NORKLIMA

Rapid changes are expected in the mountain forest and the forest-alpine transition zone due to global warming. Since steep temperature-productivity gradients characterize these marginal areas, two fundamental effects are expected: (1) an expansion of the forest by colonization of non-forested areas and migration of the alpine tree line; (2) increased growth of existing trees which will have a significant impact on carbon sequestration and future carbon pools. Continue reading

Detection of small single trees in the forest–tundra ecotone using height values from airborne laser scanning

Introduction

Alpine and arctic tree lines are expected to advance to higher altitudes and further north due to global warming. Changes in temperature, precipitation, and snow coverage will affect numerous ecosystems and their interaction and forest ecosystems are expected to be highly affected by increasing temperatures, particularly in boreal regions. Continue reading

Short and long term mapping of the effects of global climate change on forests

The research on the effects of global warming is very varied. Through projects carried out in cooperation with NASA and The Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute, INA is working to see if LIDAR can be used to discover short term changes in woody growth around the tree line in alpine areas. Continue reading