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dc.contributor.authorBoonstra, Rudy
dc.contributor.authorAndreassen, Harry Peter
dc.contributor.authorBoutin, Stan
dc.contributor.authorHusek, Jan
dc.contributor.authorIms, Rolf Anker
dc.contributor.authorKrebs, Charles J.
dc.contributor.authorSkarpe, Christina
dc.contributor.authorWabakken, Petter
dc.date.accessioned2022-04-27T08:07:30Z
dc.date.available2022-04-27T08:07:30Z
dc.date.issued2016-07-20
dc.description.abstractThe boreal forest is one of the largest terrestrial biomes on Earth. Conifers normally dominate the tree layer across the biome, but other aspects of ecosystem structure and dynamics vary geographically. The cause of the conspicuous differences in the understory vegetation and the herbivore–predator cycles between northwestern Europe and western North America presents an enigma. Ericaceous dwarf shrubs and 3– to 4-year vole–mustelid cycles characterize the European boreal forests, whereas tall deciduous shrubs and 10-year snowshoe hare–lynx cycles characterize the North American ones. We discuss plausible explanations for this difference and conclude that it is bottom-up: Winter climate is the key determinant of the dominant understory vegetation that then determines the herbivore–predator food-web interactions. The crucial unknown for the twenty-first century is how climate change and increasing instability will affect these forests, both with respect to the dynamics of individual plant and animal species and to their community interactions.en_US
dc.identifier.citationBoonstra R, Andreassen HP, Boutin S, Husek J, Ims RA, Krebs CJ, Skarpe C, Wabakken P. Why do the boreal forest ecosystems of Northwestern Europe differ from those of Western North America?. BioScience. 2016;66(9):722-734en_US
dc.identifier.cristinIDFRIDAID 1394593
dc.identifier.doi10.1093/biosci/biw080
dc.identifier.issn0006-3568
dc.identifier.issn1525-3244
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10037/24901
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherOxford University Pressen_US
dc.relation.journalBioScience
dc.relation.urihttp://bioscience.oxfordjournals.org/content/66/9/722.full.pdf+html
dc.rights.accessRightsopenAccessen_US
dc.rights.holderCopyright 2016 The Author(s)en_US
dc.titleWhy do the boreal forest ecosystems of Northwestern Europe differ from those of Western North America?en_US
dc.type.versionpublishedVersionen_US
dc.typeJournal articleen_US
dc.typeTidsskriftartikkelen_US
dc.typePeer revieweden_US


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