New data regarding the bumblebee fauna (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of the northern part of Murmansk Region

Kozlovsky A ., Orlov V ., Okulova N., Kovalskaya J. and Searle J. B. 2000. Chromosome studies on common shrews from northern and central parts of European Russia. [In: Evolution in the Sorex araneus group: Cytogenetic and molecular aspects. J. B. Searle and J. M. Wojcik, eds], Acta Theriologica 45, Suppl. 1: 2 7 -3 1 . W e report here on the karyotypes of 29 common shrews from 8 sites in northern and central European Russia. A new chromosome race for the species was found in the northernmost locality sampled and is named the Petchora race (gi, h n ,jl, kq, mo, pr). It is only known from the type site. Shrews from other localities belonged to races that have already been described, but the new data help to define their ranges. In particular, our new samples demonstrate that the Manturovo race is a widespread form within northern European Russia. Two shrews from Zvenigorod belonged to the ‘ Moscow race’ as listed in Zima et al. (1996), casting doubt on the existence of the ‘ Zvenigorod race’ as a separate entity.

Regarding the bumblebee fauna, a number of regions of Russia are still insufficiently studied. These include Arkhangelsk Region, a large territory that is partly located in the subarctic region of Northern European Russia. In this research, we present information on the distribution of bumblebees of the studied region and discuss the bumblebee communities and also their conservation in Northern European Russia. The regional fauna of bumblebees is represented by species that are widely distributed in the Palaearctic. The species richness of bumblebees is highest in the valleys of large rivers and in secondary meadows due to the appearance of species that are not common of the zonal taiga ecosystems. These include Bombus ruderarius, B. veteranus, B. soroeensis, B. sichelii and other species belonging to a group of meadow species. One species, B. consobrinus, is considered as a rare species in the regional fauna. It is represented quite locally in most districts of Arkhangelsk Region. In the north of Arkhangelsk Region, B. consobrinus is most abundant in the native taiga habitats, but is rare in the other areas of the studied region. B. consobrinus in Arkhangelsk Region prefers the meadows near coniferous forests, where its main food plant, Aconitum septentrionale, is concentrated.

Radiocarbon dates were obtained from 24 samples of Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine) wood recovered from sites beyond the modern conifer tree-line on the Kola Peninsula of Russia. Twenty-one of the samples came from the shallow waters and eroding peats at the edges of two small lakes at 68°439N, 35°109E, located north of the modern conifer tree-line. Three samples came from a small pond located above the modern elevational limits of Pinus sylvestris at 68°259N, 35°199E. The radiocarbon dates indicate that pine trees grew approximately 20 km north of the mapped modern limits of the species from 6680 BP to 3830 BP. Pine trees were also growing some 40 m above their modern elevational limits between 5890 BP and 3450 BP. Nineteen of the samples date from 6680 BP to 5070 BP, suggesting that the density of trees north of the modern tree-line was greatest between 7000 and 5000 BP. The timing of tree-line advance and greatest density on the Kola Peninsula are in agreement with the results of similar studies from northern Fennoscandia which indicate that maximum northern and elevational extension of tree-line occurred between 7000 BP and 4000 BP. The general agreement between tree-line reconstructions suggests that the climatic changes that promoted mid-Holocene tree-line extension along the North Atlantic margins in northern Fennoscandia propagated eastward to the Kola Peninsula. The late timing of initial pine expansion on the Kola and in adjacent northern Fennoscandia remains problematic and may relate to lower winter insolation, temperature regimes in the adjacent oceans or slow rates of migration.

A 403-yr tree-ring chronology (A.D. 1595-1997) was developed from living and dead Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine) from near treeline on the Kola Peninsula in northwestern Russia. Ring-width is significantly correlated with mean July temperatures. A reconstruction of mean July temperatures generally parallels similar dendroclimatic reconstructions from northern Fennoscandia. The Kola reconstruction indicates that the early- to mid-20th century experienced an exceptional period of warm summer temperatures. Dendrochronological techniques were used to estimate the timing of establishment and mortality of Pinus sylvestris at the site. Tree recruitment and mortality appear inversely related and episodic, with pulses of recruitment occurring during the late-17th, 18th, and mid- to late-20th centuries. The mid-20th century pine recruitment episode lags several decades behind the initiation of 20th-century summer warming. Analysis of instrumental climate records and pine recruitment suggests a link between warm fall and early spring conditions in the mid-20th century and increased pine regeneration. The results of this study are similar to findings from northern Fennoscandia and extend this pattern of recent climatic variation and associated treeline response eastward into the Kola Peninsula.

