The SPLASH Action Group – Towards standardized sampling strategies along the soil-to-hydrosystems continuum in permafrost landscapes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Fouche ◽  
Sarah Shakil ◽  
Catherine Hirst ◽  
Lisa Bröder ◽  
Yannick Agnan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Great Effort ◽  
Sampling Strategies ◽  
Unified Approach ◽  
Lateral Transport ◽  
Action Group ◽  
Organic Components ◽  
Arctic Soils ◽  
Synoptic Sampling ◽  
Circumpolar Arctic

<p><span>The Action Group called ‘Standardized methods across Permafrost Landscapes: from Arctic Soils to Hydrosystems’ (SPLASH), funded by the International Permafrost Association, is a community-driven effort aiming to provide a suite of standardized field strategies for sampling mineral and organic components in soils, sediments, surface water bodies and coastal environments across permafrost landscapes. This unified approach will allow data to be shared and compared, thus improving our understanding of the processes occurring during lateral transport in circumpolar Arctic watersheds. This is an international and transdisciplinary effort aiming to provide a fieldwork “tool box” of the most relevant sampling schemes and sample conservation procedures for mineral and organic permafrost pools.</span></p><p><span>With climate change, permafrost soils are undergoing drastic transformations. B</span><span>oth localized abrupt thaw (thermokarst) and gradual ecosystem shifts (e.g., active layer thickening, vegetation changes) drive changes in hydrology and biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nutrients, and contaminants). Mineral and organic components interact along the “lateral continuum” (i.e., from soils to aquatic systems) changing their composition and reactivity across the different interfaces. The circumpolar Arctic region is characterized by high spatial heterogeneity (e.g., geology, topography, vegetation, and ground-ice content) and large inter-annual and seasonal variations in local climate and biophysical processes. Common sampling strategies, applied in different seasons and locations, could help to tackle the spatial and temporal complexity inextricably linked to biogeochemical processes. </span><span>This unified approach developed in permafrost landscapes will allow us to overcome the following challenges: (1) identifying interfaces where detectable changes in mineral and organic components occur; (2) allowing spatial comparison of these detectable changes; and (3) capturing temporal (inter-/intra-annual) variations at these interfaces. </span><span>In order to build on the great effort to better assess the permafrost feedback to climate change, there is an urgent need for a set of community-based protocols to capture changes the dynamics of organics and minerals during their lateral transport. </span></p><p><span>Here, we present the first results from an online survey recently conducted among researchers from different disciplines. The survey inputs provide valuable information about the common approaches currently applied along the “soil-to-hydrosystems” continuum and the specific challenges associated with permafrost studies. These results about the ‘WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and HOW’ of field sampling (e.g., sample collection, filtration, conservation...) allow for identifying the most relevant sampling strategies and also the current knowledge gaps. Finally, we present examples of the protocols available to investigate organic and mineral components from soils to marine environments,</span> on which a synoptic sampling strategy can be built. <span>A</span><span>ll forthcoming contributions from our community are still welcome, helping the SPLASH team </span><span>to</span> <span>fill</span><span> up the most adapted tool box to Arctic permafrost landscapes</span><span>.</span></p>

The Earth Is (Still) Our Mother

2021 ◽  
pp. 115-125
Author(s):  
Chad S. Hamill
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
World Wide ◽  
Climate Science ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Small Islands ◽  
Adaptive Power ◽  
Circumpolar Arctic ◽  
European Colonialism

As many large-scale protests by Indigenous people have articulated, lands inhabited by Indigenous communities (such as desert margins, small islands, lakes and rivers, high-altitude zones, and the circumpolar Arctic) are particularly vulnerable to the dramatic shifts in climate currently underway. The delicate ecosystems upon which Indigenous communities rely are in flux, and the accelerating rate of climate change—outpacing the direst scientific projections—amounts to a crisis that is every bit as threatening as the legacy of European colonialism. Fortunately, for millennia Indigenous communities have cultivated an intimate awareness of their ecology and have remained, throughout the era of world-wide industrial devastation, adept at adapting to environmental change. This awareness and adaptive power has been discussed within the framework of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). Using traditional stories and songs in Indigenous communities as a touchstone, this chapter will explore three interrelated aspects of TEK: (1) its role in assisting Indigenous communities in adapting to the effects of climate change; (2) its potential to inform and influence Western-generated climate science; and (3) its promise as a unifying thread tying Indigenous communities together, strengthening global self-determination.

scholarly journals Responding to Climate and Environmental Change Impacts on Human Health via Integrated Surveillance in the Circumpolar North: A Systematic Realist Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 2706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Sawatzky ◽  
Ashlee Cunsolo ◽  
Andria Jones-Bitton ◽  
Jacqueline Middleton ◽  
Sherilee L. Harper
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Realist Review ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Circumpolar North ◽  
Circumpolar Arctic

