How climate change is affecting the transitional natural zones of the Northern and Arctic regions of Russia

• Published in: Polar science 2021-09, Vol.29, p.100652, Article 100652
• Main Authors: Vinogradova, Vera, Titkova, Tatyana, Zolotokrylin, Alexander
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Climate change; Discomfort; Environmental conditions of human life; Landscape; NDVI
• ISSN: 1873-9652; 1876-4428
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polar.2021.100652

Continued global warming and the increase in climate extremes have mostly been identified in Northern and Arctic areas of Russia. Investigation of natural and climatic conditions in these regions was conducted using the method of zoning that is based on the environmental conditions of human life. This method estimates the relatively slowly changing landscape component and the rapidly changing climate component of the discomfort. Transitional natural zones represent an open system for the impact of climatic changes. A positive trend in the number of active temperatures and a negative precipitation trend was observed in these regions. At present, the climate conditions of some areas in the tundra, forest-tundra, and northern taiga correspond to the more southerly landscape zones. This situation is conducive to changes in the landscape vegetation and could lead to a shift in the transitional landscape zone borders towards higher latitudes. The relevancy of the study results is that they help to establish the potential consequences of climate change for landscape structures, as well as for the environment and the population of the Northern and Arctic areas. They can be used for developing the regulatory documents that govern the population's life in the Northern and Arctic areas.