Human impact on tundra environment at the Ny-Ålesund Station, Svalbard

Studies were performed in Ny-Alesund, Spitsbergen, in June and July 1986 in order to gain an insight into the effect of activities of the polar research station on the nearby environment. It was found that chemical and mechanical factors were the most detrimental to the tundra environment. Fuel oil spills (110 m³ in 1986), which spread via surface and ground waters, were the most damaging of the chemical factors. Domestic sewage polluted the waters of Kolhamna Bay within an area of only 0.5 ha around its outlet in the sea. Vehicles and trampling caused mechanical damage inducing destruction of plant cover and changes in the ground structure; it modified ground moisture, bulk density and depth to the permafrost. The area degraded by human activity in the vicinity of the Ny-Alesund Research Station comprised 45 ha. The human impact around the polar station could be lessened by providing an alarm system to detect leaks and safety embankments around the oil tanks and pipelines, utilizing a settling tank for sewage, providing a simple incinerator for solid wastes, and instructing the inhabitants how to minimise impact on the environment.     

Short-term Climate Characteristics at Ny-lesund over the Arctic Tundra Area

<正> Based on the Germany Koldwey Station's 1994-2003 conventional ob-servation hourly data,this paper conducts a statistical analysis on the short-termclimate characteristics for an arctic tundra region(Ny-lesund island)where ourfirst arctic expedition station(Huanghe Station)was located.Affected by theNorth Atlantic warming current,this area has a humid temperate climate,andthe air temperature at Ny-lesund rose above 0℃ even during deep winter sea-son during our research period.The wind speed in this area was low and appearedmost at southeast direction.We find that the temperature at Ny-lesund rose inthe faster rate(0.68℃/10 a)than those at the whole Arctic area.Comparedwith the floating ices where our expedition conducted in the Arctic,Ny-lesundwas warmer and more humid and had lower wind speed.Comparison of the nearsurface air temperature derived by NCEP/NCAR reanalysis to the conventionalmeasurements conducted at the Koldwey site in Ny-lesund area shows a good a-greement for winter season and a significant difference for summer season.     

Carbon dioxide fluxes of soils and mosses in wet tundra of Taimyr Peninsula, Siberia: controlling factors and contribution to net system fluxes

Knowledge of the environmental controls of carbon dioxide fluxes is essential for understanding the dynamics of carbon exchange between ecosystems and atmosphere. In this study we investigated soil respiration and moss photosynthesis as well as their contribution to the net carbon dioxide flux of two different wet tundra systems. During two summers, in situ carbon dioxide fluxes were measured in a tussock tundra and in a low-centre polygonal tundra on Taimyr Peninsula, central Siberia. Measurements were carried out by means of a multichannel gas exchange system. Results show pronounced differences in soil respiration rates as related to microscale topography, mainly due to differences of soil water table and soil temperatures. Modelling of soil respiration for individual microsites revealed differences of process performance with respect to both factors. The wet microsites showed the highest potential regarding an increase of soil respiration rates in warmer and drier climate change scenarios. Another important process compensating the CO₂ release from the soil was the photosynthesis of the moss layer, assimilating as much as 51% to 98% of the daily amount of carbon dioxide released from wet tundra soils. This result demonstrates the importance of mosses in the context of tundra ecosystem processes. The magnitude of net system fluxes of the whole system at the depression of the polygonal tundra was strongly influenced by changes in soil water table. Consequently, any changes of the hydrology, as anticipated in the context of global change, would effectively alter the carbon balance of wet tundra systems.     

