High Arctic Islands Research Articles

Characteristics of marine litter on Russian High Arctic islands under modern conditions

The study used data on the pollution of the coastline of the Russian Arctic National Park with marine litter to examine its composition and determine its origins. Marine litter is shown to accumulate on the islands of the Russian Arctic despite the absence of garbage patches in the Arctic Ocean. The analysis identified plastic as the main type of marine litter polluting the coasts. Monitoring also helped to identify the main source of pollution—fishing. The obtained results can be used to develop a plan designed to prevent industrial and consumer waste from reaching the coasts of islands.

Understanding Sources and Drivers of Size-Resolved Aerosol in the High Arctic Islands of Svalbard Using a Receptor Model Coupled with Machine Learning.

Atmospheric aerosols are important drivers of Arctic climate change through aerosol–cloud–climate interactions. However, large uncertainties remain on the sources and processes controlling particle numbers in both fine and coarse modes. Here, we applied a receptor model and an explainable machine learning technique to understand the sources and drivers of particle numbers from 10 nm to 20 μm in Svalbard. Nucleation, biogenic, secondary, anthropogenic, mineral dust, sea salt and blowing snow aerosols and their major environmental drivers were identified. Our results show that the monthly variations in particles are highly size/source dependent and regulated by meteorology. Secondary and nucleation aerosols are the largest contributors to potential cloud condensation nuclei (CCN, particle number with a diameter larger than 40 nm as a proxy) in the Arctic. Nonlinear responses to temperature were found for biogenic, local dust particles and potential CCN, highlighting the importance of melting sea ice and snow. These results indicate that the aerosol factors will respond to rapid Arctic warming differently and in a nonlinear fashion.

Differentiation of coarse-mode anthropogenic, marine and dust particles in the High Arctic islands of Svalbard

Abstract. Understanding aerosol–cloud–climate interactions in the Arctic is key to predicting the climate in this rapidly changing region. Whilst many studies have focused on submicrometer aerosol (diameter less than 1 µm), relatively little is known about the supermicrometer aerosol (diameter above 1 µm). Here, we present a cluster analysis of multiyear (2015–2019) aerodynamic volume size distributions, with diameter ranging from 0.5 to 20 µm, measured continuously at the Gruvebadet Observatory in the Svalbard archipelago. Together with aerosol chemical composition data from several online and offline measurements, we apportioned the occurrence of the coarse-mode aerosols during the study period (mainly from March to October) to anthropogenic (two sources, 27 %) and natural (three sources, 73 %) origins. Specifically, two clusters are related to Arctic haze with high levels of black carbon, sulfate and accumulation mode (0.1–1 µm) aerosol. The first cluster (9 %) is attributed to ammonium sulfate-rich Arctic haze particles, whereas the second one (18 %) is attributed to larger-mode aerosol mixed with sea salt. The three natural aerosol clusters were open-ocean sea spray aerosol (34 %), mineral dust (7 %) and an unidentified source of sea spray-related aerosol (32 %). The results suggest that sea-spray-related aerosol in polar regions may be more complex than previously thought due to short- and long-distance origins and mixtures with Arctic haze, biogenic and likely blowing snow aerosols. Studying supermicrometer natural aerosol in the Arctic is imperative for understanding the impacts of changing natural processes on Arctic aerosol.

Carried with the wind: mass occurrence of Zeiraphera griseana (Hübner, 1799) (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) on Vize Island (Russian High Arctic)

Vize Island, located in the northern part of the Kara Sea (79°30’N, 76°59’E), is one of the least studied islands of the Russian High Arctic in terms of its biota. Hundreds of live and freshly dead individuals of Larch Budmoth Zeiraphera griseana (Hübner, 1799) were observed on this island from 16 July–2 August 2020. This is the first and the only terrestrial invertebrate ever discovered on Vize Island. The moths were likely transported to the island by air currents from the northern part of the Krasnoyarsk region, where an outbreak of Z. griseana was reported on over 75,000 ha. The distance travelled by moths approached 1200 km. Thus, the high Arctic islands are less isolated from insect migrants than was commonly thought. These islands will be colonised by boreal insects as soon as changing environmental conditions allow the establishment of local populations.

Prioritization of landscape connectivity for the conservation of Peary caribou.

