Changes of Land Cover and Land Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
in Northern Eurasia: Impacts on Human Adaptation and Quality of
Life at Regional and Global Scales Funded by the National
Science Foundation Northern Eurasia accounts for about 20% of
the Earth’s land surface and 60% of the terrestrial land cover
north of 40°N. It contains 70% of the Earth's boreal forests and
more than two-thirds of the Earth's land that is underlain by
permafrost. The region is covered by vast areas of peatland,
complex tundra in the north and semi-deserts and deserts in the
south, including the Mongolia plateau. The surface air
temperature has increased in the last half century and this
increase will continue during this century. To date, studies
have generally focused on analyzing climate change effects on
biogeochemical processes and mechanisms governing the carbon and
water dynamics in the region or potential changes in the
distribution of natural vegetation. While the team will also
examine such issues, they will focus on