Lower Ob Region Research Articles

Natural zonality in the distribution of arthropods, birds, and vascular plants in the area of the Lower Ob region and Yamal Peninsula

This paper is devoted to an analysis of the pattern of zonal distribution of mesofaunal arthropods, birds, and vascular plants in the area from northern taiga forests to arctic tunrdas of the Yamal Peninsula by the gradient of summer air temperatures. The latitudinal dynamics of northern ecosystems determines differences in the number of plant species that have a direct effect on the species richness and abundance of invertebrates and an indirect one through invertebrates on the same indices of birds. Breaks in continuity marking the natural boundaries where the components of arctic communities become boreal have been found in the changes of species diversity.

Arthropods and birds in the forest–tundra of Western Siberia and the edge effect

Over 2500 species of invertebrate macrofauna and over 177 species of avifauna live in the forest–tundra of the Lower Ob region and adjacent areas of the northern taiga and shrub tundra. About half of the invertebrate species of the study area are northern—mostly hypo- and hemiarctic—tundra species; the rest are boreal and arctomontane-boreal Holarctic and trans-Palearctic species. The anthophilic and aerobiont insect assemblages include many boreal forest forms. A total of 153 species have been observed nesting at the taiga–foresttundra boundary; 81 species have been observed nesting at the tundra–forest-tundra boundary. The avifauna of the forest–tundra becomes enriched with taiga species in floodplain forests and with tundra species on the flat interfluve, in areas of tundra and tundra-like wetlands. The forest–tundra of the Lower Ob region has no avifauna and entomofauna of its own and contains a mixture of taiga and tundra faunas. It has been found that the ecotone effect is not pronounced in the taxonomic composition of birds and insects in the forest–tundra, where only some particular groups (such as amphibiont insects) have increased abundance.

The ecology of the meadow pipit Anthus pratensis (Linnaeus, 1758) at the northeastern limit of the breeding area

The ecology of the meadow pipit was studied for many years in nature in the Lower Ob region and on the Yamal Peninsula. Experimental studies were carried out in laboratory conditions at natural and alternative day durations. The factors affecting the distribution of the species at the northeastern limit of its area were analyzed. The meadow pipit is widespread in the taiga zone; it does not need special adaptations for its existence in forest tundra and southern taiga. However, the species has no adaptations that would permit it to exist in northern tundra. Current climate changes define the northern border of the area. The species has no obvious obstacles for spreading to the east.

Where are Western Bounds of Area S. h. ?

We reported about several common terns with dark bill (subspecies Sterna hirundo minussensis and S. h. longipennis) in the Lower Ob region of Western Siberia, including nesting of the Central Siberian tern here. The ratio of terns with a dark bill and nominate color was about 8 to 1. Our findings change the previous understanding of areas of the distribution of those subspecies.

Ecology of yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava L.) in the forest tundra of Western Siberia and factors limiting its northward rage expansion

Based on the long-term studies of the ecology of yellow wagtail in the Lower Ob region and the experimental results, factors determining the penetration of this species into the tundra of the Yamal Peninsula have been analyzed.

Elements of religious ritualism in popular medicine among the Izhma Komi of the Lower Ob region

In this article, medical culture and its functioning is analyzed both ynchronically and diachronically on the basis of field materials, collected among the Izhma Komi of the Lower Ob region from 2009–2010. Traditional medicine of the Izhma Komi was closely connected with religious rituals, in particular, with the practice of prayers and vows as well as the phenomenon of holy water and the world of objects and things. This study analyzes specific features of “intersection” between all these elements and medical culture (functions and semantics), and presents data on sacral topography, for example, on votive crosses and water springs, which play an important role in the religious practices of the Izhma Komi and are used for maintaining physical and spiritual health.

Anthropogenic and biogenic winter sources of Arctic CO2— a model study

Long-range transport of anthropogenic and biogenic CO2 to a remote site in the Arctic is studied. A limited area, off-line, Eulerian atmospheric transport model is used, and the results are compared to the observed CO2 concentration at the ‘Ny-Alesund International Arctic Research and Monitoring Facility’. Inventories of anthropogenic CO2 emissions and estimates of biogenic CO2 emissions are used to investigate the respective impact of these emissions on Arctic CO2 variations during 4 winter months. A direct comparison of the modelled and observed concentrations reveals remarkably good timing in the modelled variations as compared to the observed variations for most of the time. The correlation of observed versus modelled CO2 concentration is significant at the 95% confidence level. The biogenic and the anthropogenic CO2 emissions are shown to have approximately equal influence on Arctic CO2 variations during winter. Europe is found to be the dominant source of anthropogenic CO2 at the monitoring station, while Siberia and Northern America have little influence on Arctic CO2, during the months studied. These results contradict Engardt and Holmén whose results indicate that the lower-Ob region in western Siberia has a large impact on Arctic CO2.

Model simulations of anthropogenic-CO2 transport to an Arctic monitoring station during winter

We describe, and use, a limited area, 3-dimensional transport model. The model domain is located over the Arctic, but includes the majority of the anthropogenic CO2 emissions in western and eastern Europe, which together make up about 1/3 of the global CO2 emissions. The model is run for several winter periods, using anthropogenic CO2 emissions only, and the results are compared with independent CO2 measurements taken at a monitoring station on Spitsbergen in the high Arctic. We show that the initial concentrations and boundary values of the domain are not crucial for the results, and conclude that most of the measured variability above the winter baseline in CO2 at the Arctic monitoring station emanates from recent CO2 sources within the model domain. From the observed small spatial variability in the monthly mean atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio in the north Atlantic region, we assume that there is only little net exchange between the atmosphere and ocean during the studied periods. Based on the co-variation between CO2 and particulate mass, we hypothesise that most of the measured CO2 variability is due to anthropogenic fossil fuel emissions, although we can not rule out a biogenic CO2 component. Using the transport model, we compare different estimates of fossil-fuel consumption in the mid-latitudes. We find that the industrial centres and the surrounding gasfields in the lower-Ob region (60°-72°N, 65°-80°E) occasionally have a much larger impact on the CO2 measurements at Spitsbergen than follows from a recent CO2 emission inventory. This implies that there may be an overlooked CO2 source in this region, possibly flaring of gas.