Unraveling the Influence of Snow Phenology on Vegetation across Alaskan Plant Communities

Plant phenology is highly sensitive to climate change, and the Arctic region is experiencing rapid changes in vegetation and snowpack. However, the specific climatic drivers of these changes are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of snowpack phenology and environmental variables on the onset of vegetation phenology in the Alaskan Arctic. The results showed that Snow cover end date (SCED) had a stronger correlation with the Start of the growing season (SOS) compared to other factors, with consistent spatial and temporal patterns. Forested vegetation exhibited strong positive feedback between SCED and SOS, while grassland, shrub, and tundra communities showed insignificant positive feedback. Temperature and Fractional photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR) also significantly affected SOS. Snow density and snow depth played a larger role in SOS variation during the short pre-season period. These findings highlight the need for further investigation into the role of snowpack in specific vegetation types, particularly after observing widespread greening. Future studies should consider factors such as changes in snowmelt timing and photoperiod and traditional climatic factors like temperature and precipitation.