A 403-yr tree-ring chronology (A.D. 1595–1997) was developed from living and dead Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine) from near treeline on the Kola Peninsula in northwestern Russia. Ring-width is significantly correlated with mean July temperatures. A reconstruction of mean July temperatures generally parallels similar dendroclimatic reconstructions from northern Fennoscandia. The Kola reconstruction indicates that the early- to mid-20th century experienced an exceptional period of warm summer temperatures. Dendrochronological techniques were used to estimate the timing of establishment and mortality of Pinus sylvestris at the site. Tree recruitment and mortality appear inversely related and episodic, with pulses of recruitment occurring during the late-17th, 18th, and mid- to late-20th centuries. The mid-20th century pine recruitment episode lags several decades behind the initiation of 20th-century summer warming. Analysis of instrumental climate records and pine recruitment suggests a link between warm fall and early spring conditions in the mid-20th century and increased pine regeneration. The results of this study are similar to findings from northern Fennoscandia and extend this pattern of recent climatic variation and associated treeline response eastward into the Kola Peninsula.

In this project, a combination of field measurements, remote sensing data and regional climate model outputs were used to study recent and projected future changes in Northern Fennoscandian snow cover. The research questions considered in this thesis are: What are the uncertainties in remote sensing and climate modelling datasets used in snow studies? How has snow cover been changing since the 1960s and how will it change over the next century, at a regional level over Northern Fennoscandia? Field measurements were made over two field seasons in the Khibiny Mountains in Arctic Russia. This ground data was used to gain an understanding of snow cover behaviour in the Western Mountain Regions (WMR) of the Kola Peninsula and to ground-truth 500 m resolution satellite data (MODIS: Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) snow products. The overall root mean square error (RMSE) for both MODIS instruments was found to be less than 10 %. The ground-truthed MODIS snow product was then used with station data to analyse past changes in snow cover in the WMR over the past 16 years. Though there is high inter-annual and spatial variability in the long-term snow cover trends in the WMR, overall, the duration of the snow cover season has increased at lower elevations and decreased at higher elevations. Field measurements and MODIS data were used in the sensitivity analysis of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) regional climate model. Twelve experiments with different physics parameterisations were run over the first field season, and a statistical scores evaluation was undertaken to determine the optimised parameter setup for modelling snow in the region. Three CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5) models were used to force WRF in historical (1990 - 1999) and two future climate (2090 - 2099) emission scenarios over Northern Fennoscandia. Outputs from the historical runs were compared to data from 10 stations across Northern Fennoscandia in order to further validate WRF. WRF makes excellent temperature estimates, with a mean bias in the yearly mean temperature outputs of the runs of -1.89 °C. The precipitation outputs are less accurate with values often higher than observations, especially for extreme precipitation events (CMIP5 ‘ensemble’ mean RMSE of 24.0 mm for 20 + mm precipitation events). Finally, the future runs were compared to historical runs to study projected future changes in temperature, precipitation, snowfall and snow cover. The three models give a range of different future predictions for regional climate change over Northern Fennoscandia. However, all CMIP5 models agree that in both emission scenarios mean snow cover duration will be lower over 2090 to 2099 than it was between 1990 and 1999. Importantly, changes in temperature, precipitation and snowfall are all higher, and snow cover is most impacted, in the higher emission scenario. RCP 8.5 consistently sees a higher decrease in solid precipitation than RCP 4.5 at all stations, and for all models and seasons, for example. Thus, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is still crucial to reducing anthropogenic impact on Northern Fennoscandian snow.

Late Holocene palsa formation in northern Fennoscandia – Fossil pollen indication and climatic trigger

July mean temperatures and annual precipitation during the last 9000 years were inferred using the pollen record from Chuna Lake, Kola Peninsula, Russia. A quantitative pollen-climate model was generated using the best modem analogues method from a training set of 99 surface pollen spectra from the Kola Peninsula, northern Fennoscandia and Karelia. According to the evidence from Chuna Lake, the early and mid-Holocene (c. 9000-5000 cal. BP) was warm and dry in the central Kola Peninsula with July temperatures being 1.5-2C higher than at present. The onset of warm and dry early to mid-Holocene occurred in the Kola Peninsula earlier than in the rest of northern Fennoscandia. July temperature started to decrease and annual precipitation increased from c. 5000 cal. yr BP and climate became cool and moist.