Adequate connectivity between discontinuous habitat patches is crucial for the persistence of metapopulations across space and time. Loss of landscape connectivity is often a direct result of fragmentation caused by human activities but also can be caused indirectly through anthropogenic climate change. Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi) are widely dispersed across the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and rely on sea ice to move seasonally between island habitats throughout their range. Seasonal connectivity provided by sea ice is necessary to maintain genetic diversity and to facilitate dispersal and recolonization of areas from which caribou have been extirpated. We used least‐cost path analysis and circuit theory to model connectivity across Peary caribou range, and future climate projections to investigate how this connectivity might be affected by a warming climate. Further, we used measures of current flow centrality to estimate the role of High Arctic islands in maintaining connectivity between Peary caribou populations and to identify and prioritize those islands and linkages most important for conservation. Our results suggest that the Bathurst Island complex plays a critical role in facilitating connectivity between Peary caribou populations. Large islands, including Banks, Victoria, and Ellesmere have limited roles in connecting Peary caribou. Without rigorous greenhouse gas emission reductions our projections indicate that by 2100 all connectivity between the more southern Peary caribou populations will be lost for important spring and early‐winter movement periods. Continued connectivity across the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and possibly Peary caribou persistence, ultimately hinges on global commitments to limit climate change. Our research highlights priority areas where, in addition to emission reductions, conservation efforts to maintain connectivity would be most effective.

Morphological keys to advance the understanding of protostrongylid biodiversity in caribou (Rangifer spp.) at high latitudes.

The Protostrongylidae is a diverse family of nematodes capable of causing significant respiratory and neuromuscular disease in their ungulate and lagomorph hosts. Establishing the species diversity and abundance of the protostrongylid fauna has been hindered because the first stage larvae, commonly referred as dorsal spined larvae (DSL), that are shed in the feces are morphologically very similar among several genera. We aimed to determine the protostrongylid diversity and distribution in caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus and R. t. pearyi) in the central and high Canadian Arctic. We first developed, tested and validated a morphological diagnostic guide for the DSL of two important protostrongylids, Parelaphostrongylus andersoni and Varestrongylus eleguneniensis, and then applied this guide to determine the prevalence and intensity of infection of these parasites in fecal samples from 242 caribou. We found that DSL of V. eleguneniensis and P. andersoni can be differentiated morphologically based on the structural differences at the caudal extremity. The presentation and morphology of the dorsal spine, and caudoventral bulging at the start of the tail extension were identified as the key identifying features. The two species were found in caribou on the arctic mainland and southern Victoria Island in single and co-infections, but the prevalence and intensity of infection was low. No protostrongylids were detected in caribou from the high arctic islands. Through this study, we provide a simple, efficient, and robust method to distinguish the DSL of the two protostrongylids, and present the current status of infection in different herds of caribou of the central Canadian Arctic. We report new geographic and host records for P. andersoni infection in Dolphin and Union caribou herd.

In the Warming Arctic Seas

In the Warming Arctic Seas

Diversity of Piophilidae (Diptera) in northern Canada and description of a new Holarctic species of Parapiophila McAlpine.

Piophilidae (Diptera) were inventoried at 12 sites in boreal and arctic Canada as part of the 1947-1962 Northern Insect Survey and 2010-2011 Northern Biodiversity Program. Seventeen species were identified, including a new Holarctic species: Parapiophila kugluktuk sp. n. which is widespread in North America and northern Sweden. Allopiophila calceata Duda is considered a junior synonym of Parapiophila atrifrons (Melander & Spuler) syn. n. based on morphological and molecular evidence. Parapiophila baechlii Merz, previously known from Switzerland, is newly recorded in the Nearctic region, as well as Sweden and northeastern Russia (Cherskiy). Parapiophila pectiniventris (Duda), previously known from the Palaearctic region and Greenland, is newly recorded from North America. Species richness was highest in mainland subarctic sites (16 species, 246 specimens). Five species (13 specimens) were collected in boreal sites, and five species (701 specimens) were collected on the high arctic island sites.

