19. juni 2007 - Global
warming has advanced the onset of spring
with more than a month for several species
in the high arctic part of NE Greenland.
This is documented by comprehensive ecological
observations at Zackenberg Research Station
over the last ten years 1996-2006.
Today some of the arctic plant, animal
and insect species start their summer cycle
more than 30 days earlier than a decade
ago. In particular, flies are record holders
by occurring up to 35 days earlier than
usual. Such dramatic shifts due to warmer
spring have not been observed before so
consistently across very different species.
These extraordinary findings by the researchers
from Denmark ’s National Environment Research
Institute (NERI) at University of Aarhus
are published as the cover story in the
latest volume of the internationally renowned
scientific magazine Current Biology.
Global climate change is expected to have
the most extensive impact in the High Arctic.
Until now it has been unclear to which extend
organisms in the region would adapt to the
predicted extreme warming. Currently temperatures
are increasing at nearly double the global
average. The mean temperature in June has
over the last decade increased by 1.1 degree
Celsius at the Zackenberg Research Station.
Now the researchers from NERI, headed by
Dr. Toke T. Høye, have documented
- for an entire ecosystem in a single locality
- an extremely rapid climate-induced advancement
of flowering, emergence and egglaying in
a wide array of species.
“At this time we have already achieved
an outstanding knowledge of not only the
responses of plants and birds to climate
changes in the High Arctic, but also how
an entire ecosystem responds to the changes,”
says Toke T. Høye, NERI and University
of Copenhagen.
In comparison, similar studies have shown
flowering dates for European plants two-three
days earlier per decade, whereas for the
Northern Hemisphere there has been observed
advancement of approximately five days in
several plant and animal species.
Over the last decade, the growth season
in the area near Zackenberg Research Station
has been extended with as much as three
days per year.
Specifically, the analyses of the Zackenberg
data have shown that the flowering dates
in six plant species, the median emergence
dates of twelve taxa of arthropods, and
the clutch initiation in three species of
birds have advanced in average by 14.5 days
over the last decade.
However, the data also revealed huge differences
in advancement within animal and plant species,
most likely due to the highly variable microclimate
in the Zackenberg Valley. Such differentiated
responses may potentially lead to both positive
and negative consequences for the structure
and functioning of the entire ecosystem,
stresses professor Mads C. Forchhammer,
NERI:
“For example, successful egg laying by
migrant birds is highly dependent on the
abundant presence of emergent insects. As
documented in the present study by Høye
and colleagues, the insects have responded
in a much faster and massive way compared
to birds. In the future, the birds might
benefit from this extra supply of food early
egg laying period of their short in breeding
season in the High Arctic.”
The extensive research at Zackenberg is
financed by the Danish EPA.
Climate
Since the middle of the 19th century the
importance of the content of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere for the Earth's
heat balance has been known. However, a
broader interest concerning the subject
did not emerge until the beginning of the
1980s with the so-called Brundtland report.
This led to the foundation of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) who collect
and assess the scientific literature regarding
climate change, and regularly publish reports.
According to the IPCC serious man-made climate
change is risked unless a vigorous reduction
in the global emission of greenhouse gases
is initiated. The number one greenhouse
gas responsible for the man-made impact
of the heat balance is carbon dioxide, which
comes from the combustion of fossil fuels.
Land-use changes are also of importance,
especially those involving deforestation.
The solution to this global environmental
problem can only come about through international
co-operation and international regulation,
where the Kyoto protocol plays a key role.
In 2003 the Danish government produced a
climate policy that to a large extent focuses
on fulfilling the Kyoto protocol. In accordance
with the so-called EU 'Burden Sharing Agreement',
the object for Denmark is to achieve a 21%
reduction in the emission of greenhouse
gases, on average, in the years 2008-2012,
compared with the level in 11000.
NERI activities focusing on climate include
e.g. the greenhouse gas inventories to the
UN Climate Convention.
+ More
Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment
of petroleum activities in the waters west
of Disko, Greenland
18. juni 2007
Exploration, development and production
of petroleum in the sea west of Greenlands’
island Disko presents a number of differentiated
risks for the environment and organisms
in the area. Oil spills during the exploration
as well as during an established production
represents by far the most serious risk
for the environment.
This shows a strategic environmental assessment
by Denmarks National Environmental Research
Institute (NERI) at University of Aarhus
in collaboration with Greenland Institute
of Natural Resources.
The Disko West area is both biologically
and ecologically outstanding rich with i.a.
large and important populations of both
birds and marine mammals. Fish and shrimps
represent important resources for the Greenland
industry and as a local source of food as
well.
Beside oil spills, noise and other disturbing
activities represents minor risks to the
environment.
