Vegetational development and the effect of geese on vegetation at La Pérouse Bay, Manitoba

1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (13) ◽  
pp. 1439-1450 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Jefferies ◽  
A. Jensen ◽  
K. F. Abraham
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marshes ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Salicornia Europaea ◽  
Carex Aquatilis ◽  
Eriophorum Angustifolium ◽  
Lesser Snow Geese ◽  
Puccinellia Phryganodes ◽  
Water Saturated

The salt marshes at La Pérouse Bay, Manitoba, are described. Unconsolidated, water-saturated sediment is colonized by Hippuris tetraphylla, Puccinellia phryganodes, and Carex subspathacea. These sediments undergo frost heave, and on elevated mounds, Elymus arenarius var. mollis and Salix brachycarpa become established. This last species is the dominant one of the low willow tundra, which is the characteristic vegetation of the coastal strip. Where drainage is impeded in the upper marsh, relatively high salinities occur and species such as Salicornia europaea agg. and Triglochin maritima are present.A population of 10 000 to 20 000 lesser snow geese (Anser caerulescens) feed, in summer, on Puccinellia phryganodes, Carex subspathacea, Potentilla egedii, and Elymus arenarius var. mollis. The birds strip the shallow turf of Puccinellia in low lying areas between clumps of willow. This terracing of the surface creates depressions which become filled with water and ice. The role of geese in producing these ponds in the upper levels of salt marshes in the Arctic does not appear to have been reported previously. The ponds are subsequently colonized by Carex aquatilis and Triglochin maritima. The salt marsh gives way to an extensive fresh water marsh dominated by species of Salix, Eriophorum angustifolium, Calamagrostis neglecta, and Dupontia fisheri. The results are compared with data from other salt marshes in Hudson Bay and in the Arctic.

The vegetational zonation of the East Pen Island salt marshes, Hudson Bay

1976 ◽  
Vol 54 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 5-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Kershaw
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
High Tide ◽  
Freshwater Marsh ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Carex Aquatilis ◽  
Salt Pans ◽  
Meltwater Runoff ◽  
Permafrost Table ◽  
Puccinellia Phryganodes

The extensive salt marshes at East Pen Island in Hudson Bay are described in quantitative terms and the well-marked sequence of species is characterized. The lower marsh is dominated by Puccinellia phryganodes and Carex subspathacea, with Hippurus vulgaris and Senecio congestus abundant in the salt pans. The midmarsh has well-developed swards of Dupontia fisheri and Celamagrostis neglecta, which give way to stands of Carex aquatilis in a well-developed freshwater marsh below the first beach ridge. The results are compared with other arctic salt marshes, and the development of a wide freshwater marsh in the upper zone of the salt marsh is described. This feature is perhaps unique to the Hudson Bay marshes and is a function of meltwater runoff from the surface of the permafrost table. This results in the high, standing water table at the top of the marsh, which is maintained by the permafrost table of the salt marsh itself.A transit survey of the marsh relates the quadrat samples to a high-tide datum point and allows interpretation of the vegetation sequence in terms of saltwater inundation. The depth of the active layer of the salt marsh is also described.

Potential Vorticity Diagnosis of a Tropopause Polar Cyclone

2009 ◽  
Vol 137 (4) ◽  
pp. 1358-1371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven M. Cavallo ◽  
Gregory J. Hakim
Keyword(s):  
Potential Vorticity ◽  
Polar Vortex ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Intensity Change ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Coherent Vortices ◽  
Diagnostic Framework

Abstract Long-lived coherent vortices located near the tropopause are often found over polar regions. Although these vortices are a commonly observed feature of the Arctic, and can have lifetimes longer than one month, little is known about the mechanisms that control their evolution. This paper examines mechanisms of intensity change for a cyclonic tropopause polar vortex (TPV) using an Ertel potential vorticity (EPV) diagnostic framework. Results from a climatology of intensifying cyclonic TPVs suggest that the essential dynamics are local to the vortex, rather than a consequence of larger-scale processes. This fact motivates a case study using a numerical model to investigate the role of diabatic mechanisms in the growth and decay of a particular cyclonic vortex. A component-wise breakdown of EPV reveals that cloud-top radiational cooling is the primary diabatic mechanism that intensifies the TPV during the growth phase. Increasing amounts of moisture become entrained into the vortex core at later times near Hudson Bay, allowing the destruction of potential vorticity near the tropopause due to latent heat release to become comparable to the radiational tendency to create potential vorticity.

scholarly journals DOM degradation by light and microbes along the Yukon River-coastal ocean continuum

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brice K. Grunert ◽  
Maria Tzortziou ◽  
Patrick Neale ◽  
Alana Menendez ◽  
Peter Hernes
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Salinity Gradient ◽  
Coastal Ocean ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Yukon River ◽  
Spring Freshet ◽  
Dom Composition

