Human–environment interactions at a short-lived Arctic mine and the long-term response of the local tundra vegetation
Abstract Arctic mining has a bad reputation because the extractive industry is often responsible for a suite of environmental problems. Yet, few studies explore the gap between untouched tundra and messy megaproject from a historical perspective. Our paper focuses on Advent City as a case study of t...
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2021
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ftunivoulu:oai:oulu.fi:nbnfi-fe202103298637 2023-07-30T03:55:31+02:00 Human–environment interactions at a short-lived Arctic mine and the long-term response of the local tundra vegetation Kruse, F. (Frigga) Nobles, G. R. (Gary R.) de Jong, M. (Martha) van Bodegom, R. M. (Rosanne M. K.) van Oortmerssen, G. J. (G. J. M. (Gert)) Kooistra, J. (Jildou) van den Berg, M. (Mathilde) Küchelmann, H. C. (Hans Christian) Schepers, M. (Mans) Leusink, E. H. (Elisabeth H. P.) Cornelder, B. A. (Bardo A.) Kruijer, J. D. (J. D. (Hans)) Dee, M. W. (Michael W.) 2021 application/pdf http://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi-fe202103298637 eng eng Cambridge University Press info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Archaeology Environmental impact Mining Svalbard Tundra vegetation info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2021 ftunivoulu 2023-07-08T19:57:46Z Abstract Arctic mining has a bad reputation because the extractive industry is often responsible for a suite of environmental problems. Yet, few studies explore the gap between untouched tundra and messy megaproject from a historical perspective. Our paper focuses on Advent City as a case study of the emergence of coal mining in Svalbard (Norway) coupled with the onset of mining-related environmental change. After short but intensive human activity (1904–1908), the ecosystem had a century to respond, and we observe a lasting impact on the flora in particular. With interdisciplinary contributions from historical archaeology, archaeozoology, archaeobotany and botany, supplemented by stable isotope analysis, we examine 1) which human activities initially asserted pressure on the Arctic environment, 2) whether the miners at Advent City were “eco-conscious,” for example whether they showed concern for the environment and 3) how the local ecosystem reacted after mine closure and site abandonment. Among the remains of typical mining infrastructure, we prioritised localities that revealed the subtleties of long-term anthropogenic impact. Significant pressure resulted from landscape modifications, the import of non-native animals and plants, hunting and fowling, and the indiscriminate disposal of waste material. Where it was possible to identify individual inhabitants, these shared an economic attitude of waste not, want not, but they did not hold the environment in high regard. Ground clearances, animal dung and waste dumps continue to have an effect after a hundred years. The anthropogenic interference with the fell field led to habitat creation, especially for vascular plants. The vegetation cover and biodiversity were high, but we recorded no exotic or threatened plant species. Impacted localities generally showed a reduction of the natural patchiness of plant communities, and highly eutrophic conditions were unsuitable for liverworts and lichens. Supplementary isotopic analysis of animal bones added data to the ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Advent City Arctic Svalbard Tundra Jultika - University of Oulu repository Arctic Norway Svalbard |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Jultika - University of Oulu repository |
op_collection_id |
ftunivoulu |
language |
English |
topic |
Archaeology Environmental impact Mining Svalbard Tundra vegetation |
spellingShingle |
Archaeology Environmental impact Mining Svalbard Tundra vegetation Kruse, F. (Frigga) Nobles, G. R. (Gary R.) de Jong, M. (Martha) van Bodegom, R. M. (Rosanne M. K.) van Oortmerssen, G. J. (G. J. M. (Gert)) Kooistra, J. (Jildou) van den Berg, M. (Mathilde) Küchelmann, H. C. (Hans Christian) Schepers, M. (Mans) Leusink, E. H. (Elisabeth H. P.) Cornelder, B. A. (Bardo A.) Kruijer, J. D. (J. D. (Hans)) Dee, M. W. (Michael W.) Human–environment interactions at a short-lived Arctic mine and the long-term response of the local tundra vegetation |
