Arctic Flora Research Articles

An optimal set of criteria for the allocation of territories within the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation

The article examines the criteria for classifying regions in the Far North as part of the Arctic Zone within the Russian Federation. It evaluates a range of factors, including natural and climatic conditions, socio-economic aspects, and the medical and biological characteristics of the territories. Additionally, the article presents the outcomes of zoning the northern territories of the Russian Federation based on the natural and climatic conditions that impact human life. This analysis resulted in the identification of three criteria for determining the inclusion of territories in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation: the vegetation component of landscapes in its zonal distribution; the CAFF boundary, which proposed by the Arctic Council’s Arctic Flora and Fauna Conservation Working Group; and the level of ultraviolet deficiency, which reflects the direct impact of latitude on the natural environment and human health. These criteria are characterized by their clarity and ease of interpretation, and do not require the development or endorsement of supplementary methodological guidelines. They are easily grasped by both regional leaders and residents regarding the inclusion or exclusion of areas from the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation. Consequently, these criteria can be effectively integrated into federal legislation as directly applicable norms.

Traditional Fish Leather Dyeing Methods with Indigenous Arctic Plants

Along the Arctic and sub-Arctic coasts of Alaska, Siberia, north-eastern China, Hokkaido, Scandinavia and Iceland, people have dressed in clothes or worn shoes made of fish skin for millennia. (Within this article, the terms fish skin and fish leather are used to indicate different processes of the same material. Fish skin: Skin indicates the superficial dermis of an animal. Fish skin is referred to as the historical raw material that is tanned following traditional methods such as mechanical, oiling and smoking tanning, using materials such as bark, brain, urine, fish eggs and corn flour. Fish leather is used to refer that the fish skin has passed one or more stages of industrial vegetable or chrome tanning production and is ready to be used to produce leather goods). These items are often decorated with a rich colour palette of natural dyes provided by nature. In this study, minerals and raw materials of plant origin were collected from riverbanks and processed by Arctic seamstresses who operated as designers, biochemists, zoologists, and climatologists simultaneously. During our research, an international team of fashion, tanning and education specialists used local Arctic and sub-Arctic flora from Sweden, Iceland, and Japan to dye fish leather. Several plants were gathered and sampled on a small scale to test the process and determine the colours they generated based on the historical literature and verbal advice from local experts. This paper describes the process and illustrates the historical use of natural dyes by the Arctic groups originally involved in this craft, building on the traditional cultural heritage that has enabled us to develop sustainable dyeing processes. The results are promising and confirm the applicability of these local plants for dyeing fish skins, providing a basis for a range of natural dye colours from local Arctic flora. The aim is to develop a moderate-sized industrial production of fish leather in this colour palette to replace current unsustainable chemical dyeing processes. This project represents an innovation in material design driven by traditional technologies, addressing changes in interactions between humans and with our environment. The results indicate that new materials, processes, and techniques are often the fruitful marriage of fashion and historical research of traditional methods, helping the industry move towards a more sustainable future.

The genus Brachysira (Brachysiraceae, Bacillariophyceae) in the Arctic with the description of two new species

ABSTRACT Two unknown diatoms belonging to the genus Brachysira were found during a survey of the moss-inhabiting diatom flora in Canada, Greenland, Iceland and Spitsbergen. Detailed light and scanning electron microscopy revealed sufficient morphological differentiation in valve dimensions and shape, striae density, and ultrastructure for them to be described as new species. The description of Brachysira louiseboydiana sp. nov. and B. hutchisoniana sp. nov. brings the total number of Brachysira species globally to 132. Formal descriptions are presented, each illustrated by light and scanning electron micrographs, and the new species are compared with similar Brachysira taxa worldwide. Additionally, four previously described species which were also observed in the Arctic mosses are discussed. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the Arctic terrestrial diatom flora.

