scholarly journals A Standardized Ecosystem Classification for the Coordination and Design of Long-term Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring in Arctic-Subarctic Biomes

ARCTIC ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald S. McLennan ◽  
William H. MacKenzie ◽  
Del Meidinger ◽  
Johann Wagner ◽  
Christopher Arko
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystem ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vegetation Classification ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Ecosystem Classification ◽  
National Vegetation Classification

A Canadian Arctic-Subarctic Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (CASBEC) is proposed as a standardized classification approach for Subarctic and Arctic terrestrial ecosystems across Canada and potentially throughout the circumpolar area. The CASBEC is grounded in long-standing terrestrial ecosystem classification theory and builds on concepts developed for ecosystems in British Columbia, Quebec, and Yukon. The fundamental classification unit of the CASBEC, the plant association, is compatible with the lower-level classifications of the Arctic Vegetation Classification (AVC), the Canadian National Vegetation Classification (CNVC), and the United States National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) and is used to generate a classification and nomenclature for Arctic and Subarctic terrestrial ecological communities. The use of a multi-scalar ecosystem framework, such as that developed by the British Columbia Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification, provides an ecological context to use classified plant associations to delineate and define climatically equivalent regional scale climate units (biogeoclimatic subzones) and ecologically equivalent local-scale site units within biogeoclimatic subzones. A standardized framework and taxonomy of ecosystem classification for Subarctic and Arctic terrestrial ecological communities will facilitate the planning, coordination, and applicability of terrestrial ecological monitoring and research. The CASBEC classification and high-resolution ecosystem mapping are being used to develop an effective experimental design, to select ecosite types for long-term monitoring, and to extrapolate results to landscape scales in the Experimental and Reference Area of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) in Cambridge Bay. Widespread adoption of the CASBEC could provide a spatial and functionally scalable framework and a common language for interpreting, integrating, coordinating, and communicating Arctic and Subarctic monitoring, research, and land management activities across the Canadian North and around the circumpolar area.

scholarly journals Atmospheric mercury observations from Antarctica: seasonal variation and source and sink region calculations

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 3241-3251 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Pfaffhuber ◽  
T. Berg ◽  
D. Hirdman ◽  
A. Stohl
Keyword(s):  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Particle Dispersion ◽  
Atmospheric Mercury ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Research Station ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Source And Sink

Abstract. Long term atmospheric mercury measurements in the Southern Hemisphere are scarce and in Antarctica completely absent. Recent studies have shown that the Antarctic continent plays an important role in the global mercury cycle. Therefore, long term measurements of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) were initiated at the Norwegian Antarctic Research Station, Troll (TRS) in order to improve our understanding of atmospheric transport, transformation and removal processes of GEM. GEM measurements started in February 2007 and are still ongoing, and this paper presents results from the first four years. The mean annual GEM concentration of 0.93 ± 0.19 ng m−3 is in good agreement with other recent southern-hemispheric measurements. Measurements of GEM were combined with the output of the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART, for a statistical analysis of GEM source and sink regions. It was found that the ocean is a source of GEM to TRS year round, especially in summer and fall. On time scales of up to 20 days, there is little direct transport of GEM to TRS from Southern Hemisphere continents, but sources there are important for determining the overall GEM load in the Southern Hemisphere and for the mean GEM concentration at TRS. Further, the sea ice and marginal ice zones are GEM sinks in spring as also seen in the Arctic, but the Antarctic oceanic sink seems weaker. Contrary to the Arctic, a strong summer time GEM sink was found, when air originates from the Antarctic plateau, which shows that the summertime removal mechanism of GEM is completely different and is caused by other chemical processes than the springtime atmospheric mercury depletion events. The results were corroborated by an analysis of ozone source and sink regions.

scholarly journals U.S. Arctic policy: the agenda of 2019

2020 ◽  
pp. 25-37
Author(s):  
Andrei Andreevich Kovalev
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The United States ◽  
Climatic Changes ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Policy ◽  
Defense Cooperation ◽  
Relevant Consideration ◽  
The Arctic Region

