According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Earth is warming at double the temperature of the rest of the planet, causing droughts, wildfires, and thawing permafrost, and plants in the Arctic play large roles in the energy transition between the world’s surface and the atmosphere.

“The Arctic is warming up at more than twice the rate of the global average, leading to thawing permafrost and melting glaciers regionally,” the study said.

“Globally, this warming is reflected in long-time Arctic effects, for instance, cold damage in ecosystems in East Asia.” However,”says the study published in the proceedings of the National Academy of Scienced Colours…” Arctic plants do not receive nearly as much attention as glaciers and grassland, which play a similar role in energy transfer.

“This is a highly relevant question, since the region has great significance for the climate,” said the study.

“The Arctic is warming up at greater than twice the rate of the global average, resulting in thawing permafrost and melting glaciers regionally.” The study determined that plants play “key role” in the transport of energy in the Arctic, but are not reflected in climate models.

(Meanwhile, scientists are trying to figure out how much of a threat climate change poses to humans.)

Arctic

READ MORE:  Melting glaciers help cause Alaska earthquakes

The Arctic is a polar region located at the northermost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada, Denmark , Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia , (wikipedia)

Climate change in the Arctic

Major environmental issues caused by contemporary climate change in the Arctic region range from the well-known, such as the loss of sea ice or melting of the Greenland ice sheet, to more obscure, (wikipedia)