Climate change is increasing extreme weather events, but effects on high-frequency weather variability and the resultant impacts on ecosystem function are poorly understood. We assessed ecosystem responses of arctic tundra to changes in day-to-day weather variability using a biogeochemical model and stochastic simulations of daily temperature, precipitation, and light. Changes in weather variability altered ecosystem carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stocks and cycling rates. Some responses of processes (e.g., respiration) were inconsistent with expectations, indicating that whole-ecosystem interactions and feedbacks moderate or even reverse responses to weather variability. More weather variability led to greater carbon losses from land to atmosphere, and less variability led to higher carbon sequestration on land. The magnitude of response to weather variability was similar to that predicted from climate mean trend effects.
This dataset consists of the MEL parameter file, driver files and output files for simulations with a long-term weather trend.