Tundra Disturbance Studies, III: Short-term Effects of Aeolian Sand and Dust, Yamal Region, Northwest Siberia
This paper describes the short-term responses of tundra vegetation and soils to aeolian sand and dust emanating from anthropogenically-bared surfaces in the low-arctic region of northwestern Siberia. Such surfaces, including roads and quarries, are increasing substantially each year as the region un...
Published in: | Environmental Conservation |
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Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1995
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892900034901 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0376892900034901 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0376892900034901 2024-06-23T07:50:38+00:00 Tundra Disturbance Studies, III: Short-term Effects of Aeolian Sand and Dust, Yamal Region, Northwest Siberia Forbes, Bruce C. 1995 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892900034901 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0376892900034901 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Environmental Conservation volume 22, issue 4, page 335-344 ISSN 0376-8929 1469-4387 journal-article 1995 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0376892900034901 2024-06-05T04:04:34Z This paper describes the short-term responses of tundra vegetation and soils to aeolian sand and dust emanating from anthropogenically-bared surfaces in the low-arctic region of northwestern Siberia. Such surfaces, including roads and quarries, are increasing substantially each year as the region undergoes massive gas- and oil-producing development. Data are presented which emphasize the ‘cumulative’ impacts of corridor construction, namely those effects which are measurable laterally, at some distance from the actual surfaces of roads and quarries, four years after their creation. In particular, changes in plant communities are documented, in addition to the chemistry and macronutrient status of mineral soils and dominant vascular plants and mosses, respectively, as affected by road-dust. Dramatic changes in plant community composition and cover were evident up to 200 m downwind from a ‘typical’ sand quarry. Although a few species appeared to respond favourably to rapid sand deposition, the great majority that were beset with it have declined in status or disappeared altogether. The exceptions were those growth-forms having the ability to keep perennating buds at or above the surface of the deepening sand ( e.g. Betula nana, Salix spp., and Polytrichum spp.). The most pronounced decreases recorded were among lichens, hepatics, Sphagnum spp., and pleurocarpous mosses. The decline in Sphagnum spp., which dominate the moss layer and contribute much of the hummock-hollow microtopography, is already having a profound impact on community structure by virtually eliminating surface heterogeneity. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Betula nana Tundra Siberia Cambridge University Press Arctic Environmental Conservation 22 4 335 344 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
This paper describes the short-term responses of tundra vegetation and soils to aeolian sand and dust emanating from anthropogenically-bared surfaces in the low-arctic region of northwestern Siberia. Such surfaces, including roads and quarries, are increasing substantially each year as the region undergoes massive gas- and oil-producing development. Data are presented which emphasize the ‘cumulative’ impacts of corridor construction, namely those effects which are measurable laterally, at some distance from the actual surfaces of roads and quarries, four years after their creation. In particular, changes in plant communities are documented, in addition to the chemistry and macronutrient status of mineral soils and dominant vascular plants and mosses, respectively, as affected by road-dust. Dramatic changes in plant community composition and cover were evident up to 200 m downwind from a ‘typical’ sand quarry. Although a few species appeared to respond favourably to rapid sand deposition, the great majority that were beset with it have declined in status or disappeared altogether. The exceptions were those growth-forms having the ability to keep perennating buds at or above the surface of the deepening sand ( e.g. Betula nana, Salix spp., and Polytrichum spp.). The most pronounced decreases recorded were among lichens, hepatics, Sphagnum spp., and pleurocarpous mosses. The decline in Sphagnum spp., which dominate the moss layer and contribute much of the hummock-hollow microtopography, is already having a profound impact on community structure by virtually eliminating surface heterogeneity. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Forbes, Bruce C. |
spellingShingle |
Forbes, Bruce C. Tundra Disturbance Studies, III: Short-term Effects of Aeolian Sand and Dust, Yamal Region, Northwest Siberia |
author_facet |
Forbes, Bruce C. |
author_sort |
Forbes, Bruce C. |
title |
Tundra Disturbance Studies, III: Short-term Effects of Aeolian Sand and Dust, Yamal Region, Northwest Siberia |
title_short |
Tundra Disturbance Studies, III: Short-term Effects of Aeolian Sand and Dust, Yamal Region, Northwest Siberia |
title_full |
Tundra Disturbance Studies, III: Short-term Effects of Aeolian Sand and Dust, Yamal Region, Northwest Siberia |
title_fullStr |
Tundra Disturbance Studies, III: Short-term Effects of Aeolian Sand and Dust, Yamal Region, Northwest Siberia |
title_full_unstemmed |
Tundra Disturbance Studies, III: Short-term Effects of Aeolian Sand and Dust, Yamal Region, Northwest Siberia |
title_sort |
tundra disturbance studies, iii: short-term effects of aeolian sand and dust, yamal region, northwest siberia |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1995 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892900034901 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0376892900034901 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Betula nana Tundra Siberia |
genre_facet |
Arctic Betula nana Tundra Siberia |
op_source |
Environmental Conservation volume 22, issue 4, page 335-344 ISSN 0376-8929 1469-4387 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0376892900034901 |
container_title |
Environmental Conservation |
container_volume |
22 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
335 |
op_container_end_page |
344 |
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1802641537494941696 |