positive. Climate warming reduces ...