This article explores the key stages of the development of U.S. policy with regards to Arctic Region. The goal is set to outline the fundamental interests of the United States in the Arctic, as well as analyze the actions aimed at their achievement. The article examines the main priorities in U.S. Arctic policy, namely the protection and preservation of resources and ecosystem in the Arctic Region, scientific study of climatic changes, peculiarities of economic development of Alaska, and national security interests of the state. The questions of interaction of Arctic states with regards to defense cooperation become increasingly relevant. Consideration of the mid-term and long-term prospects of U.S. Arctic policy allowed the author focusing attention on the news aspects of U.S. government actions. Maritime capabilities of the United States in the Arctic waters are views in the context of modern tendencies. The author attempted to trace the prospects for expansion of U.S. influence in the Arctic Region based on the current agenda of 2019.

scholarly journals China’s Arctic Policy: Challenges to Regional Security (1990s – 2020s)

2021 ◽  
pp. 377-388
Author(s):  
Oleksandr Horobets ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Regional Security ◽  
The World ◽  
Arctic Policy ◽  
The Arctic Region

The article analyzes the evolution of China's Arctic policy, which has expanded over three decades from individual polar research to observer status in the Arctic Council and the existence of a state Arctic strategy. China and Russia have established mutually beneficial cooperation in the Arctic region in such conditions, when in many areas there are fundamental contradictions between the countries. The West did not have a long-term strategy capable of responding to current security challenges, including in the Arctic. When Russia tried to regain lost positions on the world stage in 2007-2008, China became an increasingly influential player in the world. If before the Arctic had been outside the lines of rivalry for decades, the question of the Far North as an arena of military competition began to take first place. China has become a long-term threat to both the United States and Russia. In previous years, with the help of the China, Moscow had the opportunity to receive the necessary investments and technologies for large-scale Arctic projects. The more Beijing attempts to establish itself as an influential player in the Arctic, the more the threat to other Arctic countries will grow. The Russian Federation has positioned itself as a leader in the region. The country's policy was aimed at strengthening this status through regional control and expansion of the military presence. This led to a response from the United States and NATO countries. In Russia it was assessed as a threat. The question arises as to what the strategy of the United States should be, and whether it will be possible to resist the costly arms race. If not, then the competition will be concentrated in the political and economic spheres. A particular aspect is the rapid militarization of the Arctic region after 2014, primarily due to changes in Russia's military strategy, which extends to the North. This has led to the tensions between the United States and Russia. China has not yet resorted to expand its military power in the Arctic. China's policy of economic and infrastructural influence is opposed to military methods. The effectiveness of Chinese non-military methods of influence is assessed

scholarly journals Structure, role and purpose of naval force in the 21st century: US DOD perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (396) ◽  
pp. 171-188
Author(s):  
O. Savchenko ◽  
◽  
V. Polovinkin ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Funding ◽  
World Ocean ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Navy ◽  
Analytical Review ◽  
The Government

Object and purpose of research. The article is an extensive analytical review devoted to modern management decisions at the level of the government and the three key US naval services – the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, collectively known as the Naval Service, as well as the main trends in the development of the US Navy. Materials and methods. The study was carried out on the basis of the latest strategic documents defining the short-term and long-term plans for the US naval shipbuilding, adopted in 2020–2021. Main results. The main directions of the US Navy public funding are described in detail, the prospects for the development of the US navy and the possibilities of its rearmament are analyzed, the main competitor countries of the United States claiming control over the World Ocean and the Arctic are identified. Conclusion. The study makes it possible to adequately assess the scale of the current US administration's military plans related to future shipbuilding programs, taking into account Russia's military and strategic interests.

scholarly journals Atmospheric VOC measurements at a High Arctic site: characteristics and source apportionment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob B. Pernov ◽  
Rossana Bossi ◽  
Thibaut Lebourgeois ◽  
Jacob K. Nøjgaard ◽  
Rupert Holzinger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Back Trajectory ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Source Regions ◽  
Arctic Haze

