Since the publication of Arctic Flora and Fauna: Status and Conservation in 2001, many changes have occurred in the Arctic environment. Most notably, the significance of climate change as an impact factor has been greatly elevated, in the Arctic as well as at a global scale. A warming climate in the Arctic is projected to set off many environmental changes including melting sea ice, increased runoff, and an eventual rise in sea level with immense coastal implications. Some of these changes are already being felt. Increasing temperatures are already showing many effects on Arctic biodiversity including the northward movement of more southern species, shrubbing and greening of the land, changing plant communities and their associated fauna, increases in migrating invasive species displacing native Arctic inhabitants, and the emergence of new diseases. Additionally, changes in the timing of events (phenology) are an aspect of change which may lead to mismatches between related environmental factors. (Arctic Biodiversity Trends 2010.)