北极新奥尔松地区夏季近地面CO2、CH4和N2O浓度的观测研究

2008和2009年夏在北极新奥尔松地区（Ny-Ålesund）不同苔原区域（鸟类保护区、海滩苔原、矿区、人类活动区等）监测CO₂、CH₄和N₂O近地面浓度的时空变化并分析其可能的影响因素。2008年7月25日-8月13日和2009年7月13-26日,在不同观测区域设置常规和非常规采样点采集气体样品共239瓶并妥善保存。实验室内使用气相色谱（GC）测定准确真空瓶中温室气体（CO₂、CH₄和N₂O）的浓度。鸟类保护区的日变化中,2008年鸟类保护区CO₂和N₂O日变化浓度均大于2009年约30 ppm和25 ppb。2008年海滩苔原CO₂浓度均高于2009年约30 ppm;N₂O浓度低于2009年11 ppb;2008年鸟类保护区CH₄浓度低于2009年,而海滩苔原2008年浓度高于2009年,差值均约为0.7 ppm。这些年际变化可能由环境条件（天气变化等）和地表覆盖情况的变化引起。高海鸟活动区（HB）CO₂浓度低于海鸟活动较少的区域（MB 和 LB）;鸟类保护区CO₂浓度低于海滩苔原,N₂O浓度高于海滩苔原,主要原因是海鸟活动和鸟粪增加了土壤营养元素,影响苔藓植被发育的情况并改变上垫面状况。综合不同苔原区域：新奥尔松地区CO₂和CH₄浓度高于ZEP (Zeppelin Station)监测平均浓度,地表向大气输送CO₂和CH₄;而N₂O低于ZEP监测的平均浓度,地表从大气吸收N₂O。不同区域影响因素不同：鸟类保护区、海滩苔原和鸟岛主要是受到海鸟活动影响;矿区主要是受水分和土壤基质影响;站区和机场受到人类活动影响但并不明显,总的来说直接原因是由于地表覆盖情况以及地形不同引起。     

北极苔原Ny-?lesund地区短期气候特征

利用我国北极黄河站所在地,德国Koldwey站1994-2003年的逐时常规气象资料,对北极苔原Ny lesund地区短期气候特征进行了初步分析。结果表明,由于受北大西洋暖流的影响,该地是北极同纬度温度最高的地区。岛上气候温暖湿润,即使在隆冬季节,日平均气温都可以升至0℃以上。全年平均风力较小,以东南(SE)风居多。该地区平均增温速度为0. 68℃/10a,是北极增温较快的地区之一。与同期我国北冰洋浮冰区考察数据相比较,Ny lesund气候更温暖湿润,风速要小得多。在Ny lesund地区,美国国家环境预测中心/美国国家大气研究中心(NCEP/NCAR)的近地面气温的再分析结果,与Koldwey站实测常规地面资料相比,在冬季基本一致,而在夏季则差异较大。     

Arctic climate change discourse: the contrasting politics of research agendas in the West and Russia

In this paper we explore how Western scientific concepts and attitudes towards indigenous knowledge, as they pertain to resource management and climate change, differ from the prevailing view in modern Russia. Western indigenous leaders representing the Inuit and Saami peoples are actively engaged in the academic and political discourse surrounding climate change, whereas their Russian colleagues tend to focus more on legislation and self-determination, as a post-Soviet legacy. We contribute to the debate with data from the Nenets tundra, showing how different research has employed the three crucial Western research paradigms of climate change, wildlife management and indigenous knowledge on the ground. We suggest that the daily practice of tundra nomadism involves permanent processes of negotiating one's position in a changing environment, which is why "adaptation" is woven into the society, and cosmology as a whole, rather than being separable into distinct "bodies" of knowledge or Western-designed categories. We argue that research agendas should be placed in their proper local and regional context, and temporal framework: for example, by collaborating with herders on the topics of weather instead of climate change, herding skills instead of wildlife management, and ways of engaging with the tundra instead of traditional ecological knowledge.     

Analysis of snow-vegetation interactions in the low Arctic-Subarctic transition zone (northeastern Canada)

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that northern vegetation has been growing in relation to a warming climate over the last four decades, especially across the transition zone between tundra and taiga. Shrub growth affects snow properties and the surface energy budget, which must be better studied to quantify shrub-snow-climate feedbacks. The objective of this research is to improve the characterization of the impact of shrubs on snow evolution, from its accumulation to its melt, using in-situ and satellite measurements. The research is presented for the Umiujaq site, Nunavik, representative of the low Arctic–Subarctic transition zone. Snow depth, measured along numerous transects spanning different land cover types is found to increase by a factor 2.5–3 between tundra and forest, while snow density decreases. This illustrates the trapping effect of vegetation well. Complementary, continuous snow depth measurements using weather stations from two sites (tundra with low shrubs and a small clearing with shrubs within the forest) show different site-dependent behaviors. Spatial analysis from high-resolution Pleiades images combined with Landsat (Normalized Difference Snow Index) and MODIS (Fractional Snow Cover) images suggest a slight delay in melt over open and dense forest areas compared to tundra and dense high shrubs.     