Environments are shifting rapidly in the Circumpolar Arctic and Subarctic regions as a result of climate change and other external stressors, and this has a substantial impact on the health of northern populations. Thus, there is a need for integrated surveillance systems designed to monitor the impacts of climate change on human health outcomes as part of broader adaptation strategies in these regions. This review aimed to identify, describe, and synthesize literature on integrated surveillance systems in Circumpolar Arctic and Subarctic regions, that are used for research or practice. Following a systematic realist review approach, relevant articles were identified using search strings developed for MEDLINE® and Web of Science™ databases, and screened by two independent reviewers. Articles that met the inclusion criteria were retained for descriptive quantitative analysis, as well as thematic qualitative analysis, using a realist lens. Of the 3431 articles retrieved in the database searches, 85 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Thematic analysis identified components of integrated surveillance systems that were categorized into three main groups: structural, processual, and relational components. These components were linked to surveillance attributes and activities that supported the operations and management of integrated surveillance. This review advances understandings of the distinct contributions of integrated surveillance systems and data to discerning the nature of changes in climate and environmental conditions that affect population health outcomes and determinants in the Circumpolar North. Findings from this review can be used to inform the planning, design, and evaluation of integrated surveillance systems that support evidence-based public health research and practice in the context of increasing climate change and the need for adaptation.

scholarly journals Adaptive capacity of Arctic communities in the context of climate change and shipping growth: A review of Russian and Western literature

Polar Record ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Olsen
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
Climatic Changes ◽  
Coastal Communities ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Community Based Research ◽  
English Only ◽  
The Past ◽  
Arctic Communities ◽  
Circumpolar Arctic

Abstract Throughout the past two decades, the number of studies examining the adaptive capacity of Arctic communities in the context of climate change has been increasing; however, little is known about Arctic communities’ ability to adapt to certain emerging changes, such as increased shipping activity. To address this knowledge gap, this study systematically analyses published scientific articles on community adaptive capacity in circumpolar Arctic, including articles published in Russian which may not be captured in English-only reviews. Throughout this review, the study focuses on three areas: the development of the adaptive capacity framework; the conditions that enable community adaption abilities; and the extent to which shipping developments are addressed in the literature. This study demonstrates that the adaptive capacity framework has been significantly developed both theoretically and methodologically and is broadly used to address new types of climatic and non-climatic changes. Though the impacts from the shipping development are discussed in some studies, there is a clear need for further examination of coastal communities’ ability to adapt to such changes. Additionally, the study reveals limitations in the application of the Western conceptual terminology when exploring community-based research by Russian scholars.

scholarly journals Rapid mineralization of biogenic volatile organic compounds in temperate and Arctic soils

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Nyrop Albers ◽  
Magnus Kramshøj ◽  
Riikka Rinnan
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Carbon Cycling ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Soil Microbes ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Great Effort ◽  
Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Arctic Soils ◽  
Beech Stand ◽  
Volatile Organic

Abstract. Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) are produced by all life forms. Their release into the atmosphere is important with regards to a number of physical and chemical processes and great effort has been put into determining sources and sinks of these compounds in recent years. Soil microbes as a possible sink for BVOCs in the atmosphere has been suggested, however, experimental evidence for this sink is scarce despite its potentially high importance to both carbon cycling and atmospheric concentrations of these gases. We therefore conducted a study with a number of commonly occurring BVOCs labelled with 14C and modified existing methods to study mineralization of these compounds to 14CO2 in four different top soils. Five of the six BVOCs were rapidly mineralized by microbes in all soils. However, great differences were observed with regards to speed of mineralization, extent of mineralization and variation between soil types. Methanol, benzaldehyde, acetophenone and the oxygenated monoterpene geraniol were mineralized within hours in all soils. The hydrocarbon monoterpene p-cymene was mineralized rapidly in soil from a coniferous forest but slower in soil from and adjacent beech stand while chloroform was mineralized slowly in all soils. From our study it is clear that soil microbes are able to degrade completely BVOCs released by aboveground vegetation as well as BVOCs released by soil microbes and plant roots. In addition to the possible atmospheric implications of this degradation the very fast mineralization rates are likely important in shaping the net BVOC emissions from soil and it is possible that BVOC formation and degradation may be an important but little recognized part of internal carbon cycling in soil.