topic_facet |
Archaeology Environmental impact Mining Svalbard Tundra vegetation |
description |
Abstract Arctic mining has a bad reputation because the extractive industry is often responsible for a suite of environmental problems. Yet, few studies explore the gap between untouched tundra and messy megaproject from a historical perspective. Our paper focuses on Advent City as a case study of the emergence of coal mining in Svalbard (Norway) coupled with the onset of mining-related environmental change. After short but intensive human activity (1904–1908), the ecosystem had a century to respond, and we observe a lasting impact on the flora in particular. With interdisciplinary contributions from historical archaeology, archaeozoology, archaeobotany and botany, supplemented by stable isotope analysis, we examine 1) which human activities initially asserted pressure on the Arctic environment, 2) whether the miners at Advent City were “eco-conscious,” for example whether they showed concern for the environment and 3) how the local ecosystem reacted after mine closure and site abandonment. Among the remains of typical mining infrastructure, we prioritised localities that revealed the subtleties of long-term anthropogenic impact. Significant pressure resulted from landscape modifications, the import of non-native animals and plants, hunting and fowling, and the indiscriminate disposal of waste material. Where it was possible to identify individual inhabitants, these shared an economic attitude of waste not, want not, but they did not hold the environment in high regard. Ground clearances, animal dung and waste dumps continue to have an effect after a hundred years. The anthropogenic interference with the fell field led to habitat creation, especially for vascular plants. The vegetation cover and biodiversity were high, but we recorded no exotic or threatened plant species. Impacted localities generally showed a reduction of the natural patchiness of plant communities, and highly eutrophic conditions were unsuitable for liverworts and lichens. Supplementary isotopic analysis of animal bones added data to the ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kruse, F. (Frigga) Nobles, G. R. (Gary R.) de Jong, M. (Martha) van Bodegom, R. M. (Rosanne M. K.) van Oortmerssen, G. J. (G. J. M. (Gert)) Kooistra, J. (Jildou) van den Berg, M. (Mathilde) Küchelmann, H. C. (Hans Christian) Schepers, M. (Mans) Leusink, E. H. (Elisabeth H. P.) Cornelder, B. A. (Bardo A.) Kruijer, J. D. (J. D. (Hans)) Dee, M. W. (Michael W.) |
author_facet |
Kruse, F. (Frigga) Nobles, G. R. (Gary R.) de Jong, M. (Martha) van Bodegom, R. M. (Rosanne M. K.) van Oortmerssen, G. J. (G. J. M. (Gert)) Kooistra, J. (Jildou) van den Berg, M. (Mathilde) Küchelmann, H. C. (Hans Christian) Schepers, M. (Mans) Leusink, E. H. (Elisabeth H. P.) Cornelder, B. A. (Bardo A.) Kruijer, J. D. (J. D. (Hans)) Dee, M. W. (Michael W.) |
author_sort |
Kruse, F. (Frigga) |
title |
Human–environment interactions at a short-lived Arctic mine and the long-term response of the local tundra vegetation |
title_short |
Human–environment interactions at a short-lived Arctic mine and the long-term response of the local tundra vegetation |
title_full |
Human–environment interactions at a short-lived Arctic mine and the long-term response of the local tundra vegetation |
title_fullStr |
Human–environment interactions at a short-lived Arctic mine and the long-term response of the local tundra vegetation |
title_full_unstemmed |
Human–environment interactions at a short-lived Arctic mine and the long-term response of the local tundra vegetation |
title_sort |
human–environment interactions at a short-lived arctic mine and the long-term response of the local tundra vegetation |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi-fe202103298637 |
geographic |
Arctic Norway Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Norway Svalbard |
genre |
Advent City Arctic Svalbard Tundra |
genre_facet |
Advent City Arctic Svalbard Tundra |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
_version_ |
1772814447498231808 |