Description
Summary:Ice cellars (Lednik in Russian, Bulus in Sakha) dug into the permafrost layer are a natural form of refrigeration for preserving block ice for drinking water, storing harvested food (fish, game, and livestock such as reindeer), and fermenting food. Ice cellars are traditionally used by indigenous Siberian people, such as Even, Evenk, Chukchi, Yukagir, Dolgan, and Yakut. In cooperation with local stakeholders, we measured the temperature of many ice cellars at each region (Ulus) of Sakha Republic. Though ice cellars are widely used in permafrost regions, these structures and the purpose for their use as well as the methods of maintenance are quite different among communities and due to permafrost temperature conditions. Monitoring ice cellar temperatures and recording descriptions of ice cellars is important in the face of climate change in terms of permafrost studies and archiving traditional techniques of living with permafrost.