scholarly journals One fly to rule them all—muscid flies are the key pollinators in the Arctic

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1839) ◽  
pp. 20161271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikko Tiusanen ◽  
Paul D. N. Hebert ◽  
Niels Martin Schmidt ◽  
Tomas Roslin
Keyword(s):  
Seed Set ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Insect Abundance ◽  
Diverse Background ◽  
Pollinator Community ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Diverse Community ◽  
Flower Visiting

Global change is causing drastic changes in the pollinator communities of the Arctic. While arctic flowers are visited by a wide range of insects, flies in family Muscidae have been proposed as a pollinator group of particular importance. To understand the functional outcome of current changes in pollinator community composition, we examined the role of muscids in the pollination of a key plant species, the mountain avens ( Dryas ). We monitored the seed set of Dryas across 15 sites at Zackenberg, northeast Greenland, and used sticky flower mimics and DNA barcoding to describe the flower-visiting community at each site. To evaluate the consequences of shifts in pollinator phenology under climate change, we compared the flower visitors between the early and the late season. Our approach revealed a diverse community of insects visiting Dryas , including two-thirds of all insect species known from the area. Even against this diverse background, the abundance of muscid flies emerged as a key predictor for seed set in Dryas , whereas overall insect abundance and species richness had little or no effect. With muscid flies as the main drivers of the pollinating function in the High Arctic, a recently observed decline in their abundances offers cause for concern.

Reproductive ecology of Dryas integrifolia in the high Arctic semi-desert

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (9) ◽  
pp. 1451-1460 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. G. Krannitz
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Bet Hedging ◽  
Crop Failure ◽  
Flower Stalk ◽  
Insect Visitation ◽  
Solar Noon ◽  
Seed Data

Flowering and fruiting of Dryas integrifolia were studied at Igloolik and Pangnirtung to analyse the importance of variation in heliotropy and flower size to seed set and weight. In addition, peduncle elongation and seed plume length were also studied to analyse variation in seed dispersal characters. At both Igloolik and Pangnirtung, most Dryas flowers were not heliotropic throughout the course of the day, but in general, pointed towards the solar noon sun. Benefits to orienting toward the sun were warmer gynoecial temperatures, heavier seeds, and more insect visitation (though not percent seed set). Flowers varied in size from 1.2 to 2.7 cm in diameter and differed in size between plants. Even though larger flowers did not point towards the solar noon sun more than smaller flowers, they had heavier and proportionally more seeds. Variation in peduncle elongation suggests the potential for conservative dispersion when a flower has produced only a few propagules: flowers with fewer or no seeds had shorter stalks. Similarly, with good seed production, a bet hedging strategy is apparent: seeds located at the centre of the receptacle had much longer plumes than those at the perimeter of the seed head. All seed data were from Pangnirtung; the cold summer in 1986 at Igloolik resulted in a complete seed crop failure. Despite the adversity of the arctic climate, there are moderate summers during the lifetime of perennial plants such as D. integrifolia in which adaptations like those described in this study benefit the production of sexual offspring. Keywords: heliotropism, flower stalk elongation, basking insects, seed dispersal, insolation, bet hedging.

scholarly journals Study of Oil in the North of Russia by the Geological Committee at the End of the 19th Century – the Beginning of the 20th Century

2021 ◽  
Vol 937 (4) ◽  
pp. 042082
Author(s):  
T P Filippova
Keyword(s):  
Field Studies ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Russian Science ◽  
The North ◽  
New Information ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Northern Territories ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
First Time

Abstract The article draws attention to the study of the historical experience of Russian science in the development of the Arctic and northern territories of Russia. Based on a wide range of archival and published sources, the role of the Geological Committee in the scientific study of the Ukhta oil-bearing region is analyzed. The chronological framework of the study covers the period of the organization’s activity from 1882 to 1929. The field studies carried out by the Geological Committee which started during this period in the Ukhta region are considered in detail. As a result of this activity, this territory was comprehensively studied for the first time, including a detailed geological survey, the search for oil deposits, and an assessment of its industrial potential. It has been determined that as a result of the surveys of the Geological Committee, new information about the features of the geological and orographic structure of the region was obtained and the oil-bearing potential was proved. It has been concluded that the research of the scientists of the committee laid a fundamental basis for the study of the Ukhta oil-bearing region and predetermined its further development history and great significance for the state.