Microorganisms in Small Patterned Ground Features and Adjacent Vegetated Soils along Topographic and Climatic Gradients in the High Arctic, Canada

In this study, we determine differences in total biomass of soil microorganisms and community structure (using the most probable number of bacteria (MPN) and the number of fungal genera) in patterned ground features (PGF) and adjacent vegetated soils (AVS) in mesic sites from three High Arctic islands in order to characterize microbial dynamics as affected by cryoturbation, and a broad bioclimatic gradient. We also characterize total biomass of soil microorganisms and the most probable number of bacteria along a topographic gradient within each bioclimatic subzone to evaluate whether differences in topography lead to differences in microbial dynamics at a smaller scale. We found total microbial biomass C, the most probable number of heterotrophic bacteria, and fungal genera vary along this bioclimatic gradient. Microbial biomass C decreased with increasing latitude. Overall, microbial biomass C, MPN and the number of fungal isolates were higher in AVS than in PGFs. The effects which topographic position had on microbial biomass C varied across the bioclimatic gradient as there was no effect of topographic position in Isachsen (subzone A) and Mould Bay (subzone B), when compared to Green Cabin (subzone C, warmer site).There was no effect of topographic position on MPN counts at Mould Bay and Green Cabin. However, in Isachsen, MPN counts were highest in the wet topographic position as compared to the mesic and dry. In conclusion, PGFs seem to decouple the effect climate that might have on the total biomass of soil microorganisms along the bioclimatic gradient; and influence gets ameliorated as latitude increases. Similarly, the effect of topography on the total microbial biomass is significant at the warmest bioclimatic zone of the gradient. Thus, climate and topographic effects on total microbial biomass increase with warmer climate.

Diatom assemblages and limnological variables from 40 lakes and ponds on Bathurst Island and neighboring high Arctic islands

AbstractWe examined the influence of catchment geology, specifically differences in buffering capacity, on the limnological characteristics and surface sediment diatom assemblages from lakes and ponds from Bathurst Island, High Arctic Canada. Differences in buffering capacity exist on Bathurst Island due to a geological gradient that spans from carbonate‐bearing limestone in the east, to more stable quartz sandstone, siltstone, and shale in the west. We collected physical and chemical limnological data, as well as surface sediment diatom assemblages from nine ponds on the poorly buffered western portion of the island and combined these observations with a previously published dataset of 31 lakes and ponds, from the well‐buffered eastern region. The addition of these nine ponds expanded the pH gradient of the existing Bathurst Island dataset (pH 8.0–8.6) to pH 6.8–8.6. A regional, weighted average diatom‐inferred pH model was developed and showed strength similar to other Arctic calibration sets (, root‐mean‐squared‐error of prediction (RMSEP) = 0.298). Given the links between climate and pH shifts in the High Arctic, the ability to reconstruct pH should be a valuable tool for future paleolimnological studies.

A Holarctic Biogeographical Analysis of the Collembola (Arthropoda, Hexapoda) Unravels Recent Post-Glacial Colonization Patterns.

We aimed to describe the main Arctic biogeographical patterns of the Collembola, and analyze historical factors and current climatic regimes determining Arctic collembolan species distribution. Furthermore, we aimed to identify possible dispersal routes, colonization sources and glacial refugia for Arctic collembola. We implemented a Gaussian Mixture Clustering method on species distribution ranges and applied a distance- based parametric bootstrap test on presence-absence collembolan species distribution data. Additionally, multivariate analysis was performed considering species distributions, biodiversity, cluster distribution and environmental factors (temperature and precipitation). No clear relation was found between current climatic regimes and species distribution in the Arctic. Gaussian Mixture Clustering found common elements within Siberian areas, Atlantic areas, the Canadian Arctic, a mid-Siberian cluster and specific Beringian elements, following the same pattern previously described, using a variety of molecular methods, for Arctic plants. Species distribution hence indicate the influence of recent glacial history, as LGM glacial refugia (mid-Siberia, and Beringia) and major dispersal routes to high Arctic island groups can be identified. Endemic species are found in the high Arctic, but no specific biogeographical pattern can be clearly identified as a sign of high Arctic glacial refugia. Ocean currents patterns are suggested as being an important factor shaping the distribution of Arctic Collembola, which is consistent with Antarctic studies in collembolan biogeography. The clear relations between cluster distribution and geographical areas considering their recent glacial history, lack of relationship of species distribution with current climatic regimes, and consistency with previously described Arctic patterns in a series of organisms inferred using a variety of methods, suggest that historical phenomena shaping contemporary collembolan distribution can be inferred through biogeographical analysis.

