Proactive Tundra Conservation Strategy for a Rapidly Changing Arctic

Warming induced forest expansion, permafrost thaw, and human activities are major drivers affecting the biodiversity and ecosystem functions of the Arctic tundra. While the pace of climate warming is fastest in the Arctic, some important stressors, like forest expansion, seem relatively slow. The slow response might provide the opportunity to safeguard Arctic biodiversity and ecosystem function via a strategic and conservation action, taking future dynamics into account. This strategy requires a comprehensive synthesis of how these pressures may threaten the tundra’s unique biodiversity, its ecosystem functions and services, including its global climate-regulating role, and the sustainability of Indigenous land use. Developing an effective conservation strategy also requires knowledge of past and projected changes across the tundra and a well-coordinated communication process between scientists, Indigenous people and local communities, and further stakeholders. Here, we outline the essential knowledge base and implementation pathways needed to prioritize areas for protection in such a rapidly changing environment, avoid conflicts of interest, and ensure that tundra biodiversity and associated ecosystem functions and services endure the future warming period.