Classification and Status by Geological Periods Relicts, Rare Species of Zakatala and Belokan Districts

The article provides data on period III relicts and rare tree and shrub species common in the forest ecosystems of the Zakatala and Belokan districts of Azerbaijan, and their classification and status by geological periods is given. As a result of research and analysis, the species Taxus baccata L., Hedera pastuchovii Woronow ex Woronow and Smilax excelsa L. were included in the relicts of the Poltava flora. In the forest ecosystems of the study areas, 6 tree and shrub relict species belonging to 6 families and 6 genera of the subtropical evergreen Poltava flora (mesothermal relicts of the Arctic flora of the III period) were identified: Taxus baccata L., Platanus orientalis L., Punica granatum L., Hedera pastuchovii Woronow ex Woronow, Smilax excelsa L. and Diospyros lotus L. With the exception of Smilax excelsa L., other 5 species are listed in the Red Book of the Azerbaijan Republic. In the Zakatala and Belokan districts, relict tree and shrub plants belonging to 15 families, 23 genera and 30 species of Arctic and deciduous Turgai flora (mesothermal relicts of the Arctic flora of the III period) are widespread. Of these, 10 species (Pinus kochiana Klotzsch ex K. Koch = Pinus sylvestris var. hamata Steven, Fraxinus coriariifolia Scheele, Castanea sativa Mill., Quercus iberica Steven ex M. Bieb., Pterocarya pterocarpa (Michx.) Kunth ex Iljinsk., Juglans regia L., Acer pseudoplatanus L., Acer hyrcanum Fisch. ex C. A. Mey., Corylus colurna L., Vitis vinifera L., are considered rare plants of Azerbaijan. It was established that 38 rare tree and shrub species belonging to 35 there are 23 families.

Improving the current configuration of the Russian Federation Arctic Zone, with account to international environmental cooperation within the framework of the Arctic Council

This article analyzes the problems of correlating the space within which the Russian Federation’s special state policy is implemented, considering Russia’s international obligations, to the actual status of the Arctic territories. The boundaries of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF) and the territories specified by the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) working group of the Arctic Council are only partially coincident and vary in different regions. This discrepancy can be explained by the lack of uniform criteria for the identification of the southern border of the Arctic zone, while international projects aimed at preserving the natural environment and biodiversity in the Arctic are being implemented in these territories. A number of territories have been proposed for inclusion in the Arctic zone as part of the final stage of the Russian Arctic. It is important to define the Arctic zone in order to address the problems of protecting the environment and biological resources of the territory and ensuring the social and economic well-being of the Arctic population.

The Renardodden flora of Spitsbergen

The Renardodden flora combines fossil plants from the Skilvika and Renardodden formations of the Renardodden and Scottbreen areas south of Bellsund, the Sesshøgda Formation (Prins Karls Forland) and the Sarstangen conglomerate (Sarsbukta area). We considered them as representing a single fossil flora, because floristic assemblages from these four stratigraphic units contain a large number of common species. The Renardodden flora includes approximately 30 species of conifers and angiosperms. Angiosperms predominate and are represented by the families Platanaceae, Cercidiphyllaceae, Trochodendraceae, Hamamelidaceae, Betulaceae, Cornaceae, Tiliaceae, Aceraceae, and several taxa of an uncertain taxonomic position. Monocots are represented by two aquatic plants: Haemanthophyllum nordenskioldii and Acorus spitsbergensis. A new combination Zizyphoides retusa (Heer) Golovn. et Zolina, comb. nov. is proposed. The Renardodden flora is characterized by a high endemism and has no distinct floristic connections with other arctic and boreal floras. The age of the Renardodden flora is estimated as the late Eocene.

Alien species of vascular plants of Taimyr

The features of alien plant species distribution in Taimyr district of Krasnoyarsk region are characterized. Totally, 54 alien plant species (5.5 % of the district’s flora) were found in the area, 27 of them were observed by the authors more than once or found in the region for the first time. The general features of the distribution, occurrence and timing of these species are given. For row of species, methods of introduction and assessment of population dynamics (emergence and extinction) are considered. It has been noted that a large part of noted imported species populations are very short-lived (1-2 years, rarely more). It is also discussed whether certain species are alien or natural. A relatively new group of introduced species - those spreading from culture (mainly from lawn mixtures) - has been identified that requires a separate special study. The likelihood of significant introductions of alien species into natural ecosystems, based on available observations, is assessed as low. As a rule, introduced plant species appear only in the early stages of post-anthropogenic succession or under constant influence of technogenic factors, later they are still superseded by the native pioneer erosiophilic species. Nevertheless, the need to monitor the invasion of alien species and the dynamics of their populations remains relevant as a general element in the dynamics of the composition of the Arctic flora.