Bryophytes as Heavy Metal Biomonitors in the Canadian High Arctic

Mosses are a major component of the tundra flora in the Canadian Arctic, yet their use in arctic contaminant research is lacking. Biomonitoring of atmospheric heavy metal deposition using mosses has been extensively employed in Europe, providing a higher sampling density than precipitation monitoring. Temporal, spatial, and habitat gradients of concentrations and enrichment factors of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Pb (and its stable isotopes) in mosses from Ellesmere Island are examined. Anthropogenically influenced concentrations of As, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn in samples collected in 2007 were observed. Concentrations of heavy metals in hydric taxa were larger than those observed in xeric or mesic taxa, though non-significant. Generally, heavy metal concentrations decreased from 1983 to 2007 in a single high arctic locality, though non-significant. Pb-isotope ratios were radiogenic and characteristic of the High Arctic Islands. Trends in high arctic moss data corresponded with environmental proxies such as glacial ice cores, lake sediments, and atmospheric aerosols illustrating the usefulness of bryophytes as biomonitors. This paper outlines the utility of using mosses as biomonitors of heavy metal depositions in the Canadian High Arctic.

First record of Thinoseius spinosus (Acari: Eviphididae) from the high Arctic island of Spitsbergen (Svalbard) including a key to deutonymphs of genus Thinoseius

ABSTRACT Thinoseius spinosus is reported from the high Arctic island of Spitsbergen, Svalbard, for the first time. The deutonymphs were phoretic on the calliphorid dipteran Protophormia terraenovae. Mites were observed on 20.4% of adult flies. The number of mites per fly varied between 0 up to a maximum of 17 (median number of mites per fly with mites = 1). Although mites were found attached all over the body it seems likely that during dispersal the mites are usually found intercalated between the abdominal plates. An overview of the currently known species of Thinoseius, their occurrence and a key to the deutonymphs are presented.

Long-Term Control of Peary Caribou Numbers by Unpredictable, Exceptionally Severe Snow or Ice Conditions in a Non-equilibrium Grazing System

The number of Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi) on the Queen Elizabeth Islands, Canadian High Arctic, is at an all-time known low. Yet some populations are still hunted, and there is no adequate monitoring program in place to determine the consequences. We evaluate information from the Peary caribou population on the south-central Queen Elizabeth Islands as a standard for an accurate and realistic assessment of what controls Peary caribou population dynamics. Between 1973 and 1997, major population crashes related to severe winter or spring weather are known to have occurred on the south-central Queen Elizabeth Islands in four caribou-years (i.e., 1 July–30 June). Population losses were 67% in 1973–74, 33% in 1994–95, 78% in 1995–96, and 83% in 1996–97. There is no evidence for direct density-dependent responses during either the favorable weather years of population growth or during any one of the years with a disastrous die-off. It appears that Peary caribou on the Queen Elizabeth Islands are living in a non-equilibrium grazing system driven mainly by abiotic factors (emergent properties), particularly by exceptionally unfavorable snow or ice conditions. Changing levels of predation by the High Arctic gray wolf (Canis lupus arctos) compound the uncertainty. In this High Arctic ecosystem, non-equilibrium–governed population dynamics plus wolf predation represents an appropriate conceptual model for Peary caribou populations on the Canadian High Arctic islands. The application of our findings to decision making, together with an adequate monitoring program by the responsible agencies, would promote the biological management and ecological conservation of Peary caribou on the Queen Elizabeth Islands.

Climate Impacts on Northern Canada: Regional Background

Understanding the implications of climate change on northern Canada requires a background about the size and diversity of its human and biogeophysical systems. Occupying an area of almost 40% of Canada, with one-third of this contained in Arctic islands, Canada's northern territories consist of a diversity of physical environments unrivaled around the circumpolar north. Major ecozones composed of a range of landforms, climate, vegetation, and wildlife include: Arctic, boreal and taiga cordillera; boreal and taiga plains; taiga shield; and northern and southern Arctic. Although generally characterized by a cold climate, there is an enormous range in air temperature with mean annual values being as high as -5 degrees C in the south to as low as -20 degrees C in the high Arctic islands. A similar contrast characterizes precipitation, which can be > 700 mm y(-1) in some southern alpine regions to as low as 50 mm y(-1) over islands of the high Arctic. Major freshwater resources are found within most northern ecozones, varying from large glaciers or ice caps and lakes to extensive wetlands and peat lands. Most of the North's renewable water, however, is found within its major river networks and originates in more southerly headwaters. Ice covers characterize the freshwater systems for multiple months of the year while permafrost prevails in various forms, dominating the terrestrial landscape. The marine environment, which envelops the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, is dominated by seasonal to multiyear sea ice often several meters thick that plays a key role in the regional climate. Almost two-thirds of northern Canadian communities are located along coastlines with the entire population being just over 100 000. Most recent population growth has been dominated by an expansion of nonaboriginals, primarily the result of resource development and the growth of public administration. The economies of northern communities, however, remain quite mixed with traditional land-based renewable resource-subsistence activities still being a major part of many local economies.