AbstractThe Arctic is experiencing rapid warming, resulting in fundamental shifts in hydrologic connectivity and carbon cycling. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a significant component of the Arctic and global carbon cycle, and significant perturbations to DOM cycling are expected with Arctic warming. The impact of photochemical and microbial degradation, and their interactive effects, on DOM composition and remineralization have been documented in Arctic soils and rivers. However, the role of microbes, sunlight and their interactions on Arctic DOM alteration and remineralization in the coastal ocean has not been considered, particularly during the spring freshet when DOM loads are high, photoexposure can be quite limited and residence time within river networks is low. Here, we collected DOM samples along a salinity gradient in the Yukon River delta, plume and coastal ocean during peak river discharge immediately after spring freshet and explored the role of UV exposure, microbial transformations and interactive effects on DOM quantity and composition. Our results show: (1) photochemical alteration of DOM significantly shifts processing pathways of terrestrial DOM, including increasing relative humification of DOM by microbes by > 10%; (2) microbes produce humic-like material that is not optically distinguishable from terrestrial humics; and (3) size-fractionation of the microbial community indicates a size-dependent role for DOM remineralization and humification of DOM observed through modeled PARAFAC components of fluorescent DOM, either through direct or community effects. Field observations indicate apparent conservative mixing along the salinity gradient; however, changing photochemical and microbial alteration of DOM with increasing salinity indicate changing DOM composition likely due to microbial activity. Finally, our findings show potential for rapid transformation of DOM in the coastal ocean from photochemical and microbial alteration, with microbes responsible for the majority of dissolved organic matter remineralization.

scholarly journals A warm jet in a cold ocean

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. MacKinnon ◽  
Harper L. Simmons ◽  
John Hargrove ◽  
Jim Thomson ◽  
Thomas Peacock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Arctic ◽  
Bering Strait ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Ice Melt ◽  
Beaufort Gyre ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Climate Simulations ◽  
Initial Evolution ◽  
Forecast Models

AbstractUnprecedented quantities of heat are entering the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean through Bering Strait, particularly during summer months. Though some heat is lost to the atmosphere during autumn cooling, a significant fraction of the incoming warm, salty water subducts (dives beneath) below a cooler fresher layer of near-surface water, subsequently extending hundreds of kilometers into the Beaufort Gyre. Upward turbulent mixing of these sub-surface pockets of heat is likely accelerating sea ice melt in the region. This Pacific-origin water brings both heat and unique biogeochemical properties, contributing to a changing Arctic ecosystem. However, our ability to understand or forecast the role of this incoming water mass has been hampered by lack of understanding of the physical processes controlling subduction and evolution of this this warm water. Crucially, the processes seen here occur at small horizontal scales not resolved by regional forecast models or climate simulations; new parameterizations must be developed that accurately represent the physics. Here we present novel high resolution observations showing the detailed process of subduction and initial evolution of warm Pacific-origin water in the southern Beaufort Gyre.

scholarly journals The Arctic as a “Strategic” and “Important” Chinese Foreign Policy Interest: Exploring the Role of Labels and Hierarchies in China’s Arctic Discourses

2021 ◽  
pp. 186810262110186
Author(s):  
Patrik Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Political Discourse ◽  
Chinese Foreign Policy ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Precise Understanding ◽  
New Frontier ◽  
Political Priority

Research confirms that China is becoming more engaged in the Arctic. However, international relations scholarship often extrapolates from relatively few instances of activity to wide-ranging claims about Chinese priorities. Fortunately, Chinese political discourse is organised by labels that allow us to study how the Arctic is classified and ranked along China’s other foreign policy priorities. This article analyses two such classifications – “important maritime interest” and “strategic new frontier,” exploring how they have come about, what they mean, and how they add political priority to the Arctic. It argues that hierarchies are constructed in two ways: by adding gradients and by including/excluding categories of priority. It views categories as performative: they not only convey information about character and relative importance of interests but are also used for achieving different objectives. By focusing on foreign policy classifications, the article contributes to a more nuanced and precise understanding of China’s Arctic interests.