Ochotopteris—An Endemic Fern of the Mid-Cretaceous Arctic

Three species belonging to the fern genus Ochotopteris E. Lebedev, including the new species O. lebedevii Herman et Domogatskaya, are revised, described and illustrated in this paper. The fossils come from Albian, Cenomanian, Turonian and Coniacian beds exposed at seven sites in North-Eastern Asia and Northern Alaska. These sites are located in the Cretaceous Arctic, with their palaeolatitudes ranging from 60° N to 80° N. The high endemism characteristic of the mid-Cretaceous Arctic flora is most probably due to adaptations in the globally distinctive Arctic conditions: the unique combination of temperatures, precipitation and the highly seasonal polar light regime. Being an endemic plant of the mid-Cretaceous Arctic, Ochotopteris ferns were adapted to a regional wet temperate to a wet warm temperate palaeoclimate accompanied by marked sunlight seasonality with a prolonged—up to several weeks—winter darkness and continuous summer daylight, also lasting for several weeks. The majority of the mid-Cretaceous Arctic plants were deciduous. Their predominant deciduousness was most probably due to the polar light seasonality: at the end of the growing season, some plants dropped their leaves or leafy shoots, whereas others—including Ochotopteris ferns—died back to rhizome systems.

Non-native vascular flora of alpine areas in the White Mountains, New Hampshire, USA

ABSTRACT Arctic-alpine vegetation in the eastern United States is unique to northern New England and New York and is disjunct from similar areas in eastern Canada. We present the first study of the non-native flora in the region, specifically focusing on New Hampshire’s White Mountains. By combining literature and herbaria searches, field surveys, and a seventeen-year evaluation at an alpine hut in a hypothesis-driven framework, we document the composition, chronology, and persistence of non-native plant species establishments, regress richness in relation to elevation and disturbed area, and evaluate similarities to nineteen other alpine floras globally. Our results indicate that the White Mountains support one of the most species-rich non-native alpine floras known in the world, with 58 species detected at thirty-one sites since 1874, comprising 19 percent of 300 species documented in New Hampshire’s 22 km2 of alpine tundra. There is a negative relationship between non-native alpine plant richness and elevation along a mountain road on Mt. Washington. Moreover, elevation predicts richness per unit area in proximity to clusters of built structures in alpine areas. The compositions, geographic origins, and dominant ruderal strategies of non-native species are similar to those of Arctic and other alpine non-native floras globally. Sørenson similarity index and nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination of twenty alpine regions reveals the White Mountains have highest similarity with widely separated mountain regions in Australia, Hawaii, the Rocky Mountains, the Andes, Southern Africa, and Iceland, driven by shared species of Eurasian origin. We report the unexpected discovery of Plagiobothrys hispidulus, a borage native to western North America not previously reported from New Hampshire. These findings have important implications for managers of alpine areas in eastern North America and may facilitate the early detection, monitoring, and control of non-native species, minimizing their establishment and spread.

Development of a multi-scale monitoring programme: approaches for the Arctic and lessons learned from the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme 2002-2022

The Arctic Council working group, the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) established the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme (CBMP), an international network of scientists, governments, Indigenous organizations, and conservation groups working to harmonize and integrate efforts to extend and develop monitoring and assessment of the Arctic’s biodiversity. Its relevance stretches beyond the Arctic to a broad range of regional and global initiatives and agreements. This paper describes the process and approach taken in the last two decades to develop and implement the CBMP. It documents challenges encountered, lessons learnt, and solutions, and considers how it has been a model for national, regional, and global monitoring programmes; explores how it has impacted Arctic biodiversity monitoring, assessment, and policy and concludes with observations on key issues and next steps. The following are overarching prerequisites identified in the implementation of the CBMP: effective coordination, sufficient and sustained funding, improved standards and protocols, co-production of knowledge and equitable involvement of IK approaches, data management to facilitating regional analysis and comparisons, communication and outreach to raising awareness and engagement in the programme, ensuring resources to engage in international fora to ensuring programme implementation.

