Studying climate change in the Alaska tundra – and in a CU Denver lab

The Alaska tundra — at the point where the ocean laps against land — is a wonderland of vegetation. At the lowest elevations, the wetland soil is soft and squishy. If you move inland, the land is taken over by lush grasses, sedges, dwarf shrubs, and forbs, a flowering plant. As you climb away from the ocean, step by step, sphagnum mosses cover the ground on a pillowy surface, so you feel like you’re walking on a giant sponge.