Ladislav Mucina

Arctic vegetation is the visible surface expression of Arctic terrestrial systems. It is the key to monitoring and modeling changes to most components of the system, such as shrub distribution; greening patterns, plant and animal habitats and biodiversity, hydrological networks, and snow distribution, as well as the less visible aspects, such as permafrost, soil carbon stocks, and greenhouse-gas emissions.

Currently, there are no standardized approaches to sample, describe, map, and analyze circumpolar patterns of Arctic vegetation across a hierarchy of spatial scales and international boundaries. There is a need for a well-distributed Arctic vegetation observatory network and a set of internationally accepted protocols for sampling, data information systems, classifying, and mapping vegetation to aid in addressing priority research topics for the Fourth International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP IV) and the The Fifth International Polar Year (IPY5).

The Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Science Initiative (CAVSI) is a response to these needs and those expressed by ICARP IV Research Priority Team 1 (RPT 1) (Zhang and Rasouli 2025) and Research Priority Team 2 (RPT2) (Bret-Harte 2025), which focus on the role of the Arctic in the global system and observing, reconstructing, and predicting future Arctic climate dynamics and ecosystem responses. CAVSI is also a response to the recommendation by the Arctic Council for long-term biodiversity monitoring to address key gaps in Arctic-system knowledge (Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) 2013, Christiansen et al. 2020, Barry 2023). It aligns with several national and international Arctic research plans and policies that involve observation, monitoring, modeling, and prediction, including those of the United States (Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP) 2022, United States Army Reserve Command (USARC) 2023) and the international Sustaining Arctic Research Network (Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON), Starkweather et al. 2021).

This white paper provides a framework for vegetation description and monitoring. It includes: (1) a network of sites across the full range of Arctic climates, phytogeographic regions, local habitats, and disturbance regimes; (2) standardized methods to describe and monitor local floras, vegetation composition, and key environmental factors; (3) a pan-Arctic vegetation plot archive to store legacy and recent plot data; (4) a consistent hierarchical classification and checklist of Arctic vegetation; (5) an archive of Arctic vegetation and landcover maps; (6) applications and ideas for CAVSI IPY5 initiatives; (7) an 11-year timeline for CAVSI activities leading up to and including synthesis from IPY5 activities; and (8) recommendations for priority activities and research related to ICARP IV RPTs 1 and 2.