scholarly journals What do children think of their own bilingualism? Exploring bilingual children’s attitudes and perceptions

2021 ◽  
pp. 136700692110008
Author(s):  
Tracey Peace-Hughes ◽  
Philomena de Lima ◽  
Bronwen Cohen ◽  
Lynn Jamieson ◽  
E Kay M Tisdall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Language Of Instruction ◽  
Research With Children ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Diverse Community ◽  
Research Gap

Aims and objectives: This paper explores children’s experiences and perceptions of their own bilingualism in two contexts in Scotland, UK: a primary school with a high proportion of children using a language other than English at home; and a primary school where the language of instruction is an indigenous, minority language, Gaelic. Methodology: The paper draws upon data gathered from multiple qualitative methods, including interviews, group activities and discussion, with both children and their parents. The data in this paper draw upon a broader interdisciplinary project exploring children’s experiences of bilingualism. Ethics were duly considered. Data and analysis: Data were gathered from 27 children and 11 parents. Data were coded and analysed using thematic analysis. Comparison between contexts was of particular interest for this article. Findings: This paper highlights the importance of research with children in order to gain an insight into their experiences and perceptions of their own bilingualism. In particular, our findings illustrate how children’s language learning is encouraged and supported by children’s connections with others and the fundamental role of family (particularly parents/carers) and diverse community-based support systems (which encompass a wide range of individuals and community groups) in order to develop active bilingualism. Originality: This paper addresses a research gap in a largely quantitative field, by adopting a qualitative approach to explore children’s experiences and perceptions of their own bilingualism. A qualitative approach facilitates attention to complexity and the participants’ own meanings and understandings. Significance: The paper highlights the value of research with children in order to explore their views and perspectives. In particular, qualitative research methodologies, where children’s experiences are central to understanding the research phenomenon, and to facilitating the exploration of the range of complex issues that interact with a child’s bilingualism.

scholarly journals Studies of Permafrost in the European Northeast of Russia in the First Half of the 20th Century

2020 ◽  
pp. 173-181
Author(s):  
Tatyana P. Filippova ◽  
◽  
Nina G. Lisevich ◽  
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Ussr Academy ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Science Center ◽  
Russian Academy Of Sciences ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
History Of ◽  
Academy Of Sciences

On the basis of a wide range of sources, the research analyzes the history of the study of permafrost in the territory of the European Northeast of Russia in the first half of the 20th century. The documentary sources revealed in the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow), the National Archive of the Komi Republic (Syktyvkar), the Scientific Archive of the Komi Science Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Syktyvkar), the Vorkuta Museum and Exhibition Center (Vorkuta) are introduced into the scientific use for the first time. The 1920s became the period of the birth of a new scientific direction – permafrostology. This science gave an impetus to the systematic study and development of the North and the Arctic. The beginning of systematic geocryologic studies was connected with the development of the European Northeast in the 1920s–1930s. It has been determined that the USSR Academy of Sciences played the leading role in carrying out these studies: it organized special scientific expeditions for studying the cryolithozone of this region. The main results of the studies and their motives interconnected with the government’s interests in the development of valuable northern mineral resources are shown. The results of the expeditions were conclusions about the possibility of constructing large industrial facilities in the regions of the explored reserves of natural raw material resources. Following scientists’ recommendation, the industrial development of the Pechora coal basin and the colonization of the polar region began. The climatic and natural features of the region demanded stationary scientific research in the field of design and construction. The Vorkuta Research Permafrost Station (VRPS) (1936–1958), created under the supervision of the USSR Academy of Sciences, began to carry out this research. Today, the history of this station’s activities is poorly studied. The article presents the main directions of VRPS research: engineering permafrostology and general issues of permafrost studies. The staff of the station were researchers of the Committee on Permafrost Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences and scientists from among prisoners of GULAG. The role of the staff who made a great contribution to permafrost studies is shown. Under the leadership of the scientists of the station, on the basis of their techniques, large industrial structures of Vorkuta District and Vorkuta, among them the first railroad in the conditions of permafrost, were designed. The conclusion is drawn on the leading role of scientists of the USSR Academy of Sciences in carrying out studies of permafrost soil in the European Northeast in the first half of the 20th century which became the basis in the successful solution of construction problems in the Arctic territory.