Phytoplankton of the Calanus Expeditions in Hudson Bay, 1953 and 1954

1961 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Bursa
Keyword(s):  
Surface Wind ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Phytoplankton Production ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Population Exchange ◽  
Taxonomic Descriptions ◽  
Hydrographic Structure ◽  
Plankton Production ◽  
Water Temperature Data ◽  
Ice Conditions

Phytoplankton samples, collected in 1953 and 1954 by the Calanus expeditions, were examined by the quantitative sedimentation method in an attempt to determine the ecological aspects of phytoplankton production in Hudson Bay and Strait. During the period July to September of both years, water temperature data, and salinity, oxygen and quantitative phytoplankton samples were collected at the surface and from depths of 10, 25, 50 and 100 metres. Numerically, the most abundant, heterogeneous phytoplankton populations were found in the mouth of Hudson Bay. The lower production of phytoplankton in the surface layer can be explained by the greater amplitude of temperature and salinity, dependent upon ice conditions and surface wind drift. The most productive layer was at a depth of 10 m. Large phytoplankton populations in waters supersaturated with oxygen were still found at 25 m, indicating light conditions favourable for photosynthesis. The relatively high plankton production in the area joining Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait is probably due to the hydrographic structure and the supply of nutrients resulting from the mixing of water masses which originate in other geographical areas. The preponderance of diatoms over flagellated groups, which is more marked in Hudson Strait than in Hudson Bay, is typical for the arctic. The composition of phytoplankton in these areas shows a great similarity in the main to that found on both sides of the Atlantic. Apart from locally produced plankton populations, there is a population exchange which follows water movements. To supplement the meagreness of existing taxonomic descriptions, attention is here focussed on the identification of plankters and their individual importance in the general ecology of the phytoplankton.

Morphological and isozyme variation in Salicornia europaea (s.l.) (Chenopodiaceae) in northeastern North America

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (7) ◽  
pp. 1410-1419 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. L. Wolff ◽  
R. L. Jefferies
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Salicornia Europaea ◽  
Electrophoretic Variation ◽  
James Bay ◽  
Northeastern North America ◽  
Electrophoretic Patterns ◽  
Anther Length ◽  
Vegetative Characters

Morphological and electrophoretic variation has been documented within and among populations of Salicornia europaea L. (s.l.) in northeastern North America. Univariate and multivariate analyses (discriminant analyses) of measurements of floral and vegetative characters delimited three morphologically distinct groups of populations: Atlantic coast tetraploids (2n = 36), Hudson Bay diploids, and Atlantic coast and James Bay diploids (2n = 18). The two diploid groups were morphologically distinct from the midwestern diploid, S. rubra Nels., based on anther length, width of the scarious border of the fertile segment, and the overall width of the fertile segment. Electrophoretic evidence supported the delimitation of the three distinct morphological groups of populations of S. europaea with the exception of the population from James Bay, which had electrophoretic patterns identical with those of plants from Hudson Bay but resembled the Atlantic coast diploids morphologically. Most enzyme systems assayed were monomorphic. Only homozygous banding patterns were detected in diploid plants and electrophoretic variation was not observed within populations of S. europaea or S. rubra but was detected between groups of populations. Four multilocus phenotypes were evident; these corresponded to the major groups recognized on the basis of ploidy level and morphology. Reasons that may account for the paucity of isozymic variation are discussed.

Eddy covariance flux measurements of momentum, heat and carbon dioxide in Hudson Bay at the onset of sea ice melt 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Sims ◽  
Brian Butterworth ◽  
Tim Papakyriakou ◽  
Mohamed Ahmed ◽  
Brent Else
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Eddy Covariance ◽  
Open Water ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Gas Transfer ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Flux Measurements ◽  
Ice Fraction

<p>Remoteness and tough conditions have made the Arctic Ocean historically difficult to access; until recently this has resulted in an undersampling of trace gas and gas exchange measurements. The seasonal cycle of sea ice completely transforms the air sea interface and the dynamics of gas exchange. To make estimates of gas exchange in the presence of sea ice, sea ice fraction is frequently used to scale open water gas transfer parametrisations. It remains unclear whether this scaling is appropriate for all sea ice regions. Ship based eddy covariance measurements were made in Hudson Bay during the summer of 2018 from the icebreaker CCGS Amundsen. We will present fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>), heat and momentum and will show how they change around the Hudson Bay polynya under varying sea ice conditions. We will explore how these fluxes change with wind speed and sea ice fraction. As freshwater stratification was encountered during the cruise, we will compare our measurements with other recent eddy covariance flux measurements made from icebreakers and also will compare our turbulent CO<sub>2 </sub>fluxes with bulk fluxes calculated using underway and surface bottle pCO<sub>2</sub> data. </p><p> </p>

The system-forming role of the Arctic cluster in the development of the economy of the North of Russia (on the example of the Murmansk region)

2020 ◽  
pp. 96-104
Author(s):  
Е.С. Хаценко ◽  
Л.С. Лычкина
Keyword(s):  
Economic Policy ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Russian Arctic ◽  
The North ◽  
Murmansk Region ◽  
The Creation

Представленная статья посвящена теоретико-правовым аспектам формирования экономической политики Российской Арктики, создание и регулирование Арктического экономического кластера. The presented article is devoted to the theoretical and legal aspects of the formation of the economic policy of the Russian Arctic, the creation and regulation of the Arctic economic cluster.

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