Evolutionary history of the Arctic flora

The Arctic tundra is a relatively young and new type of biome and is especially sensitive to the impacts of global warming. However, little is known about how the Arctic flora was shaped over time. Here we investigate the origin and evolutionary dynamics of the Arctic flora by sampling 32 angiosperm clades that together encompass 3626 species. We show that dispersal into the Arctic and in situ diversification within the Arctic have similar trends through time, initiating at approximately 10–9 Ma, increasing sharply around 2.6 Ma, and peaking around 1.0–0.7 Ma. Additionally, we discover the existence of a long-term dispersal corridor between the Arctic and western North America. Our results suggest that the initiation and diversification of the Arctic flora might have been jointly driven by progressive landscape and climate changes and sea-level fluctuations since the early Late Miocene. These findings have important conservation implications given rapidly changing climate conditions in the Arctic.

Vascular plant biodiversity of Katannilik Territorial Park, Kimmirut and vicinity on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada: an annotated checklist of an Arctic flora.

The Arctic ecozone is undergoing a rapid transformation in response to climate change. Establishing a baseline of current Arctic biodiversity is necessary to be able to track changes in species diversity and distribution over time. Here, we report a vascular plant floristic study of Katannilik Territorial Park, Kimmirut and vicinity within Circumpolar Arctic Bioclimate Subzone D on southern Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. We compiled a dataset of 1596 collections gathered in the study area throughout the last century, including 838 we made in 2012. The vascular flora comprises 35 families, 98 genera, 211 species, two nothospecies and seven infraspecific taxa. We newly recorded 51 taxa in 22 families in the study area: Erigeroneriocephalus, Taraxacumholmenianum (Asteraceae), Drabaarctica, D.fladnizensis, D.lactea (Brassicaceae), Campanularotundifolia (Campanulaceae), Arenarialongipedunculata, Honckenyapeploidessubsp.diffusa, Sabulinarossii, Sileneuralensissubsp.uralensis, Viscariaalpina (Caryophyllaceae), Carexbrunnescenssubsp.brunnescens, C.krausei, C.microglochin, C.subspathacea, C.williamsii, Eriophorumscheuchzerisubsp.arcticum (Cyperaceae), Andromedapolifolia, Orthiliasecundasubsp.obtusata (Ericaceae), Oxytropispodocarpa (Fabaceae), Luzulagroenlandica (Juncaceae), Triglochinpalustris (Juncaginaceae), Utriculariaochroleuca (Lentibulariaceae), Huperziacontinentalis (Lycopodiaceae), Montiafontana (Montiaceae), Corallorhizatrifida, Platantheraobtusatasubsp.obtusata (Orchidaceae), Hippurislanceolata, H.vulgaris, Plantagomaritima (Plantaginaceae), Calamagrostisneglectasubsp.groenlandica, C.purpurascens, Festucaproliferavar.lasiolepis, F.rubrasubsp.rubra, F.rubrasubsp.arctica, Hordeumjubatumsubsp.jubatum, Leymusmollissubsp.mollis, L.mollissubsp.villosissimus, Puccinelliavaginata (Poaceae), Primulaegaliksensis (Primulaceae), Cryptogrammastelleri (Pteridaceae), Coptidium×spitsbergense (Ranunculaceae), Potentillacrantzii, P.hyparcticasubsp.hyparctica, Rubuschamaemorus, Sibbaldiaprocumbens (Rosaceae), Salixfuscescens (Salicaceae), Micranthesfoliolosa, M.nivalis, M.tenuis (Saxifragaceae) and Woodsiaalpina (Woodsiaceae). We recorded 196 taxa in Katannilik Territorial Park (191 species, three infraspecific taxa and two nothospecies); 145 of these taxa are first records for the park. We recorded 170 taxa in Kimmirut and vicinity (166 species, three infraspecific taxa and one nothospecies) in Kimmirut and vicinity; 15 of these taxa are first records for Kimmirut and vicinity. All study area species are native, except two grasses that grew in Kimmirut: F.rubrasubsp.rubra, which may have been seeded and Hordeumjubatumsubsp.jubatum, of unknown origin. We summarize the distribution on Baffin Island for each taxon recorded in the study area, including several unpublished southern Baffin Island records.

