Ecological genetics of beetles of the genus Adalia: populations of A. bipunctata of NorwAy and Kola peninsula

The composition of 5 populations of Adalia bipunctata L. of the Norway and two populations of the Kola Peninsula was stu died. The proportion of black color imago in them varies from 0% to 35.7%. The composition of the populations of A. bipunctata inhabiting the Arctic Circle is described for the first time. Standard correlation analysis did not reveal a significant dependence of the proportion of black individuals, both on the latitude of habitats, and on their climatic parameters. Application of the logistic regression method to these data made it possible to show that the abundance of black morphs is positively associated with the average winter temperature, and is negatively correlated with summer moisture and mean temperature. Basically, these data are determined by the peculiarities of the Bergen population, where the greatest concentration of melanists is observed, and the climatic conditions (according to the average winter temperature, humidity and annual amount of atmospheric rainfall) differ sharply from the conditions of all other studied places on the coasts of Norway and the Kola Peninsula.

Shift in migration phenology of a wintering population of Dippers Cinclus cinclus in northern Sweden

Many organisms have been found to respond to global warming by adjusting one or several aspects of their ecology, such as timing of migration events, time at reproduction and size at maturity. We examined changes in arrival and departure times, and age and sex ratios of overwintering White-throated Dippers Cinclus cinclus in northern Sweden, by comparing data collected in 1975–1979 to a similar dataset from 2010–2014. Between these periods, the average winter temperature had increased by about 2°C. During the latter period the Dippers arrived in their winter area two weeks earlier and departed three weeks earlier. We found no change in age and sex ratios during the study period.

Temperature and Precipitation Development at Svalbard 1900–2100

Substantial variations in temperature and precipitation have been observed since the first permanent weather station was established in the Svalbard region in 1911. Temperature and precipitation development are analysed for the longest observational series, and periods with positive and negative trends are identified. For all temperature series, positive linear trends are found for annual values as well as spring, summer, and autumn series. A very strong winter warming is identified for the latest decades. Evaluation of temperature trends downscaled from global climate models forced with observed greenhouse gas emissions suggests that the downscaled results do span the observation-based trends at Svalbard Airport 1912–2010. Novel projections focussing on the Svalbard region indicate a future warming rate up to year 2100 three times stronger than observed during the latest 100 years. The average winter temperature in the Longyearbyen area at the end of this century is projected to be around 10°C higher than in present climate. Also for precipitation, the long-term observational series indicate an increase and the projections indicate a further increase up to year 2100.

An update on the hydroxyl airglow temperature record from the Auroral Station in Adventdalen, Svalbard (1980–2005)

This paper reports on the daily mesospheric winter temperature series derived from ground-based spectral measurements of the hydroxyl airglow layer from the Auroral Station in Adventdalen near Longyearbyen, Svalbard (78°N, 15°E). Temperature estimates from the four latest seasons (2001–2002 to 2004–2005) have been added to the series reported by Sigernes et al. J. Geophys. Res. 108(A9), 1342 (2003). Lomb–Scargle periodogram analyses were performed on both hourly and daily average temperatures to look for significant periods. From the daily means, ∼24 and ∼26 d oscillations that are consistent with a solar rotation modulation of the atmosphere were identified. Analyses of the hourly averaged data did not reveal any considerable diurnal and semidiurnal periods in the temperatures. The 2003–2004 mesopause winter was one of the warmest reported over Svalbard during the last 25 years. It is common to observe within a few days temperature fluctuations in the range 20–40 K. Some years show far less variation than others. The overall daily average winter temperature is 209 K. The annual mean winter temperatures show a slightly positive temperature trend (+0.2 ± 0.1 K/year), on the verge of being a statistically significant change in the winter mesospheric temperatures over Svalbard.PACS Nos.: 92.60.hc, 07.20.Dt, 93.30.Sq, 92.60.hw

The Impact of CO2 – Induced Warming on Downhill Skiing in the Laurentians

Using the two climatic change scenarios selected by the Canadian Climate Centre, an attempt has been made, using snowcover suitability percentiles, to estimate the resilience and sensitivity of downhill skiing in the Lower Laurentians to the suggested changes in temperature and precipitation. The scenarios suggest an average winter increase in the range of 0 to 16 percent for precipitation and 7.6 to 9.3° F (4.2 to 5.2° C) for temperature. These changes could possibly result in a reduction of the marginally reliable and reliable ski seasons in the Laurentians by 40 to 89 percent respectively with a minimum financial loss of 10$ million and a maximum loss of virtual elimination of the ski industry in this area. It would appear then that downhill skiing in the Lower Laurentians has some resilience to the suggested conditions of one scenario but not the other. In addition, the sensitivity analyses indicate that the ski season length in this part of Canada is little affected until the average winter temperature increases by 4° F (2.2° C).