Circumpolar Environment Research Articles

DO OLDER ADULTS BELIEVE THEY ARE AGING SUCCESSFULLY IN THE CIRCUMPOLAR NORTH?

Abstract People’s perspectives on successful aging may impact their own aging outcomes. To gain more insight, we surveyed a convenience sample of 58 adults aged 55+ years in urban Alaska about their perceptions of their own aging using Fowler’s successful aging scale. Overall, older adults rated their aging in the middle of the 1-7 scale across all three questions: how well they are aging, how “successfully” they have aged up to now, and how they rate their lives these days (M=4.17, SD=1.16, range=1-7 where 1 = not at all successful and 7 = extremely successful). Correlational analyses indicated that as perceptions of successful aging increase, self-reported good general health (M=2.90, SD=1.00, range=1=5) increases, r(56)=.499, p<.001, and self-reported disability (M=0.71, SD=0.92, range=0-3) decreases, r(56)=-.27, p<.05. Despite a small sample size, these findings that perceptions of successful aging increased as general heath increased and self-reported disability decreased, suggest that participants may perceive successful aging and good general health to be positively correlated. Perceptions of successful aging were not related to age in this sample (M=71.98, SD=8.74), r(56)=.125, p=.349. This is promising, as it may indicate that older adults recognize good health and absence of disability as integral components for successful aging regardless of chronological age providing opportunities for targeted messaging in future interventions. Future work will explore opportunities to promote successful aging and overcome some of the challenges related to healthy aging in this urban location, including the Circumpolar environment, historical trauma of Indigenous peoples, and a lack of accessible healthcare across Alaska.

Intensification of hot Eurasian summers by climate change and land\u2013atmosphere interactions

Persistent abnormal hot weather can cause considerable damage to human society and natural environments. In northern Eurasia, the recent change in summer surface air temperature exhibits a heterogeneous pattern with accelerated warming around the Eastern European Plain and Central Siberia, forming a wave train-like structure. However, the key factors that determine the magnitude and spatial distribution of this summer temperature trend remain unclear. Here, a huge ensemble of general circulation model (GCM) simulations show that the recent summer temperature trend has been intensified by two factors: steady warming induced by external forcing and inhomogeneous warming induced by internal atmosphere–land interactions that amplify quasi-stationary waves. The latter is sensitive to both snow cover and soil moisture anomalies in the spring, suggesting the potential of land surface monitoring for better seasonal prediction of summer temperatures. Dramatic changes in the circumpolar environment, characterised by Eurasian snow variation and Arctic Ocean warming, collectively affect summertime climate via memory effects of the land surface.

Rapid peat accumulation favours the occurrence of both fen and bog microbial communities within a Mediterranean, free-floating peat island

The unique environment of a 4m-thick, free-floating peat island within the Posta Fibreno lake (Central Italy) was analyzed using DNA-based techniques to assess bacterial and fungal community members identity and abundance. Two depths were sampled at 41 and 279 cm from the surface, the former corresponding to an emerged portion of Sphagnum residues accumulated less than 30 yrs ago, and the latter mainly consisting of silty peat belonging to the deeply submerged part of the island, dating back to 1520–1660 AD. The corresponding communities were very diverse, each of them dominated by a different member of the Delta-proteobacteria class for prokaryotes. Among Eukaryotes, Ascomycota prevailed in the shallow layer while Basidiomycota were abundant in the deep sample. The identity of taxa partitioning between acidic surface layer and neutral core is very reminiscent of the differences reported between bogs and fens respectively, supporting the view of Posta Fibreno as a relic transitional floating mire. Moreover, some microbial taxa show an unusual concurrent species convergence between this sub-Mediterranean site and far Nordic or circumpolar environments. This study represents the first report describing the biotic assemblages of such a peculiar environment, and provides some insights into the possible mechanisms of its evolution.