Арктическая научная дипломатия США и Канады: сравнительный анализ

The article examines the U.S. and Canadian Arctic Science Diplomacy (ASD) in a comparative perspective. The authors have identified the main reasons – scientific and geopolitical – for the use of the ASD in the region by these two countries, as well as by key state and non-state actors involved in its coordination and implementation. The ASD priorities for both countries include climate change implications, environmental problems, oceanography, geophysics, glaciology, permafrost, Arctic flora and fauna, conservation of biodiversity, Arctic shipping and transport infrastructure, rational use of Arctic mineral and biological resources, local communities, indigenous peoples, integration of traditional knowledge into science, and so on. Based on the analysis, it was found that both the USA and Canada recognize the important role of the Arctic Science Diplomacy in the successful implementation of their Arctic strategy and consider this kind of “non-traditional” public diplomacy to be a rather significant resource of their policy in the Far North. The Canadian ASD has to a greater extent an internal rather than an external orientation, while the U.S. ASD basically serves as an instrument of promotion of American national interests in the region. However, the United States pay less attention to the Arctic Science Diplomacy than Canada. The American ASD infrastructure (including the research centers and polar stations network as well as the research vessel fleet) is less developed than the Canadian one. In addition, in the U.S. strategic documents on the Arctic, unlike Canadian strategies, the coercive component is most clearly traced, which makes the United States a less attractive international partner and imposes certain restrictions on the participation of American ASD actors in Arctic cooperation. Moreover, the United States is very suspicious of the ASD of those regional “players” whom they have listed as unfriendly states (including Russia and China), which also serves as an obstacle to the development of Washington’s scientific cooperation with international partners in the Far North.

Clear phylogeographical structures shed light on the origin and dispersal of the aquatic boreal plant Hippuris vulgaris.

Aquatic plants are an important ecological group in the arctic flora; however, their evolutionary histories remain largely unknown. In order to deepen our understanding of the evolution of these plants, we explored the phylogeographical structure of an aquatic boreal plant Hippuris vulgaris in a broad geographical sampling from Eurasia and North America using the chloroplast intergenic spacer psbA-trnH and seven nuclear microsatellite loci. Two closely-related species H. lanceolata and H. tetraphylla were also included because of their taxonomic controversy. Both chloroplast DNA sequences and nuclear microsatellite data revealed three genetic lineages with distinct distribution ranges. Incongruence between nuclear and chloroplast DNA lineages occurred in 14 samples from Russian Far East and Europe caused by inter-lineage hybridization. No private haplotypes or independent genetic clusters were evident in H. lanceolata or H. tetraphylla, suggesting that these two species should be considered conspecific ecotypes of H. vulgaris. Analysis using Approximate Bayesian Computation-Random Forest approach suggests that Hippuris vulgaris originated in China, followed by dispersal into Russia plus Northeast China, then successively westwards into Europe and North America, and finally into the Russian Far East from both North America and Russia plus Northeast China. This study is the first to elucidate the historical dispersal processes of a circumarctic aquatic plant across the entirety of its range.

