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Matter and Energy Flow in Spitsbergen Ornithogenic Tundra

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Matter and Energy Flow in Spitsbergen Ornithogenic Tundra Matter and energy flow in Spitsbergen ornithogenic tundra ROMUALD Z. KLEKOWSKI AND KRZYSZTOF W. OPALINSKI Klekowski, R. Z. & Opalinski, K. W. 1986: Matter and energy flow in Spitsbergen ornithogenic tundra. Polar Research 4 n.s., 187-197. Investigations were carried out on matter and energy flow through ornithogenic Spitsbergen tundra (Hornsund area, Vestspitsbergen. Svalbard). Data are given on the inflow and dispersion of nutrients in tundra, vegetation, distribution and primary production, organic matter destruction, microfauna abundance -TpO~~~~NS”and its classification into trophic groups, and the metabolic rate of the dominant species of microfauna. It was found that in the ecosystem examined herbivorous invertebrates are almost backing, the dominant food chain is detritus type, and the majority of the plant matter produced is removed beyond the system to the sea, in the form of detritus. A qualitative model of matter cycling in the ecosystem is given. Romuald Z. Klekowski and Krzysztof W. Opalikki, Department of Ecological Bioenergetics, Institute of Ecology, Polish Academy of Sciences, OS-092 Lominanki, Poland: February 1985 (reuised June 1986). The tundra regions cover about 6 million km2 The fauna of herbivores of the Spitsbergen (Sater et al. 1971), which form only 3 per cent of tundra is very poor with only a few reindeer the total land area. However, due to the specificity (Ragnijer tarandus plathyrhynchus), musk oxen of the tundra landscape, the section of the Ter- imported from Greenland (Ouibos moschatus), restrial Communities of the International Bio- ptarmigans (Lagopus mutus), and geese (Anser logical Programme (IBP) has distinguished tundra brachyrhynchus) inhabiting the region. In Spits- as one of four main terrestrial biomes, along with bergen there are no lemmings (Lemmus lemmus). deserts, meadows, and forests. The almost complete lack of herbivorous invert- The exploration and exploitation of natural ebrates is another typical feature of the Spits- resources, mainly fuels, as well as tourism, have bergen tundra, and they do not contribute to the increased in polar regions and now form a serious energy flow (Remmert 1980). The invertebrate threat to the existence of the tundra. The tundra fauna is thus generally restricted to detritivores is an ecosystem extremely vulnerable to any inter- and predators. ference (see Wielgolaski 1972; Billings 1973), and The contact of the cold East Spitsbergen Cur- the structure, function and regulation of tundra rent with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream ecosystems should be investigated in order to along the coasts of Svalbard causes a prolific minimize the effects of man on the natural growth of plankton, and consequently, numbers environment in polar communities (Rosswall & of plankton feeders such as marine birds are found Heal 1975). on these coasts. The birds build up their rookeries IBP did not investigate the Spitsbergen tundra, on rocks and in the tundra, and their faeces not only because it is small in size compared to become an important local component of the the Alaskan tundra, the Canadian Arctics, and tundra ecosystem (Remmert 1980). Siberia, but also because the Spitsbergen tundra The biological and ecological studies in Spits- has some untypical features. In the Svalbard bergen were mainly focused on the region of large Archipelago, which includes Spitsbergen, the tun- fjords (Isfjorden), where the best conditions are dra occurs exclusively in marine coastal zones, found for the development of flora and fauna. and it is richest on the coasts of fjords deeply cut The southern part of Spitsbergen southward from into the land, especially in the region of Isfjorden. Bellsund, treated by Summerhayes and Elton The poorest tundra, which gradually changes into (1928) as an arctic desert, has not been explored arctic desert, is situated on the southern and by biologists for a long time. Since the foundation eastern coasts of the archipelago. The cold East of the Polish Station in Hornsund in 1957, bio- Spitsbergen Current passes these coasts. logical and ecological investigations were started 188 R. Z. Klekowski & K. W. Opalinski in southern Spitsbergen, especially in the southern and south-western slopes of Fugleberget Hornsund region. Polish biologists have played a (569 m above sea level) and Ariekammen (51 1 m considerable role in these studies, and the results a.s.1.) and reaches the sea through a series of have been used to make an inventory of the flora sea terraces (Fig. 1). The hydrological system and fauna: Lichens (Nowak 1965, 1968), mosses distinguishes the area as a quasi-closed and inte- (Kuc 1963; Karczmarz 1966, 1971; Karzcmarz & grated system. The area is a microbasin, where Kuc 1966), flowering plants (Srodod 1968), fungi waters in natural circulation form an isolated (Skirgiello 1961, 1968), protozoans (Doroszewski hydrological net with a common discharge to the 1958, 1959), Tardigrada (Weglarska 