Studies of the connection between condensable trace gases and aerosol particles in Svalbard

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuuli Lehmusjärvi ◽  
Roseline Thakur ◽  
Lisa Beck ◽  
Mikko Sipilä ◽  
Tuija Jokinen
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Particle Formation ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
New Particle Formation ◽  
Iodic Acid ◽  
Summer Time

<p>In the high Arctic, the climate is warming faster than in the lower latitudes due to the Arctic amplification. Sea ice is melting and permafrost is thawing, and the scarce vegetation of the Arctic is changing rapidly. All these varying conditions will have an impact on possible emission sources of aerosol precursor gases, thus affecting the New Particle Formation (NPF) in the Arctic atmosphere, of which we still know very little. It is important to study the NPF events, which parameters affect the aerosol phase and how these newly formed aerosols can grow into cloud condensation nuclei sizes. Only then, it is possible to understand how climate change is affecting the aerosol population, clouds and regional climate of the pristine Arctic. The role of the precursor gases like Sulphuric Acid (SA), Iodic Acid (IA), Methane Sulphonic Acid (MSA) and Highly Oxygenated organic Molecules (HOM) in NPF in boreal and urban environments has been explored to a great extent. However, the role of these precursor gases in NPF events in remote locations - devoid of pollution sources and the vegetation - is still ambiguous. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct long-term measurements to study the composition and concentrations of aerosol precursors molecules, nanoparticles and air ions in remote and climatically fragile place like Ny-Ålesund in the Arctic. This research location is not only a natural pristine laboratory to understand the atmospheric processes but also acts as a climate mirror reflecting the most drastic changes happening in the atmosphere and cryosphere. In this study, we aim to enhance the understanding of the role of aerosol precursor gases in new particle formation in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard.</p><p>            We have studied aerosol particle formation now for almost three years in the Ny-Ålesund research village in Svalbard (78° 55' 24.7368'' N, 11° 54' 35.6220'' E.) with the Neutral cluster and Air Ion Spectrometer (NAIS) measuring ~1-40 nm particles and ions. We have conducted measurements with a Chemical Ionization Atmospheric Pressure interface Time Of Flight (CI-APi-TOF) mass spectrometer to understand the chemical composition of organic precursors vapours and abundance of inorganic aerosol precursor gases such as SA, MSA and IA. Additionally,  we have studied the emission and composition of volatile organic compounds on the site during summer-time.</p><p>            In this study, we report the time series concentrations of the most common aerosol precursor gases like SA, MSA, IA and HOM from the period 28.6.-25.7.2019, which are responsible for the initiation and/or growth of particles. The variability in the concentrations of these vapours is compared between NPF event and non-event days. The study explores also the role of meteorological parameters like wind speed, wind direction, temperature and humidity on NPF processes.</p>

Large-scale patterns preceding Arctic warm events

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja Murto ◽  
Rodrigo Caballero ◽  
Gunilla Svensson
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Identification Algorithm ◽  
Geophysical Research ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Almost All