The arctic-alpine elements in the alpine flora of Altai

In continuation of A. I. Tolmachev’s ideas on the need for the special study of Arctic-alpine component in high-altitude floras, the group of Arctic-alpine species has been identified in the Altai high-altitude flora. By utilizing the methods of floristic analysis, the features of the taxonomic composition of the Arctic-alpine species group, the proportion of the ecological groups of species in relation to humidity and the nature of substrate, the role of climatic and choro-logical groups of species in the formation of the complex of the Arctic-alpine species have been shown. For the first time, the comparative analysis of the Arctic-alpine species groups in high-altitude and arctic floras was performed with the use of the Jaccard similarity coefficient and measures of inclusion. The main stages of the Arctic-alpine groups’ formation in various Siberian floras have been revealed. It is expected that the formation of the core of the complex of arctic high-alti-tude species, in Siberia, took place at the end of the Pleistocene - beginning of the Holocene. Subsequent recruitment of the Arctic-alpine species group was occurring in the hypoarctic floras in northeastern Siberia due to climate change in the Holocene. The distribution features of the Arctic-alpine species from Southern Siberia to the mountain systems of Mongolia have been shown. 3 groups of botanical and geographical regions of Mongolia have been designated according to the representativity of Arctic-alpine species, the sources and ways of Arctic-alpine species’ distribution in Mongolia have been shown.

К анализу флор арктических тундр Севера Дальнего Востока России

An algorithm for analyzing of botanical information for use in the study of flora and vegetation by grid mapping was proposed using the example of the subzonal phytochora of the Arctic tundras. The article shows the total species richness of the studied area, which consists of 1007 taxa of vascular plants, mosses and lichens. The results of systematic, morphological, ecological, cenotic, and geographical analyses of Arctic tundra flora are presented; the distribution of vascular plant species of Arctic tundras in other subzonal flora of the region is shown; lists of species common for Arctic tundras and other subzonal floras are given; rare and endemic for the region species are identified.

High-density metals and arsenic in algae of storm emissions from the coastal area of the Severny island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago

Purpose of the Study is to assess the potential hazard in terms of the content of high-density metals (HDMs) and arsenic (As) for the consumption of objects of the Arctic algal flora presented in storm emissions in places of probable disembarkation of a crew, the ship has come in a distress or a disaster in the water area of the northern seas of the Russian Federation.Materials and methods. The elemental composition of samples of the plants thrown by the wind-wave impact on the coastal area of the Severny island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. Before making the analysis, thallus fragments were dried at 80° C to constant weight to determine their dry weight with an accuracy of 1 mg. The material mineralization was carried out using a microwave mineralizer according to the standard technique. The elementary analysis was performed using MGA-915M atomic spectrometer. The data obtained were compared with the maximum permissible levels established by the current regulatory documents. According to the results of measurements, series of decreasing concentrations of HDMs in algae samples were built according to the places of collection and species.Results and Discussion. It has been found that the lowest content of HDMs and arsenic in the wind-wave emissions of algae on the Severny Island in the Russkaya Gavan Bay of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago belongs to both Laminaria digitata and vegetative parts of the thallus of most of the other ejected algae. These plants can be used for food in extreme situations by the crews of a ship (an aircraft, etc.) who has come in a distress or a disaster.

Evolutionary assembly of the Arctic flora

AbstractAimThe Arctic is the coldest inhabited region on Earth, and it supports few terrestrial species. The tropical‐climate origin of many angiosperm clades, along with strong phylogenetic niche conservatism, likely constrained colonization of cold environments for many plants. However, invasion of the Arctic by many lineages might also have opened up a new adaptive landscape that facilitated subsequent diversification. We might, therefore, expect species in this biome to be descendants of a few cold‐tolerant lineages. Here, we explore the assembly of the Arctic flora using data on the relationships and distributions of > 80,000 species.LocationThe Northern Hemisphere.Time periodCurrent.TaxonFlowering plants.MethodsThe Arctic was divided into five bioclimate subzones. We assembled a species pool for flowering plants in the Northern Hemisphere, and determined which species of the species pool are distributed in the Arctic and each of its subzones. We used two metrics (the standardized effect sizes of mean pairwise distance and Faith’s phylogenetic diversity; MPDses and PDses, respectively) to quantify phylogenetic dispersion of flowering plant assemblages.ResultsWhen the Arctic species were compared to all the species in the Northern Hemisphere, MPDses and PDses were −12.85 and −27.17, respectively, indicating that the Arctic flora is a phylogenetically clustered subset of the Northern Hemisphere species pool. In general, MPDses and PDses decreased from the south to the north within the Arctic, indicating that some lineages are further filtered stepwise into more northerly Arctic subzones.Main conclusionsThe species of the Arctic flora comprise a phylogenetically clustered subset of the broader Northern Hemisphere flora. The more negative value for PDses compared to MPDses indicates that clustering is stronger towards the tips of the phylogenetic tree. We suggest that the majority of Arctic species are nested within clades having attributes that enabled adaptation to cold climates.

