As the Arctic warms, vegetation is responding, and satellite measures indicate widespread greening at high latitudes. This ‘greening of the Arctic’ is among the world’s most important large-scale ecological responses to global climate change. However, a consensus is emerging that the underlying causes and future dynamics of so-called Arctic greening and browning trends are more complex, variable and inherently scale-dependent than previously thought. Here we summarize the complexities of observing and interpreting high-latitude greening to identify priorities for future research. Incorporating satellite and proximal remote sensing with in-situ data, while accounting for uncertainties and scale issues, will advance the study of past, present and future Arctic vegetation change.

随着北极变暖，植被正在响应，卫星测量表明在高纬度地区普遍进行了绿化。这种“北极绿化”是全球对全球气候变化最重要的大规模生态响应之一。但是，已经出现了一种共识，即所谓的北极绿化和褐化趋势的根本原因和未来动态比以前认为的更为复杂，易变且与比例有关。在这里，我们总结了观察和解释高纬度绿地以确定未来研究重点的复杂性。在考虑到不确定性和规模问题的同时，将卫星和近端遥感与原位数据相结合，将推动对过去，现在和未来北极植被变化的研究。