Differential preference for ultraviolet light among captive birds from three ecological habitats

With receptors for red, blue, green, and ultraviolet-A light, birds have tetrachromatic vision. For birds, ultraviolet (UV) light is important for a number of their behaviors, including mate selection, foraging, and nesting. Many captive birds, however, are housed indoors without access to natural light and without UV-supplemented lighting; a practice which may negatively impact their welfare. Understanding how birds use UV light, and assessing its relative importance, is necessary to provide optimal care in captive settings. Accordingly, we tested the preference for UV light shown by 67 birds housed at Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, USA, and its impact on their behavior. We tested 18 species which represented three natural ecologies typified by different natural light levels: high light dwellers (e.g., birds that live in savannas or seashores), patchy light dwellers (e.g., birds that live in forested areas), and circumpolar dwellers (e.g., birds that live near the poles). Experiment 1 investigated the birds’ lighting preferences through simultaneous presentation of areas of their exhibit lit with supplemental ultraviolet light (UV+ zone) and with standard artificial light. Experiment 2 investigated the impact of supplemental UV light on these birds’ behavioral repertoire. Birds from high light and circumpolar environments showed a preference for the side of their enclosure to which UV light was added. High light birds were recorded in the UV+ zone during 64% trials and, similarly, circumpolar birds were observed in this UV+ zone for 61% of trials; a significant preference for UV+ zone, P<0.001 for both. Perhaps mimicking their natural habitat of part-sun and part-shade, in Experiment 1 birds from patchy light environments split their time evenly within their enclosure (they were recorded in the UV+ zone for 54% of trials). When in an environment with added UV light, birds from patchy light habitats were more sociable: the percentage of their observation trials spent in proximity and in contact with other birds increased from 5% to 11% (P=0.026). Although certain birds showed a preference for the added UV light, none showed changes in their behavioral repertoire beyond the sociability measure. We discuss this preference for UV-supplemented environments and the management implications for zoos and other captive facilities which house birds indoors.

Adaptive dimensions of health research among indigenous Siberians

Present evidence suggests that modern humans were the first hominid species to successfully colonize high-latitude environments (> or =55 degrees N). Given evidence for a recent (<200,000 years) lower latitude naissance of modern humans, the global dispersal and successful settlement of arctic and subarctic regions represent an unprecedented adaptive shift. This adaptive shift, which included cultural, behavioral, and biological dimensions, allowed human populations to cope with the myriad environmental stressors encountered in circumpolar regions. Although unique morphological and physiological adaptations among contemporary northern residents have been recognized for decades, human biologists are only now beginning to consider whether biological adaptations to regional environmental conditions influence health changes associated with economic modernization and lifestyle change. Recent studies have documented basal metabolic rates (BMRs) among indigenous Siberian populations that are systematically elevated compared to lower latitude groups; this metabolic elevation apparently is a physiological adaptation to cold stress experienced in the circumpolar environment. Important health implications of metabolic adaptation are suggested by research with the Yakut (Sakha), Evenki, and Buriat of Siberia. BMR is significantly positively correlated with blood pressure, independently of body size, body composition, and various potentially confounding variables (e.g., age and smoking). Further, this research has documented a significant negative association between BMR and LDL cholesterol, which remains after controlling for potential confounders; this suggests that high metabolic turnover among indigenous Siberians has a protective effect with regard to plasma lipid levels. These results underscore the importance of incorporating an evolutionary approach into health research among northern populations.

Spatial and Seasonal Variations of Hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) and Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in the Arctic Atmosphere

Weekly high-volume air samples were collected between 2000 and 2003 at six Arctic sites, i.e., Alert, Kinngait, and Little Fox Lake (LFL) in Canada, Point Barrow in Alaska, Valkarkai in Russia, and Zeppelin in Norway. Hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were quantified in all samples. Comparison showed that alpha-HCH and HCB were homogeneously distributed in the circumpolar atmosphere and uniform throughout the seasons. However, significantly higher atmospheric concentrations of alpha-HCH and HCB and strongertemperature dependence of alpha-HCH and gamma-HCH were found at LFL in Yukon (YK), which is unique among the sites by virtue of its high altitude and low latitude, resulting in higher precipitation rates and summer temperatures. Strong temperature dependence of alpha- and gamma-HCH at this location suggests that secondary emissions, i.e., re-evaporation from surfaces, were more important at this site than others. It is hypothesized that a higher precipitation rate at LFL facilitated the transfer of alpha-HCH from the atmosphere to surface media when technical HCH was still in use worldwide. On the other hand, higher temperature at LFL enhanced reevaporation to the atmosphere after the global ban of technical HCH. In contrast to alpha-HCH and HCB, larger spatial and seasonal differences were seen for gamma-HCH (a currently used pesticide), which likely reflect the influence of different primary contaminant sources on different Arctic locations. Fugacity ratios suggest a net deposition potential of HCB from air to seawater, whereas seawater/air exchange direction of alpha-HCH varies in the circumpolar environment.