On the influence of erect shrubs on the irradiance profile in snow

Abstract. The warming-induced expansion of shrubs in the Arctic is transforming snowpacks into a mixture of snow, impurities and buried branches. Because snow is a translucent medium into which light penetrates up to tens of centimetres, buried branches may alter the snowpack radiation budget with important consequences for the snow thermal regime and microstructure. To characterize the influence of buried branches on radiative transfer in snow, irradiance profiles were measured in snowpacks with and without shrubs near Umiujaq in the Canadian Low Arctic (56.5∘ N, 76.5∘ W) in November and December 2015. Using the irradiance profiles measured in shrub-free snowpacks in combination with a Monte Carlo radiative transfer model revealed that the dominant impurity type was black carbon (BC) in variable concentrations up to 185 ng g−1. This allowed the separation of the radiative effects of impurities and buried branches. Irradiance profiles measured in snowpacks with shrubs showed that the impact of buried branches was local (i.e. a few centimetres around branches) and only observable in layers where branches were also visible in snowpit photographs. The local-effect hypothesis was further supported by observations of localized melting and depth hoar pockets that formed in the vicinity of branches. Buried branches therefore affect snowpack properties, with possible impacts on Arctic flora and fauna and on the thermal regime of permafrost. Lastly, the unexpectedly high BC concentrations in snow are likely caused by nearby open-air waste burning, suggesting that cleaner waste management plans are required for northern community and ecosystem protection.

Geoheritage of the Monchegorsk Igneous Layered Paleoproterozoic Intrusion (Kola Peninsula, Arctic Russia): Evaluation and Geotourism Opportunities

Monchegorsk is an intrusion complex of basic and ultrabasic rocks of the Paleoproterozoic age. This complex formed during active magmatic mobility that took place in NE Scandinavia 2.5 Ga years ago. These were the subject of intensive exploration and exploitation at the beginning of the 20th century, the latter carrying on through to the beginning of the 21st century. This contributed to the creation of some different forms of post-industrail mining infrastructure in the area. Many mining settlements, including Monchegorsk, mining plants, adits and quarries were established during this time, the relics of which are still present today. The Monchegorsk intrusions complex is formed by several fragmented massifs: Traviannaya, Kumuzhia, Nittis, Sopcha, Nyud, Poaz, and Monchetundra, the highest elevations of which reach up to 1000 m above sea level. These massifs form a landscape of “islands” and mountain ranges that have influence upon the regional landscape over several tens of kilometers. Their geography is characterized by numerous reliefs, glacial cirques, rocky thresholds with waterfalls and trough lakes. The potential of this region lies in the heritage of historical exploitation, numerous monuments of which have been preserved to this day. An important value is a landscape resulting from the relief of these mountains, highlighted by glacial activity in the Pleistocene. There are also interesting examples of Arctic fauna and flora, and of the rocks that form the bedrock in this intrusion. Some of the mineralization of these outcroppings can also be admired in the collections of the local museum that serves as a geocenter. The possibility of admiring relatively easily accessible views (the international route St. Petersburg–Murmansk–Kirkenes passes through the middle of the hills) and the interesting geology of the area abounding in rocks of mineralogical significance, their exposures, and history, along with the possibility of observing various post-industrail forms, make this area of great tourist potential. This article describes the most interesting exposures of outstanding tourist value and proposes routes connecting these points. It also discusses the problem of securing these exposures and the necessary tourist infrastructure, which is currently lacking.