<p>Atmospheric blockings are defined as quasi-stationary synoptic-scale systems of high pressure that can influence different weather events. Previous studies have examined the role of blockings in favoring intense poleward moisture transport into the Arctic and the role of polar anticyclones to Arctic sea-ice loss (e.g. Woods et al. 2013; Wernli & Papritz 2018). However, the mechanisms and theories for blocking formation and maintenance, in combination with their contributions to the Arctic climate, are yet not fully understood. This study presents a detailed northern hemisphere climatological analysis of large-scale patterns during 50 warm events of extreme wintertime (NDJFM) Arctic surface temperature anomalies, as defined by Messori et al. (2018), for the ERA-Interim period of 1979-2016. In contrast to the previous mentioned study, the main focus in this study is to relate the warm events with atmospheric blockings, identified as upper level anticyclonic PV anomalies following a dynamically-based blocking identification algorithm (Schwierz et al. 2004). In order to classify the events by their spatially and temporally varying blocking patterns, we calculate regional averages of the blocking frequencies for sector areas defined above 50 °N. General patterns and anomalies in meteorological variables in the different area clusters are quantified. Based on the blocking fractions for 90<sup>th</sup> and 95<sup>th</sup> percentiles, we can relate up to 80 % of the warm events to strong blockings. Additionally, we show that the remaining events obtain similar patterns, though with weaker or shorter-lived blocks. Overall, it can be conducted that almost all warm events in the clusters precede with a significant blocking located in the area around the Urals and the nearby parts of the Arctic Ocean. Despite the similarities found in the high Arctic for most of the events, there are different patterns identified in the periphery between the clusters. A North-Atlantic block is often found in the same cluster as with the Ural blocking, however with some temporal lag prior to the latter one. Therefore, the connection with the NAO-index during the warm events is also investigated. Our study gives a deeper insight into the large-scale patterns and emphasizes the importance of the large-scale settings prior to the Arctic warm events, primarily focusing on the importance of the atmospheric blockings. The formation of these blockings and the dynamical processes on different scales driving these warm events are further discussed using trajectory-analysis in an upcoming study. These two studies aim to improve the understanding of the preconditions needed for these Arctic warm events to occur and, furthermore, the mechanisms that control these events in high latitudes.</p><p> </p><p>Woods, C., Caballero, R., & Svensson, G. (2013). Large-scale circulation associated with moisture intrusions into the Arctic during winter. Geophysical Research Letters, 40(17), 4717-4721.</p><p>Wernli, H., & Papritz, L. (2018). Role of polar anticyclones and mid-latitude cyclones for Arctic summertime sea-ice melting. Nature Geoscience, 11(2), 108.</p><p>Messori, G., Woods, C., & Caballero, R. (2018). On the drivers of wintertime temperature extremes in the High Arctic. Journal of Climate, 31(4), 1597–1618.</p><p>Schwierz, C., Croci-Maspoli, M. & Davies, H. C. 2004). Perspicacious indicators of atmospheric blocking. Geophys. Res. Lett. 31, L06125.</p>

scholarly journals Interactions of bromine, chlorine, and iodine photochemistry during ozone depletions in Barrow, Alaska

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (16) ◽  
pp. 9651-9679 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. Thompson ◽  
P. B. Shepson ◽  
J. Liao ◽  
L. G. Huey ◽  
E. C. Apel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ozone Depletion ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Chemical Mechanisms ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Halogen Chemistry ◽  
Chlorine Radicals ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Cl Atoms

Abstract. The springtime depletion of tropospheric ozone in the Arctic is known to be caused by active halogen photochemistry resulting from halogen atom precursors emitted from snow, ice, or aerosol surfaces. The role of bromine in driving ozone depletion events (ODEs) has been generally accepted, but much less is known about the role of chlorine radicals in ozone depletion chemistry. While the potential impact of iodine in the High Arctic is more uncertain, there have been indications of active iodine chemistry through observed enhancements in filterable iodide, probable detection of tropospheric IO, and recently, observation of snowpack photochemical production of I2. Despite decades of research, significant uncertainty remains regarding the chemical mechanisms associated with the bromine-catalyzed depletion of ozone, as well as the complex interactions that occur in the polar boundary layer due to halogen chemistry. To investigate this, we developed a zero-dimensional photochemical model, constrained with measurements from the 2009 OASIS field campaign in Barrow, Alaska. We simulated a 7-day period during late March that included a full ozone depletion event lasting 3 days and subsequent ozone recovery to study the interactions of halogen radicals under these different conditions. In addition, the effects of iodine added to our Base Model were investigated. While bromine atoms were primarily responsible for ODEs, chlorine and iodine were found to enhance the depletion rates and iodine was found to be more efficient per atom at depleting ozone than Br. The interaction between chlorine and bromine is complex, as the presence of chlorine can increase the recycling and production of Br atoms, while also increasing reactive bromine sinks under certain conditions. Chlorine chemistry was also found to have significant impacts on both HO2 and RO2, with organic compounds serving as the primary reaction partner for Cl atoms. The results of this work highlight the need for future studies on the production mechanisms of Br2 and Cl2, as well as on the potential impact of iodine in the High Arctic.