Response of Arctic ecosystems to climate change: results of long-term field experiments in Sweden and Alaska

Long-term field experiments at Abisko, Sweden, and Toolik Lake, Alaska, reveal both similarities and differences in response of contrasting Arctic ecosystems to changes in temperature, light, and nutrient availability. Five different ecosystems were manipulated for 5–15 years by increasing air temperature with greenhouses, by decreasing light with shading, and by increasing available N and P with fertilizers. The ecosystems at Abisko included evergreen-dominated heath and fellfield sites; at Toolik Lake they included wet sedge tundra, moist tussock tundra, and dry heath tundra. In all ecosystems, fertilizer treatment increased plant growth, production, and/or biomass. Plant responses to warming were smaller and occasionally nonsignificant, Responses to shading were generally nonsignificant after 3–6 years, although after 9 years the tussock tundra showed significant decreases in biomass. In general, the ecosystems at Abisko were less responsive to nutrients and more responsive to temperature than the ecosystems at Toolik Lake. Overall, though, the sites were quite similar in their responses to the perturbations, increasing our confidence in predictions of response to climate change over large areas based on small-area studies.     

长白山北坡岳桦林线变动的水热条件分析

近50年来长白山北坡林线种群呈现明显的扩张态势。为揭示林线变动机制,本文以长白山天池气象站的气象数据(1953-2007年)为基础,结合野外的气温观测,以温暖指数(WI)及湿润指数(HI)为生态气候指标,以16℃·月和68.8 mm/℃·月为阈值,通过数据保证率的计算推测55年来长白山北坡岳桦林线的水热条件变化。结果表明:以WI和HI指标确定的林线位置分别在1975~2460 m和1584~2231 m。WI与HI变化对林线高度变动影响的交互作用不显著(p>0.05),WI与HI变化呈显著负相关(p<0.01),两种林线变化也呈负相关(r=-0.11<0),交互作用和相关分析结果显示水热条件的不同步变化使岳桦林线上侵不能达到各自的潜在高度,林线位置波动在1975~2231 m。林线上缘波动的复杂程度高于下缘,波动幅度与胁迫力的大小呈正相关。     

Subfossil Cladocera from surface sediment in thermokarst lakes in northeastern Siberia,Russia, in relation to limnological and climatic variables

Subfossil Cladocera were sampled and examined from the surface sediments of 35 thermokarst lakes along a temperature gradient crossing the tree line in the Anabar-river basin in northwestern Yakutia, northeastern Siberia. The lakes were distributed through three environmental zones: typical tundra, southern tundra and forest tundra. All lakes were situated within the continuous permafrost zone. Our investigation showed that the cladoceran communities in the lakes of the Anabar region are diverse and abundant, as reflected by taxonomic richness, and high diversity and evenness indices (H = 1.89 ± 0.51; I = 0.8 ± 0.18). CONISS cluster analysis indicated that the cladoceran communities in the three ecological zones (typical tundra, southern tundra and forest-tundra) differed in their taxonomic composition and structure. Differences in the cladoceran assemblages were related to limnological features and geographical position, vegetation type, climate and water chemistry. The constrained redundancy analysis indicated that T_July, water depth and both sulphate (SO₄ ^2?) and silica (Si⁴⁺) concentrations significantly (p ≤ 0.05) explained variance in the cladoceran assemblage. T_July featured the highest percentage (17.4 %) of explained variance in the distribution of subfossil Cladocera. One of the most significant changes in the structure of the cladoceran communities in the investigated transect was the replacement of closely related species along the latitudinal and vegetation gradient. The results demonstrate the potential for a regional cladoceran-based temperature model for the Arctic regions of Russia, and for and Yakutia in particular.     

Source of and potential bio-indicator for the heavy metal pollution in Ny-lesund,Arctic

Three kinds of tundra plant samples including Dicranum angustum(a type of boreal bryophyte),Puccinellia phryganodes(a type of fringy plant),Salix polaris(a type of vascular plant) and surface soil were samples in 200 at Ny-lesund of the Arctic.The levels of eight heavy metal elements(Hg,Pb,Cd,Cu,Zn,Ni,Fe and Mn) and three metal-like elements(As,Se,Sr) in the plant and soil samples of the areas within previous coal mining activities are significantly higher than those of other areas.The relative accumulation of these elements in these tundra plant samples is consistent with the one in the soil samples,especially in the areas affected by previous coal-mining activities.Thus,the pollution is apparently from local coal mining activity.Dicranum angustum has the highest concentrations among those elements,and it can be a good bio-indicator for heavy metal pollution in Ny-lesund.Though Ny-lesund is less polluted by heavy metal than nearby Northern European human living areas,but much more than the tundras of the Alaska,Greenland and the Antarctic.     

