Rising temperatures will lead to a massive
"greening" of the Arctic by mid-century, as a result of marked
increases in plant cover, according to research supported by the National
Science Foundation (NSF) as part of its International Polar Year (IPY)
portfolio.
The greening not only will have effects on plant life, the
researchers noted, but also on the wildlife that depends on vegetation for
cover. The greening could also have a multiplier effect on warming, as dark
vegetation absorbs more solar radiation than ice, which reflects sunlight.