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Record snows in parts of Greenland prevented many plants and animals from breeding, according to a new study.
These days, the Arctic is usually in the news for extreme heat and melting ice. But last winter, the region was buried by extreme snowfall, and new research suggests the deep drifts thwarted the reproductive success of plants and animals in northeast Greenland.
Scientists at the Zackenberg Research Station
have been studying plants and animals in Northeast Greenland National Park for the last 20 years, which allowed them to compare this year's breeding season patterns -- which followed record snows -- to those that came before.
Because
the thick blanket of snow in the region failed to melt by summer, many plants and animals were prevented from breeding.
Most studies have focused on long-term climate and ecological changes in the region, but climate models suggest that the Arctic is likely to experience short-term volatility and extreme weather, in addition to rising air and water temperatures.
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