1966), Col- sea. This area was given the working name the lembola (Stach 1962), Acarina (Niedbala 1971; ‘Fugleberget catchment’ and has a surface area of Seniczak 1978; Seniczak & Plichta 1978), Chi- 1.36 km2. ronomidae larvae (Styczynski & Rakusa-Susz- Summerhayes & Elton (1923, 1928) have czewski 1963; Rakusa-Suszczewski & Styczydski treated the whole of southern Spitsbergen as an 1968), birds (Ferens 1960; Birkenmajer & Skres- arctic desert. However, some parts of the coast, let 1963; Stempniewicz 1981). These studies pro- especially deep in the fjords (e.g. the Hornsund vided a static picture of the tundra, but they did Fjord) or the vicinity of bird colonies (e.g. not explain the function of tundra ecosystems. Rhlstranda), are covered with prolific tundra veg- The investigations presently carried out by the etation, mainly mosses and lichens. According to Institute of Ecology (PAS) in Spitsbergen aim to French’s classification (1974) the tundra is of the provide a quantitative recognition of the main ‘cold oceanic’ type. pathways of matter and energy through the In the region of the Hornsund and Fugleberget ornithogenic Spitsbergen tundra, and based on basin, the average temperature during the sum- these data, a mathematical model of the func- tioning ecosystem will be constructed. The research covers a broad array of problems from terrain mapping for ecological needs (Mizerski in prep.), its geographical and physical charac- teristics (Krzyszowska et al. in prep.), water bal- ance, hydrology, and hydrochemistry (Pulina in prep.; Krzyszowska in prep.), plant associations and productivity (Olech & Dubiel in prep.; Opa- lihski in prep.), ecology and bioenergetics of ter- restrial invertebrates (Klekowski & Opalidski in prep. a, b, c; Opalinski & Klekowski in prep. a, b), and birds (Stempniewicz in prep.) to models of a functioning tundra (Uchmanski et al. in prep.). The majority of the papers mentioned above have been completed and prepared for publish- ing. They will be issued in a special number of Polish Polar Research. The present paper sums up the results obtained in the first stage of the field work carried out in the Hornsund region of Spitsbergen in 1980 and 1982. The results cited are derived from papers which are prepared for printing. The study area The area of coastal tundra in the south-western Fig. 1. Sketch of the Fugleberget catchment area. Dashed line- part of Spitsbergen (Vestspitsbergen, Svalbard) boundaries of the study area. 1. Polish Polar Station, Hornsund, by the Hornsund fjord (77”00’N, 15”OO’E) was 2. Fuglebekken river, 3. Water pool, 4. Little Auks rookery, 5. investigated. The study area is situated on the Hans Glacier moraine. Height in metres. Matter and energy flow in tundra 189 mer months (June-August) is about +2"C and locations in the catchment area and is also depen- during the winter months (September-May) dent on the prevailing weather conditions (inten- about -8°C; the annual precipitation is about sity of water flow), and on the fenology of the 350 mm (Baranowski 1975). The substrate con- auks. As an example, the concentration of nitrate- sists of initial arctic soils - lithosols (Szerszen nitrogen in surface waters of the Fugleberget 1965; Plichta 1977) - and there is little activity catchment area is about 0.1 to 33.5 rilg I-l, nitrite- among the soil microflora (Zabawski & Zurawska nitrogen varies from 0.001 to 0.020 mg I-l, and 1975). In the humid lower part of the basin (the the phosphate content is between 0.02 and first marine terrace, 15 m a.s.1.) mosses are pre- 2.20 mg 1-' (Krzyszowska in prep.). The highest dominant, and in the dry and higher reaches concentrations of nutrients are observed in the vascular plants and lichens are abundant. The immediate vicinity of the rookery, and the con- distribution and species composition of flora on centration of these substances decreases with the Hornsund coast, including parts of the catch- increasing distance from the rookery (Fig. 2). ment area, are given by Kuc (1963), Nowak (1965, This trend is most probably the result of the 1968), Srodon (1968), Eurola (1968), and Eurola assimilation of nutrients by vegetation and also & Hakala (1977). partly due to chemical and biochemical degra- Rookeries of little auk (Plautus alle) are situ- dation (reduction of nitrogen compounds). In the ated in rock rubbles on the slopes of Ariekammen rookery and in the whole catchment area guano and Fugleberget at about 100 m a.s.1. The colony deposits were not found, nor were minerals orig- has an estimated 50,000 couples (Stgpniewicz inating from substances found in faeces. This pers. comm.). makes it different from Antarctic penguin rook- eries, where there are guano deposits and layers of phosphates (struvite, hydroxylapatite, leuc- ophosphite, and others, see Tatur & Barczuk Influx of allochthonous matter to the 1984). This lack of deposits in the Fugleberget catchment area would indicate that all nutrients tundra supplied to the land are utilized by plants, or flows Plautus alle inhabit the slopes of Ariekammen out of the system to the sea by the periodical and Fugleberget from mid-June to mid-August.
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