北极苔原新奥尔松地区的地表辐射特征

利用我国北极黄河站所在地,德国Koldewey站1993-2003年的资料,对新奥尔松地区的地表辐射特征进行了初步分析。结果表明,由于云的影响,新奥尔松极昼期间的日照百分率仅为32.2%。暖季由于下垫面地表冰雪融化,地表反射率迅速减小,地面吸收辐射和地面有效辐射都迅速增大。全年累计的净辐射为正值;暖季是接受太阳辐射能的主要时段,寒季接受的太阳辐射能极少。虽近10年来新奥尔松地区的气温增加十分显著,但各辐射量的变化趋势不明显。地表辐射实测值与同期NCEP/NCAR相邻格点逐日资料的比较表明,NCEP资料对各辐射项模拟的精度不高。     

海鸟活动对北极新奥尔松苔原—大气CO2交换的影响

北极高纬度地区是全球重要的海鸟活动区,海鸟粪为苔原土壤带来了丰富的养分,影响了苔原碳循环过程,但目前还未见有文献报道海鸟活动对北极苔原CO2通量的影响。2009年夏笔者采用密闭箱法对北极新奥尔松地区（Ny-?lesund）鸟类保护区和非鸟类活动区苔原的CO2夏季通量和日通量进行了对比监测,探讨了海鸟活动对苔原CO2通量的影响。结果表明：鸟类密集区（HB）、鸟类活动较少区（MB）和基本无海鸟活动的边缘区（LB）CO2净通量（NEE）平均分别为（-107.6±19.2）、（21.7±9.7）和（67.5±12.4）mg/(m2.h);光合速率平均分别为（-243.6±25.5）、（-105.5±7.6）和（-45.6±12.0） mg/(m2.h )。HB区NEE和光合速率显著高于MB和LB 区,表明鸟类活动显著增加了苔原生态系统NEE和光合速率;而呼吸速率平均分别为（136.0±16.5）、（127.2±15.6）和（113.0±6.8）mg/(m2.h),且差异不明显,表明海鸟活动对呼吸速率影响较小。非鸟类活动区苔原（海边苔原和煤矿区苔原）在夏季整体上表现为CO2排放源,平均NEE分别为（6.91±4.8）和（17.5±41.6）mg/(m2.h)。综合分析表明：NEE和呼吸速率与土壤温度呈正相关。综合三类不同苔原区域23个观测点CO2通量的结果表明：海鸟活动及其粪便增加了苔原土壤养分,从而促进了苔原植被发育,显著增强了北极高纬度地区苔原的碳汇功能。     

北极阿拉斯加巴罗地区现代环境的地球化学特征研究*

本文以北极阿拉斯加巴罗地区样品分析为依据,研究泻湖、淡水湖、河流、沼泽、土壤等的环境地球化学特征。结果表明,巴罗地区融冻物理风化作用强烈,化学风化和生物地球化学作用较弱,物质以机械搬运为主,H⁺为地带性标型元素。地表水化学类型阴离子以Cl^-为主,阳离子以K⁺Na⁺为主。现代沉积物、地表土壤、沼泽泥炭层有机质含量丰富,最高可达50.07%.大量元素SiO₂含量极高,稀有稀土元素、微量元素含量偏低,但Hg、Cd、Cr的含量相对较高。     

