The European Arctic and Alpine regions are experiencing large environmental changes. Increased temperatures and precipitation, reduction in sea ice and glacier ice, the increased level of UV-radiation and the long-range transported contaminants are challenging new stress factors for both terrestrial and aquatic organisms. The large annual variation in the physical parameters of these extreme environments is also a key factor in structuring the biodiversity and biotic productivity, and the effect of the stress factors can be critical for the population structures and the interaction between species. These changes may also have socio-economic effects if the changes affect the bioproduction, which form the basis for the marine and terrestrial food chains. This book gives an integrated overview of the contemporary environmental changes in Arctic, Alpine Regions; Climate Change and Ecosystem Response, Long Range Transport of Pollutants and Ecotoxicology, UV-radiation and Biological Effects, Socio-economic Effects of Environmental Change.
1 Integrated aspects of environmental change.- 2 An environment at risk.- 3 Climate variation in the European sector of the Arctic.- 4 Impact of climate change on arctic and alpine lakes.- 5 Changes in growing season in Fennoscandia 1982-1999.- 6 Northern climates and woody plant distribution.- 7 Topographic complexity and terrestrial biotic response to high-latitude climate change.- 8 The flow of Atlantic water to the Nordic Seas and Arctic Ocean.- 9 Climate variability and possible effects on arctic food chains.- 10 Adjustment to reality.- 11 Factors, trends and scenarios of UV-radiation in arctic-alpine environments.- 12 Effects of enhanced UV-B radiation and epidermal UV screening in arctic and alpine plants.- 13 Effects of UV radiation in arctic and alpine freshwater ecosystems.- 14 Climate control of biological UV exposure in polar and alpine aquatic ecosystems.- 15 Effects of UV radiation on seaweeds.- 16 Climate and ozone change effects on UV radiation and health risks.- 17 Contaminants, global change and cold regions.- 18 Modelling of long-range transport of contaminants.- 19 Long-term atmospheric contaminant monitoring.- 20 Levels and effects of persistent organic pollutants in arctic animals.- 21 Arctic health problems and environmental challenges in Greenland.
From the reviews: "This book of 21 chapters by 46 authors consists of papers presented at the international conference on the topic of the title, organized in Tromso, Norway in 2003. ! Overall, the book is especially useful for scholars of the interaction between ecosystems in the northern part of the world in this case mainly European, and the humans affected by climate changes over which they have no control, but to which they must adapt." (The Polar Times, Vol. 3 (12), 2007) "This 21-chapter edited volume is a synthesis of papers presented at an international conference on 'Arctic Alpine Ecosystems and People in a Changing Environment,' held in Norway in early 2003. ! The material covered is strongly multidisciplinary in nature, while some of the individual chapters provide authoritative and accessible reviews or treatments of their subject matter, making the volume a valuable literature resource." (Pete Convey, Polar Record, Vol. 44(4), 2008) "This 434-page, multi-author volume touches upon alpine data for, at most, 20 pages. By referring to 'environment' the authors primarily mean climate and pollutants. ! Those topics addressed in the book read well, mostly go into great depth, and are nicely supported by diagrams, some of which are in color. ! All in all, this book ! should be on the bookshelves at all Arctic Circle research institutions, particularly those that focus on aquatic life." (Christian Korner, EOS, Vol. 88 (16), April, 2007)