Abstract. There are few long-term datasets of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the High Arctic. Furthermore, knowledge about their source regions remains lacking. To address this matter, we report a long-term dataset of highly time-resolved VOC measurements in the High Arctic from April to October 2018. We have utilized a combination of measurement and modeling techniques to characterize the mixing ratios, temporal patterns, and sources of VOCs at Villum Research Station at Station Nord, in Northeast Greenland. Atmospheric VOCs were measured using Proton Transfer-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS). Ten ions were selected for source apportionment with the receptor model, positive matrix factorization (PMF). A four-factor solution to the PMF model was deemed optimal. The factors identified were Biomass Burning, Marine Cryosphere, Background, and Arctic Haze. The Biomass Burning factor described the variation of acetonitrile and benzene. Back trajectory analysis indicated the influence of active fires in North America and Eurasia. The Marine Cryosphere factor was comprised of carboxylic acids (formic, acetic, and propionic acid) as well as dimethyl sulfide (DMS). This factor displayed a clear diurnal profile during periods of snow and sea ice melt. Back trajectories showed that the source regions for this factor were the coasts around North Greenland and the Arctic Ocean. The Background factor was temporally ubiquitous, with a slight decrease in the summer. This factor was not driven by any individual chemical species. The Arctic Haze factor was dominated by benzene with contributions from oxygenated VOCs. This factor exhibited a maximum in the spring and minima during the summer and autumn. This temporal pattern and species profile are indicative of anthropogenic sources in the mid-latitudes. This study provides seasonal characteristics and sources of VOCs and can help elucidate the processes affecting the atmospheric chemistry and biogeochemical feedback mechanisms in the High Arctic.

scholarly journals Atmospheric mercury observations from Antarctica: seasonal variation and source and sink region calculations

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 29117-29139 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Aspmo Pfaffhuber ◽  
T. Berg ◽  
D. Hirdman ◽  
A. Stohl
Keyword(s):  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Particle Dispersion ◽  
Atmospheric Mercury ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Research Station ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Source And Sink

Abstract. Long term atmospheric mercury measurements in the Southern Hemisphere are scarce and in Antarctica completely absent. Recent studies have shown that the Antarctic continent plays an important role in the global mercury cycle. Therefore, long term measurements of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) were initiated at the Norwegian Antarctic Research Station, Troll (TRS) in order to improve our understanding of atmospheric transport, transformations and removal processes of GEM. GEM measurements started in February 2007 and are still ongoing, and this paper presents results from the first four years. The mean annual GEM concentration was 0.93±0.19 ng m−3 and is in good agreement with other recent southern hemispheric measurements. Measurements of GEM were combined with the output of the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART, for a statistical analysis of GEM source and sink regions. It was found that the ocean is a source of GEM to TRS year round, especially in summer and fall. None of the Southern Hemisphere continents contribute significantly to the direct transport of GEM to TRS, but they are important for determining the overall GEM load in the Southern Hemisphere and for the mean GEM concentration at TRS. Further, the sea ice and marginal ice zones are GEM sinks in spring as also seen in the Arctic, but the Antarctic oceanic sink seems weaker. Contrary to the Arctic, a strong summer time GEM sink was found, when air originates from the Antarctic Plateau, which shows that the summertime removal mechanism of GEM is completely different and is caused by other chemical processes than the springtime atmospheric mercury depletion events. The results were corroborated by an analysis of ozone source and sink regions.

scholarly journals Seeing for Oneself: Agnes Deans Cameron’s Ironic Critique of American Literary Discourse in The New North

Nordlit ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 69
Author(s):  
Tiffany Johnstone
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New York ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
White Women ◽  
The United States ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Literary Discourse ◽  
American Frontier ◽  
Popular Book

In 1908, Agnes Deans Cameron, a schoolteacher, journalist andsuffragist from Victoria, British Columbia, traveled from Chicago to the Arctic with her niece, Jessie Cameron Brown. Cameron followed the original 1789 route of Alexander Mackenzie and was intent on being one of the first white women to explore and document this northern territory (Roy, "Primacy" 56). She wrote about her trip in the popular book The New North, which was published in New York in 1909 by Appleton. While The New North is written by a Canadian author about Canada, it is deliberately aimed at an American audience. Not only was the book published in the United States, but the narrative also begins and ends in Chicago and repeatedly depicts her Canadian surroundings according to American frontier motifs.