Direct high-resolution genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii in arctic foxes ( Vulpes lagopus) in the remote arctic Svalbard archipelago reveals widespread clonal Type II lineage

Characterization of Toxoplasma gondii genotypes in hosts living in remote, isolated regions is important for elucidating the population structure and transmission mode of this parasite. Herein, we report the results of direct genotyping of T. gondii in brain tissue of arctic foxes ( Vulpes lagopus) from the remote, virtually cat-free, high arctic islands of Svalbard. DNA extracts from brains of 167 seropositive arctic foxes (including four cases of fatal toxoplasmosis) and 11 seronegative arctic foxes were genotyped at 10 loci (SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, L358, c22-8, c29-2, PK1, and Apico) using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Of the 167 samples from seropositive foxes (including toxoplasmosis cases), 31 were genotyped at all 10 loci and 24 were genotyped at four to nine loci. To ensure confidence in T. gondii strain genotyping, samples for which less than four loci were genotyped were not considered positive. None of the 11 samples from seronegative foxes was positive for the 10 markers. Of the 55 samples that genotyped positively, 46 were of the Type II strain, 7 were of the Type III strain, and 2 were of atypical T. gondii strains. Five representative samples of the three genotypes were sequenced at loci SAG2, SAG3, GRA6, PK1, and UPRT-1. The DNA sequences confirmed the genotyping results. This study shows that the archetype Type II T. gondii strain, which is most widely distributed in North America and Europe, also predominates in arctic foxes on the Svalbard archipelago. This suggests that the T. gondii at this location originate from continental Europe and that transmission may be mediated by migrating birds. This study highlights the significance of long-distance transport of T. gondii and demonstrates that high-resolution genotyping protocols are useful for direct genetic studies of T. gondii when isolation of live parasites is infeasible.

The Muskox Patrol: High Arctic Sovereignty Revisited

... Canadian government activities in the High Arctic between 1900 and 1933 were carried out almost exclusively in response to the real or perceived intentions of other nations to challenge Canada's sovereignty claims. ... For 11 years, between 1922 and 1933, a small group of dedicated RCMP officers and their Native assistants had served to safeguard Canadian sovereignty against foreigners to the High Arctic islands. ... "The Muskox Patrol" is the story of the complex web of political events that culminated in sending the Mounties to the High Arctic. Perhaps surprisingly, the connecting thread in the web turned out to be muskoxen. For the first two decades following the 1880 transfer of the Arctic islands from Great Britain to Canada, Ottawa paid scant attention to the legality of the possession. The first jolt to the government's complacency was delivered from Norway .... For centuries, American and European whalers and explorers had frequented Arctic waters at will, living off the land and the seas as they saw fit, even operating land-based stations when it was convenient. Occasional protests by the Hudson's Bay Company had been ignored. ... the Canadian government realized that historical paper claims to land were a poor substitute for effective occupation .... The 1903 establishment of police authority on Herschel Island in the western Arctic was to be followed by extension of similar authority in the central and eastern Arctic. In the spring of 1903, the "Neptune" expedition sailed north under the command of A.P. Low .... In 1904, the "Neptune" sailed north to Cape Herschel on Ellesmere Island and later into Lancaster Sound and Pond Inlet. ... The Canadian flag was being planted in the eastern Arctic. ... In 1904, the "Arctic" entered Hudson Bay on the first of four extensive voyages into the Arctic islands. On subsequent voyages, Captain Bernier, government officials, and police officers travelled throughout the Arctic islands, placing official Canadian declarations of possession in large stone cairns.... As the years went by, the High Arctic sovereignty issue had become a personal quest for Bernier, just as pushing the Norwegian claim had become a life's struggle for Sverdrup. ... High Arctic sovereignty concerns slipped off the Canadian government's agenda until January 1920. In July 1922, Captain Bernier brought the "Arctic" north, loaded with building materials, supplies, and men to be stationed in some of the most remote outposts in the far North, lands that had not been occupied by Inuit for several hundred years. ... An Inuit family from Pond Inlet agreed to accompany the RCMP officers to a post yet to be established and remain for their first wintering. ... Lee's (1928) account shows how much the presence of Inuit families at the detachments meant to the RCMP officers in the High Arctic. Many of the young constables learned to communicate tolerably well in Inuktitut. ... From the outset, it had been the government's objective to establish a detachment on the shores of Bache Peninsula, at the entrance to Flagler Bay. ... A small hut was erected, with a sign board proclaiming the presence of the Kane Basin RCMP Detachment. ...The "Arctic" proceeded to the south coast of Devon Island, where the Dundas Harbour Detachment ... was established. ... Among the many Inughuit assistants who served with the RCMP in the High Arctic, the name of Nookapingwa is very prominent. ... he served practically throughout the entire first period of the RCMP presence in the High Arctic between 1924 and 1933. ... Our Muskox Patrol story ends with the closing of the Bache Detachment in 1933. ... Canada's concerns about the legality of its sovereignty claim to the High Arctic did not end there. However, the immediate challenge had been dealt with effectively through the huge efforts of the RCMP personnel and their Inughuit assistants from Greenland.