Snowmobile Revolution and Sedentarization of Reindeer Herding Nomads in the Kola Peninsula and Bolshezemelskaya Tundra, Northern European Russia

The Kara Sea, which is already one of the most heavily traveled segments of the Northern Sea Route along the Siberian coast, is expected to play an increasingly important role in the resource development of north Siberian coastal areas. For the time being, its transport role is largely limited to Unking the lower reaches of the Yenisey River, including the ports of Dudinka (serving the Noril'sk nickel‐copper‐platinum metals complex) and the timber port of Igarka, with the outside world. Coastwise shipments through the Kara Sea account for 73 percent of total tonnage, and overseas shipments 27 percent. By far the most important component of coastwise trade is traffic between Dudinka and the ports of Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and Kandalaksha in Northern European Russia. The predominant westbound flow consists of metals from Noril'sk smelters as well as surplus concentrates destined for smelters in the Kola Peninsula (mainly Mochegorsk); the lesser eastbound flow consists of materials and supplies for Noril'sk. Traffic on the Dudinka route has greatly increased since 1970 in connection with the expansion of the Noril'sk complex, and efforts have been made to prolong the shipping season through the use of nuclear icebreakers. The author recommends that greater use be made of the Kara Sea in supplying oil and gas development centers in the northern Ob' basin. (The translation is by William Barr, University of Saskatchewan.)

The particular environmental conditions of the Far North of the Soviet Union impose a specific set of constraints on urban planners in the design of northern towns for the work force of mines, fisheries, transportation and other northern activities. A group of urban planners examines the problems posed by the northern environment in the particular case of Murmansk Oblast in northern European Russia, a major civil division that is virtually coextensive with the Kola Peninsula, or the Kola North, as the area is briefly designated. The first of three parts considers the environmental, climatic and demographic background of the study area and its impact on urban planning. The two other parts will appear in subsequent issues of Polar Geography. (The translation is by William Barr, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon.)

Quantitative reconstructions of mean July temperatures (T jul) based on new and previously published pollen-stratigraphical data covering the last 2000 years from 11 lakes in northern Fennoscandia and the Kola Peninsula are presented. T jul values are based on a previously published pollen-climate transfer function for the region with a root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.99°C. The most obvious trend in the inferred temperatures from all sites is the general decrease in T jul during the last 2000 years. Pollen-inferred T jul values on average 0.18 ± 0.56°C (n = 91) higher than present (where “present” refers to the last three decades based on pollen-inferred T jul in core-top samples) are indicated between 0 and 1100 AD (2000–850 cal year BP), and temperatures −0.2 ± 0.47°C (n = 78) below present are inferred between 1100 and 1900 AD (850–50 cal year BP). No consistent temperature peak is observed during the ‘Medieval Warm Period’, ca. 900–1200 AD (1100–750 cal year BP), but the cooler period between 1100 and 1900 AD (850–50 cal year BP) corresponds in general with the ‘Little Ice Age’ (LIA). Consistently with independent stable isotopic data, the composite pollen-based record suggests that the coldest periods of the LIA date to 1500–1600 AD (450–350 cal year BP) and 1800–1850 AD (150–100 cal year BP). An abrupt warming occurred at about 1900 AD and the twentieth century is the warmest century since about 1000 AD (950 cal year BP).

Process of male aging involves structural and functional changes in many organs and systems, including the reproductive system. The aim of this study was to investigate semen parameters and reproductive hormone and metabolite levels in men of different age groups living in the northern European Russia (the city of Arkhangelsk). The study included 99 men aged from 21 to 63 years. Retrospectively, the participants were divided into four groups according to their age: 21–30, 31–40, 41–50, and 51–63 years. It was found that the semen parameters did not differ among different age groups. Distinct age-related changes were observed in the inhibin B and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels. Linear regression analysis showed that the FSH level increased by 2.0% and the inhibin B level decreased by 1.0% every year. An increase in the waist circumference by 0.2% a year was shown, which was accompanied by an increase in the total cholesterol level by 0.4% every year. Our findings illustrate the functional weakening of the hypothalamic–pituitary axis as a first predictor of reproductive aging in men from the northern European Russia after the age of 50 years.

The annotated list of 585 species of Lepidoptera from the Kola Peninsula is the first comprehensive account from the area. It is based on results of a recent 14-years collecting as well as on the old materials collected by Finnish entomologists and on all the data published earlier. For each species, the localities are listed; position of all localities is indicated on the map; species numbers from localities and UTM squares are summarized. Eight species are new for Russia; six species collected along the White Sea coast were never recorded in Northern Fennoscandia. Eight species erroneously reported from the Kola Peninsula are excluded from the list.

Growing season changes in Fennoscandia and Kola peninsula during the period 1982 to 1999 - Implications for reindeer husbandry (In Norwegian with Summary in English)