scholarly journals Elevated ozone in boreal fire plumes – the 2013 smoke season

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 13263-13313
Author(s):  
T. Trickl ◽  
H. Vogelmann ◽  
H. Flentje ◽  
L. Ries
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Conveyor Belt ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Air Masses ◽  
Elevated Ozone ◽  
Arctic Regions ◽  
Fire Plumes ◽  
The Alps ◽  
Air Streams

Abstract. In July 2013 very strong boreal fire plumes were observed at the northern rim of the Alps by lidar and ceilometer measurements of aerosol, ozone and water vapour for about three weeks. In addition, some of the lower-tropospheric components of these layers were analyzed at the Global Atmosphere Watch laboratory at the Schneefernerhaus high-altitude research station (2650 m a.s.l., located a few hundred metres south-west of the Zugspitze summit). The high amount of particles confirms our hypothesis that fires in the Arctic regions of North America have a much stronger impact on the Central European atmosphere than the multitude of fires in the United States. This has been ascribed to the prevailing anticyclonic advection pattern during favourable periods and subsidence, in contrast to warm-conveyor-belt export, rainout and dilution frequently found for lower latitudes. A high number of the pronounced aerosol structures were positively correlated with elevated ozone. Chemical ozone formation in boreal fire plumes is known to be rather limited. Indeed, these air masses could be attributed to stratospheric air intrusions over remote high latitude regions obviously picking up the aerosol on their way across Canada. In one case subsidence from the stratosphere over Siberia over as many as 15 to 20 days without increase in humidity was observed although a significant amount of Canadian smoke was trapped. These coherent air streams lead to rather straight and rapid transport of the particles to Europe.

Early Turonian (Late Cretaceous) age of the Tuskoola sandstone Pine River area, northeastern British Columbia

2002 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 1783-1793 ◽  
Author(s):  
C R Stelck ◽  
W E Moore ◽  
S G Pemberton
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Upper Cretaceous ◽  
The United States ◽  
Northern Africa ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
The Past

The presence of Watinoceras reesidei Warren, Watinoceras coloradoense (Henderson), Watinoceras thompsonense Cobban, and Mytiloides mytiloides (Mantell) within the Tuskoola sandstone beds of the Vimy Member of the Kaskapau (Blackstone) Formation, places these strata within the lower Turonian stage of the Upper Cretaceous, within the Watinoceras reesidei Zone. International discoveries of Watinoceras in the United States, the Arctic, west Africa, northern Africa, Europe, and Asia, in the past fifty years has allowed the authors, while updating the stratigraphy and taxonomy, to refine correlation of the Tuskoola sandstone, a sandy facies of the "Second White Specks" horizon of Western Canada.

scholarly journals Quantifying the Representation of Plant Communities in the Protected Areas of the U.S.: An Analysis Based on the U.S. National Vegetation Classification Groups

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 864
Author(s):  
Alexa McKerrow ◽  
Anne Davidson ◽  
Matthew Rubino ◽  
Don Faber-Langendoen ◽  
Daryn Dockter
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vegetation Classification ◽  
Group Level ◽  
National Vegetation Classification ◽  
The U.S

Plant communities represent the integration of ecological and biological processes and they serve as an important component for the protection of biological diversity. To measure progress towards protection of ecosystems in the United States for various stated conservation targets we need datasets at the appropriate thematic, spatial, and temporal resolution. The recent release of the LANDFIRE Existing Vegetation Data Products (2016 Remap) with a legend based on U.S. National Vegetation Classification allowed us to assess the conservation status of plant communities of the U.S. The map legend is based on the Group level of the USNVC, which characterizes the regional differences in plant communities based on dominant and diagnostic plant species. By combining the Group level map with the Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US Ver 2.1), we quantified the representation of each Group. If the mapped vegetation is assumed to be 100% accurate, using the Aichi Biodiversity target (17% land in protection by 2020) we found that 159 of the 265 natural Groups have less than 17% in GAP Status 1&2 lands and 216 of the 265 Groups fail to meet a 30% representation target. Only four of the twenty ecoregions have > 17% of their extent in Status 1&2 lands. Sixteen ecoregions are dominated by Groups that are under-represented. Most ecoregions have many hectares of natural or ruderal vegetation that could contribute to future conservation efforts and this analysis helps identify specific targets and opportunities for conservation across the U.S.

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