Aerial colonization of high Arctic islands by invertebrates: the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) as a potential indicator species

Abstract. The restricted animal communities of the high Arctic islands are due, in part, to extreme geographical isolation. Migration via wind currents is one mechanism by which invasion of new species may occur. Here, we describe immigration of the non‐resident migratory moth, Plutella xylostella, into Svalbard during 2000. This was associated with a warm south‐easterly air mass that crossed from W. Russia: moths appear to have covered the 800 km to Svalbard in under 48 h, flying at an altitude between 500 and 1500 m. These events thus provide a case study for wind‐dispersed movements of invertebrates to high Arctic regions. Climate change scenarios predict increased frequency of such air masses and also of the warm dry weather associated with increased aerial insect transport. The general factors determining successful colonization of the high Arctic by wind‐dispersed animals are discussed, using P. xylostella as a model species whose important life history and physiological attributes are well known.

Multi-island Seasonal Home Range Use by Two Peary Caribou, Canadian High Arctic Islands, Nunavut, 1993-94

A female and a male Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi) were captured on 29 July 1993 on Massey Island, south-central Queen Elizabeth Islands, Nunavut, Canada. Each was fitted with a satellite telemetry neck-collar, released, and tracked by satellite from 1 August 1993 to 31 July 1994. The female caribou used five islands and the male caribou used six islands as seasonal and (collectively) as annual home range. They used five of the six islands (Vanier, Cameron, Alexander, Massey, and Marc) both during the same time periods and at different times. Bathurst Island was used only briefly and only by the male. The male and female occupied the same island at the same time during 54% of the 1993-94 annual cycle. Their seven periods of common occupancy ranged in length from 5 to 88 consecutive days. During the study period, the female moved from one island to another on 11 separate occasions, and the male, on 16 occasions. The female's periods of residence on each island ranged in length from 4 to 95 consecutive days, and the male's from 2 to 169 consecutive days. Their seasonal and annual range-use patterns suggest a degree of flexibility and adaptability to a variable and taxing environment and indicate the important role that relatively small islands play in the ecology of Peary caribou.

The Holocene occurrence of reindeer on Franz Josef Land, Russia

Reindeer are absent historically on the high Arctic islands of Franz Josef Land, Russia. However, shed antlers are common on unglaciated forelands on Hooker, Scot Keltie and Alexandra Land Islands in the archipelago. Radiocarbon dating of 19 new antler remains combined with seven ages reported previously demonstrate the presence of reindeer between c. >6400 and 1300 cal. BP. Reindeer probably occupied Franz Josef Land for much of the Holocene reflecting sufficient forage associated with summer air temperatures $1°C warmer than today and retracted glaciers and snowfields. A prominent neoglacial advance at c. 1000 cal. BP is coincident with inferred extinction of reindeer. Late twentieth-century warming and associated glacier retraction may provide environmental conditions for the immigration of reindeer to Franz Josef Land and other high Arctic areas, similar to earlier in the Holocene.