Effect of the Antarctic environment on hormone levels and mood of Chinese expeditioners

Background. Serum thyroid hormones, plasma catecholamines and mood were examined in 10 male members of the 16th Chinese Antarctic Expedition who spent the 2000 austral winter at Great Wall Station.Study design. Samples were taken prior to deployment to Antarctica (December, 1999) and upon return to China 54 weeks later (December, 2000). The expeditioners also completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS) each month over an 8-month period (April through November, 2000).Results. There was a significant decrease in levels of serum total thyroxine (p<0.01) and plasma epinephrine (p < 0.05), and a significant increase in serum TSH (p<0.01). With the exception of a significant decline in level of vigor (p=0.008), there were no significant changes in mood throughout the expedition. Low levels of preand post-deployment total triiodothyronine and high levels of TSH were significantly associated with high levels of tension-anxiety, depression, anger, confusion, and total mood disturbance at the beginning and end of winter. High levels of TSH were also significantly associated with high levels of fatigue (p < 0.001), while low levels of total thyroxine were significantly associated with high levels of tension-anxiety (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.05), and total mood disturbance (p < 0.05). Low levels of dopamine were significantly associated with high levels of tension-anxiety (p < 0.05). An increase in anger during the austral winter was significantly associated with an increase in adrenaline during the expedition (p < 0.05). Conclusion. The increase in TSH, and its association with mood, is consistent with the polar T3 syndrome, while the absence of changes in free triiodothyronine and thyroxine may reflect characteristics of the environment, or racial/ethnic differences in psychophysiological, or sociocultural adaptation to circumpolar environments.

Low melatonin secretion associates with albedo in circumpolar environments.

To clarify how seasonal changes of environmental luminosity affect melatonin secretion in human beings, nocturnal urine samples were collected every 2 months throughout the year from 20 outdoor workers living in an area, for which exact data on solar irradiance and temperature were available (67-68 degrees N). Melatonin secretion rates, determined by melatonin-specific radioimmunoassays, were found to be twice as high in December as in April, i.e. 0.88 +/- 0.16 nmol/12 hr (mean +/- S.E.) versus 0.43 +/- 0.09 nmol/12 hr, P < 0.05. Regression analyses showed that melatonin values correlated best inversely with solar irradiance reflected off the ground (albedo). A 10-fold increase in albedo for 1-4 weeks prior to the date of urine sampling was associated with a ca. 50% reduction in melatonin secretion. Association with global irradiance was weaker and did not correlate with temperature. Thus, light reaching the eyes via snow or other reflecting surfaces appears to be most effective. These results assist us in understanding some of the mechanisms involved in certain biological phenomena that exhibit seasonal variations as, for instance, reproduction and self-destructive behavior.

Contested Arctic: Indigenous Peoples, Industrial States, and the Circumpolar Environment:Contested Arctic: Indigenous Peoples, Industrial States, and the Circumpolar Environment.

Contested Arctic: Indigenous Peoples, Industrial States, and the Circumpolar Environment. Eric Alden Smith and Joan McCarter. eds. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1998.156pp.

Contested Arctic: indigenous peoples, industrial states, and the circumpolar environment

The Arctic may be the last frontier of colonialism, where industrial societies are aggressively exploiting the resources and undermining the social cohesion of indigenous peoples. In fact, this colonization of the circumpolar north is only now reaching its full momentum. Among the new conquistadores are oil company geologists, loggers, even resource biologists, bringing not only industrial pollution but also cultural pollution in their wake. For centuries, the aboriginal Arctic population has efficiently used resources to meet modest human needs, developing a special relationship to the land, water, and wildlife. But at the intersection of national ambitions and arctic ecosystems, native communities are being relentlessly squeezed between the ravages of resource extraction and the often naive agendas of environmentalists in urban centers far away.This volume explores some of the major threats to the Arctic environment and indigenous peoples' responses to these threats. Case studies discuss the push for oil and gas development in Canada, Alaska, and Russia; the toxic legacy of the former Soviet Union; land tenure conflicts in Russia; and wildlife management in Canada and Scandinavia.

Contested Arctic: Indigenous Peoples, Industrial States, and the Circumpolar Environment

Contested Arctic: Indigenous Peoples, Industrial States, and the Circumpolar Environment

A look at the future of hazardous contamination of the circumpolar environment.

A look at the future of hazardous contamination of the circumpolar environment.