scholarly journals Using Near Infrared for Studying Lemming Subnival Behavior in the High Arctic

Proceedings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davood Kalhor ◽  
Anastasiia Pusenkova ◽  
Mathilde Poirier ◽  
Gilles Gauthier ◽  
Tigran Galstian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring System ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Environment ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Bylot Island

Despite the crucial role of lemming in the Arctic ecosystem, many aspects of its ecology are still unknown. The main challenge of studying lemming is that this rodent does not hibernate in winter and remains active under snow. To tackle this challenge, this paper presents a monitoring system based on near infrared. Design and implementation of a system that should work autonomously in the harsh arctic environment is really challenging. After developing the first version of the equipment, we installed three units at Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada. Retrieved videos were promising and showed the great potential of this system in assisting ecologists to study the subnivean ecology of the Arctic. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first ever videos of lemming that have been recorded under snow in winter in the Arctic.

Of Dogs and Men: The Making of Spatial Boundaries in a Gentrifying Neighborhood

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvie Tissot
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Inner City ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Large City ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Northeastern United States ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Diverse Community

This article examines the role of animals in the processes of social inclusion and exclusion in a gentrifying neighborhood. Residents who move into mixed–income, inner–city neighborhoods generally express a taste for diversity while simultaneously attempting to distance themselves from “undesirables.” Dogs allow newcomers to manage these tensions. The urge to control public spaces leads to the creation of new and quasi–exclusionary places, such as dog runs. At the same time, in the process of creating them, residents produce the neighborhood's image as a “diverse community.” Based on fieldwork conducted in a neighborhood of a large city in the northeastern United States, the author uses a wide range of discourse settings and genres to demonstrate that discursive production is part–and–parcel of the process of making places.

Expanding the Cenozoic paleoceanographic record in the Central Arctic Ocean: IODP Expedition 302 Synthesis

2009 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Backman ◽  
Kathryn Moran
Keyword(s):  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Middle Eocene ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Central Arctic Ocean ◽  
The North ◽  
Thermal Maximum ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Arctic Ocean ◽  
Recovered Material

AbstractThe Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX) proved to be one of the most transformational missions in almost 40 year of scientific ocean drilling. ACEX recovered the first Cenozoic sedimentary sequence from the Arctic Ocean and extended earlier piston core records from ≈1.5 Ma back to ≈56 Ma. The results have had a major impact in paleoceanography even though the recovered sediments represents only 29% of Cenozoic time. The missing time intervals were primarily the result of two unexpected hiatuses. This important Cenozoic paleoceanographic record was reconstructed from a total of 339 m sediments. The wide range of analyses conducted on the recovered material, along with studies that integrated regional tectonics and geophysical data, produced surprising results including high Arctic Ocean surface water temperatures and a hydrologically active climate during the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), the occurrence of a fresher water Arctic in the Eocene, ice-rafted debris as old as middle Eocene, a middle Eocene environment rife with organic carbon, and ventilation of the Arctic Ocean to the North Atlantic through the Fram Strait near the early-middle Miocene boundary. Taken together, these results have transformed our view of the Cenozoic Arctic Ocean and its role in the Earth climate system.

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