1. A Decade of Dwarf Birch Growth across a Canadian Low Arctic Landscape: Exploring the Impacts of Climate Change

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhett Andruko
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Arctic Soils ◽  
Local Soil ◽  
Dwarf Birch ◽  
Low Arctic

Climate change predominantly affects northern regions, and resultant vegetation change (particularly the expansion of arctic shrubs) has the potential to create large-scale, positive climate feedbacks, including the widespread release of CO2 from arctic soils. Understanding the intensity and distribution of arctic shrub expansion is therefore necessary to predict future climate trajectories. Few studies, however, have directly measured vegetation changes in the Canadian continental low Arctic, and similarly, there is a need to better understand the landscape-level factors that determine shrub growth responses to warming. Previous studies in Alaska indicate strong differences in shrub growth responses between habitat-types, attributed to higher nutrient and water supply in low-lying areas. Therefore, this study examines growth patterns of the dominant shrub (Dwarf Birch, Betula glandulosa) in a variety of habitat-types across a low arctic landscape. Significant increases in both shrub cover and stature over ten years were found, but surprisingly there were no differences in growth between habitat-types. Further analyses (pending) will measure inter-annual shrub growth to compare patterns/degrees of variability between habitat-types. Individual shrub growth rates over the past decade correlated to local soil nutrient concentrations, but no other variables, suggesting that local spatial variation in nutrient availability seems to be the primary factor determining shrub growth responses to climate change. Overall, our preliminary results stress the importance of local nutrient variability in controlling shrub responses to warming, and challenge previous studies indicating strong differences in shrub growth responses to warming among habitat-types.

scholarly journals Corporate Ecological Footprint: New Conversion Factors

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Coto-Millán ◽  
Juan Luis Doménech Quesada ◽  
Ingrid Mateo Mantecón
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecological Footprint ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Great Effort ◽  
Conversion Factors ◽  
Carbon Absorption ◽  
A Company ◽  
Total Impact

The first ecological footprint calculation version, applied to companies, appeared in 2003. The said tool provides the possibility of calculating the total impact of a company or organisation in hectares or in equivalent emissions of . This paper updates carbon absorption rates and improves electricity consumption conversion factors, one of the major footprint generating consumptions in companies. The new rates prove that the footprint estimated to date will be notably increased as, among other aspects, the IPCC has downgraded the amount of carbon that forests are capable of absorbing. These data reveal that companies must make a great effort to adapt to the challenges triggered by climate change.

scholarly journals Threat and Anxiety in the Climate Debate—An Agent-Based Model to Investigate Climate Scepticism and Pro-Environmental Behaviour

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1823 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Lisa Kapeller ◽  
Georg Jäger
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Great Effort ◽  
Agent Based Model ◽  
Environmental Behaviour ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Private Citizens

In order to meet the challenges of sustainable development, it is of utmost importance to involve all relevant decision makers in this process. These decision makers are diverse, including governments, corporations and private citizens. Since the latter group is the largest and the majority of decisions relevant to the future of the environment is made by that group, great effort has been put into communicating relevant research results to them. The hope is that well-informed citizens make well-informed choices and thus act in a sustainable way. However, this common but drastic simplification that more information about climate change automatically leads to pro-environmental behaviour is fundamentally flawed. It completely neglects the complex social-psychological processes that occur if people are confronted with threatening information. In reality, the defence mechanisms that are activated in such situations can also work against the goal of sustainable development, as experimental studies showed. Based on these findings, we propose an agent-based model to understand the relation between threatening climate change information, anxiety, climate change scepticism, environmental self-identity and pro-environmental behaviour. We find that the exposure to information about climate change, in general, does not increase the pro-environmental intent unless several conditions regarding the individual’s values and information density are met.

scholarly journals State of the art of the meiofauna of Brazilian Sandy Beaches

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (spe2) ◽  
pp. 17-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Fabricio Maria ◽  
Adriane Pereira Wandeness ◽  
André Morgado Esteves
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sandy Beach ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Sandy Beaches ◽  
Sampling Strategies ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Assess Climate Change ◽  
A Current

Abstract In Brazil, meiofauna studies began in the middle of last century, but they adopted a purely taxonomical approach, describing species from various zoological groups. After this first step, this benthic group was largely neglected until the end of the 20th century when ecological studies began. We here provide a brief review of present knowledge of the meiofauna found on Brazilian sandy beaches to provide information for ReBentos (Coastal Benthic Habitats Monitoring Network). Our methodology consisted of a bibliographic survey undertaken using different datasets (Web of ScienceTM, SCOPUS, Google Scholar and Lattes Plataform). For the survey, we considered only those studies published till early 2015. Our analysis showed that the number of meiofauna studies has increased over the last two decades, though they are mainly still concentrated on the Southeast of Brazil. These studies aim to explain the distribution pattern of the meiofauna of the intertidal region of sandy beaches. Based on the results, we presented a discussion of three main topics, i.e., (a) current knowledge of Brazilian sandy beach meiofauna, (b) sampling strategies for monitoring of the meiofauna, and (c) use of the meiofauna as a tool to assess climate change. We trust that this brief review will be useful as a starting point for the delineation of further climate change investigations into sandy beach meiofauna.

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