东南极企鹅和海豹粪土层细菌群落的变化特征

海洋动物粪土是南极陆地生态系统养分的重要来源,粪土层细菌群落对南极苔原碳、氮循环过程起重要作用,但目前对南极海洋动物粪土层中细菌群落的变化特征却鲜有报道。本文采集了东南极四个企鹅、海豹粪土剖面样品,通过酶活性、微生物量碳、微生物熵、土壤呼吸和DNA浓度测定以及16 S r DNA-DGGE分析,探讨了粪土层中细菌群落变化特征及其与环境因子的关系。土壤转化酶、脲酶和磷酸酶活性、微生物量碳、土壤呼吸和微生物熵随深度增加而递减,而代谢熵增加,表明随深度增加,微生物生存环境恶劣,造成细菌丰度和酶分泌量减小,需更多有机碳进行能量代谢。土壤DNA浓度与pH、含水率、TOC、TN、微生物量碳、土壤呼吸以及酶活性呈高度正相关,表明这些因子对粪土层中细菌种群的丰度有重要影响。DGGE图谱分析证实：东南极海洋动物粪土中含丰富的细菌群落结构,随深度增加泳道带型数量和亮度递减,表明细菌多样性和丰度递减。聚类分析表明：四个剖面随深度泳道带型差异明显,细菌遗传相似性为46%,企鹅、海豹粪土细菌群落差异性尤为明显;发现四个粪土剖面中,细菌丰度与企鹅、海豹粪的相对含量呈协调一致性变化,且表层5cm粪土层细菌丰度最高,表明东南极企鹅和海豹排泄物对土壤中细菌群落多样性变化起重要作用。     

北极新奥尔松地区现代污染源及其指示植物研究

分析了采自北极新奥尔松(Ny-lesund)(78°55′N,11°56′E)煤矿开采区水平剖面12个点位上的三种苔原植物Dicranumangustum(苔藓类植物)、Puccinelliaphryganodes(穗状植物)和Salixpolaris(管状植物)及土壤中10种重金属(Hg、Pb、Cd、Cu、Zn、Ni、Fe、Mn、As、Se)及S、TOC的含量。结果显示采矿过程中煤层的暴露是本地区的Hg、Cd、S污染的主要来源。三种分布最广泛、数量最多的苔原植物中苔藓植物Dicranumangustum对重金属元素具有最大的富集能力,位于矿区的Dicranumangustu体内污染元素含量显著高于非矿区部分,这也说明该水平剖面上的元素污染是由当地煤矿开采导致的。同时发现,Dicranumangustum体内元素积累和土壤中元素浓度之间沿水平剖面的变化趋势较一致,能较好地反映本地区的污染状况,可以作为污染监测和指示植物。从全球区域对比来看,北极新奥尔松苔藓体内污染水平显著低于邻近的北欧等工业区,但却是北极地区Hg、Cd和S污染最严重地区,同时也比南极地区高。     

北极新奥尔松Austre Lovénbreen冰川退缩迹地不同演替阶段的植物组成与植被群落特征分析

为开展新奥尔松地区苔原植物生长和植被演替对冰川退缩响应的研究,在Austre Lovénbreen冰川(简称A冰川)前沿不同年代冰缘线附近布设了植被样方,调查了样方内植物组成与群落结构。结果表明:(1)A冰川1990年冰缘线代表植被演替的初始阶段,样方内仅出现先锋植物挪威虎耳草(Saxifraga oppositifolia);(2)1936年冰缘线代表冰川退缩长达75年后植被发育的情况,样方内植物种类和个体数明显增多,植被群落以木本植物极柳(Salix polaris)和草本植物黄葶苈(Draba bellii)为主,地衣以寒生肉疣衣(Ochrolechia frigida)和鸡皮衣(Pertusaria sp.)等壳状地衣为主;(3)随着冰川迹地形成时间更长,植被趋向成熟阶段发展,样方内极柳占绝对优势,地衣的物种多样性和盖度显著增加,出现雪黄岛衣(Flavocetraria nivalis)和刺岛衣(Cetraria aculeata)等叶状地衣。初步结果表明冰川退缩迹地上的物种更替明显,群落结构发生着显著变化。     

北极Barrow地区几种冻原植物的花粉形态

本文研究了北极巴罗 (Barrow)地区 1 2种冻原植物的花粉形态 ,它们的形状有球形、近球形、扁球形茧形和四合体型 ,其萌发孔有三孔沟、三沟、二合沟以及散孔等类型。花粉具辐射对称和两侧对称两种类型。这些花粉的植物体是北极冻原地区常见的植物 ,分属于 1 2个科 ,除 3种为小灌木外 ,大多数为多年生或一年生草本植物。这些冻原植物花粉形态的研究为恢复北极地区古植被和古气候的研究 ,提供了有价值的对比资料和依据。     

长白山苔原湿地资源及可持续利用研究

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