"The Impact of One Degree of Warming: A Closer Look"

A study led by Northern Arizona University ecologist Andrew Richardson found that even slight increases in temperature in boreal forests can lead to a significant reduction in snowpack, resulting in increased plant stress, mortality, and potential fire risk. The research, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, used long-term warming experimental results to show that less snowpack leads to warmer air temperatures and more snowmelt, with implications for ecosystem functioning and climate modeling. The findings suggest that transitioning to low- or no-snow winters could have major negative impacts on northern ecosystems.