NDLI: Atmospheric Change and Biodiversity in the Arctic

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Hansell, Roger I. C. Malcolm, Jay R. Welch, Harold Jefferies, Robert L. Scott, Peter A.
Copyright Year	1998
Abstract	The Canadian Arctic is characterized by a high variation in landform types and there are complex interactions between land, water and the atmosphere which dramatically affect the distribution of biota. Biodiversity depends upon the intensity, predictability and scale of these interactions. Observations, as well as predictions of large-scale climate models which include ocean circulation, reveal an anomalous cooling of northeastern Canada in recent decades, in contrast to the overall significant increase in average annual temperature in the Northern Hemisphere. Predictions from models are necessary to forecast the change in the treeline in the 21st century which may lead to a major loss of tundra. The rate of change in vegetation in response to climate change is poorly understood. The treeline in central Canada, for example, is showing infilling with trees, and in some locations, northerly movement of the boundary. The presence of sea ice in Hudson Bay and other coastal areas is a major factor affecting interactions between the marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Loss of ice and therefore hunting of seals by polar bears will reduce bear and arctic fox populations within the region. In turn, this is likely to have significant effects on their herbivorous prey populations and forage plants. Further, the undersurface of sea ice is a major site for the growth of algae and marine invertebrates which in turn act as food for the marine food web. A rise in sea-level may flood coastal saltmarsh communities leading to changes in plant assemblages and a decline in foraging by geese and other consumers. The anomalous cooling in the eastern Arctic, primarily in late winter and early spring, has interrupted northern migration of breeding populations of geese and ducks and led to increased damage to vegetation in southern arctic saltmarshes as a result of foraging. It is likely that there has been a significant loss of invertebrates in those areas where the vegetation has been destroyed. Warming will have major effects on permafrost distribution and on ground-ice resulting in a major destabilization of slopes and slumping of soil, and disruption of tundra plant communities. Disruption of peat and moss surfaces lead to loss of insulation, an increase in active-layer depth and changes in drainage and plant assemblages. Increases of UV-B radiation will strongly affect vulnerable populations of both plants and animals. The indigenous peoples will face major changes in life style, edibility of food and health standards, if there is a significant warming trend. The great need is for information which is sensitive to the changes and will assist in developing an understanding of the complex interactions of the arctic biota, human populations and the physical environment.
Starting Page	303
Ending Page	325
Page Count	23
File Format	PDF
ISSN	01676369
Journal	Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Volume Number	49
Issue Number	2-3
e-ISSN	15732959
Language	English
Publisher	Kluwer Academic Publishers
Publisher Date	1998-01-01
Publisher Place	Dordrecht
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Ecology Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution Environmental Management Monitoring/Environmental Analysis/Environmental Ecotoxicology
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Pollution Medicine Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

Sl.	Authority	Responsibilities	Communication Details
1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
5	Website/Portal (Helpdesk)	Queries regarding NDLI and its services	support@ndl.gov.in
6	Contents and Copyright Issues	Queries related to content curation and copyright issues	content@ndl.gov.in
7	National Digital Library of India Club (NDLI Club)	Queries related to NDLI Club formation, support, user awareness program, seminar/symposium, collaboration, social media, promotion, and outreach	clubsupport@ndl.gov.in
8	Digital Preservation Centre (DPC)	Assistance with digitizing and archiving copyright-free printed books	dpc@ndl.gov.in
9	IDR Setup or Support	Queries related to establishment and support of Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) and IDR workshops	idr@ndl.gov.in

Atmospheric Change and Biodiversity

Atmospheric Change, Forests and Biodiversity

Atmospheric Change and Biodiversity: Co-Networks and Networking

Assessing Biodiversity

Atmospheric Change and Biodiversity: Formulating a Canadian Science Agenda.

Implications of Atmospheric Change for Biodiversity of Aquatic Ecosystems in Canada

Biodiversity and Saving the Earth

Disembodied and Disembedded? The Social and Economic Implications of Atmospheric Change and Biodiversity

Water quality of arctic rivers in Finnish Lapland

Atmospheric Change and Biodiversity in the Arctic

Similar Documents

Atmospheric Change and Biodiversity

Atmospheric Change, Forests and Biodiversity

Atmospheric Change and Biodiversity: Co-Networks and Networking

Assessing Biodiversity

Atmospheric Change and Biodiversity: Formulating a Canadian Science Agenda.

Implications of Atmospheric Change for Biodiversity of Aquatic Ecosystems in Canada

Biodiversity and Saving the Earth

Disembodied and Disembedded? The Social and Economic Implications of Atmospheric Change and Biodiversity

Water quality of arctic rivers in Finnish Lapland

Atmospheric Change and Biodiversity in the Arctic