Editors ISBN 978−83−62673−47−6 Krzysztof Migała, Piotr Owczarek Marek Kasprzak, Mateusz C. Strzelecki University of Wrocław Committee on Polar Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences New perspectives Polar Club of the Polish Geographical Society Association of Polar Early Career Scientists / Poland Municipality of Wrocław in polar research in polar research New perspectives New New perspectives in polar research Editors Krzysztof Migała Piotr Owczarek Marek Kasprzak Mateusz C. Strzelecki Wrocław 2014 New perspectives in polar research Editors Krzysztof Migała Piotr Owczarek Marek Kasprzak Mateusz C. Strzelecki Wrocław 2014 New perspectives in polar research 35th Polar Symposium Diversity and state of polar ecosystems 4th –7th June 2014, Wrocław Editors: Krzysztof Migała, Piotr Owczarek, Marek Kasprzak, Mateusz C. Strzelecki Technical editors: Magdalena Korzystka-Muskała, Marek Kasprzak, Tymoteusz Sawiński Reviewers: Stanisław Chmiel Michał Chorośnicki Josef Elster Piotr Głowacki Michał Łuszczuk Andrzej Kubka Wojciech Majewski Andrzej Makowski Tadeusz Niedźwiedź Adam Nawrot Piotr Owczarek Jerzy Pereyma Grzegorz Rachlewicz Izabela Sówka Anna Styszyńska Andrzej Witkowski Piotr Zagórski Wiesław Ziaja Cover image: Ice cliff of the Hansbreen, Hornsund (photo M. Kasprzak, 2011) ©Copyright 2014 by Institute of Geography and Regional Development, University of Wrocław ISBN 978−83−62673−47−6 Institute of Geography and Regional Development University of Wrocław Pl. Uniwersytecki 1, 50–137 Wrocław, Poland Printed by I-BiS s.c., ul. Sztabowa 32, 53-321 Wrocław New perspectives in polar research Contents PREFACE (Editors) ................................................................................................................................... 7 ARCTIC COUNCIL AND THE ECOSYSTEM-BASED MANAGEMENT APPROACH (M. Madej) ............... 9 OFFSHORE HYDROCARBON DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ARCTIC: MAIN DETERMINANTS AND DRIVERS (M. Łuszczuk) ......................................................................................................................... 19 THE ROLE OF GREENLAND IN THE ARCTIC (M. A. Tomala)............................................................... 27 JAPAN’S ARCTIC POLICY (J. Grzela) .................................................................................................... 37 RUSSIAN ICEBREAKER. THE CURRENT DAY AND THE FUTURE (K. Kubiak) ................................... 51 FROM POMOR’E TO SIBERIA. THE MODELS OF ECO-CULTURAL ADAPTATION IN THE CONTEXT OF RECLAMATION OF SPACES (M. P. Chernaya) ............................................................................... 61 ANTHROPOPRESSURE’S INTENSIFICATION WITH REFERENCE TO ARCTIC ECOSYSTEMS (K. Kozak, M. Szopińska, A. Pacyna, K. Kozioł, S. Lehmann, Ż. Polkowska) ........................................... 69 THE OCCURRENCE OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHS) AND POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBS) IN THE CHOSEN AREA OF SVALBARD (A. Pacyna, K. Kozioł, M. Ruman, Ż. Polkowska) ....................................................................................................... 85 MORPHOMETRIC PARAMETERS OF THE RENARDBREEN AS AN IMPORTANT FACTORS DETERMINING THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS ON THE GLACIER SURFACE (BELLSUND, SVALBARD) (K. Kosek, S. Lehmann, G. Gajek, W. Kociuba, Ł. Franczak, Ż. Polkowska) ......................................................................................................................................... 97 DYNAMICS OF CHANGES IN THE CONCENTRATION LEVELS OF ORGANIC POLLUTANTS IN THE PROGLACIAL WATERS OF THE SCOTT RIVER (SPITSBERGEN, SW SVALBARD) (S. Lehmann, W. Kociuba, G. Gajek, Ł. Franczak, Ż. Polkowska) ............................................................................... 111 PROPERTIES OF DRIFTWOOD FROM BELLSUND COAST (SVALBARD): PRELIMINARY RESULTS (M. Komorowicz, H. Wróblewska, A. Fojutowski, A. Kropacz , A. Noskowiak, G. Gajek, Ł. Franczak, L. Łęczyński) ......................................................................................................................................... 123 THE DIVERSITY OF CYANOBACTERIA AND GREEN ALGAE ON ECOLOGICAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF VEGETATION IN HORNSUND AREA (WEST SPITSBERGEN, SVALBARD) (D. Richter, M. Pietryka, J. Matuła) .............................................................................................................................................. 139 POSSIBILITIES OF DETECTING NON-BITING MIDGES (CHIRONOMIDAE) IN ANTARCTICA (E. Sieredziński) .................................................................................................................................... 165 CURRENT AND HISTORICAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES CONSTRAINED BY CLIMATE. ADMIRALTY BAY, KING GEORGE ISLAND, ANTARCTICA (POLISH OCEANOGRAPHIC PROJECTS INITIATED DURING INTERNATIONAL POLAR YEAR) (A. Wasiłowska, A. Tatur, M. Rzepecki, A. Borkowski) ........................................................................................................................................ 173 FACTORS CONTROLLING BEACH DEVELOPMENT IN VAIGAT STRAIT, WEST GREENLAND – INSIGHTS FROM AUTOMATED GRAIN SIZE ANALYSIS (M. Drewniak, M. C. Strzelecki, W. Szczuciński) ..................................................................................................................................... 189 5 New perspectives in polar research PROCESSES CONTROLLING THE PAST AND RECENT EVOLUTION OF COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS IN THE SOUTHERN BELLSUND, SVALBARD (P. Zagórski, M. C. Strzelecki, J. Rodzik) ..................... 205 BEDLOAD TRANSPORT IN A HIGH ARCTIC GRAVEL-BED RIVER (SCOTT RIVER, SVALBARD SW) (W. Kociuba) ......................................................................................................................................... 231 FROST WAVES IN NORTH-WESTERN SPITSBERGEN (A. M. Tomczyk) ........................................... 247 CLIMATIC SIGNALS IN GROWTH RINGS OF THE HIGH ARCTIC DWARF SHRUB SALIX POLARIS (WAHLENB.): A CASE STUDY FROM SW SPITSBERGEN, SVALBARD (P. Owczarek, M. Opała, K. Migała) .............................................................................................................................................. 257 TREE RINGS OF DOWNY BIRCH (BETULA PUBESCENS) FROM ISLAND OF TROMSØYA (NORWAY) AS PROXIES FOR PAST TEMPERATURE CHANGES IN THE LOW ARCTIC (M. Opała, K. Migała, P. Owczarek) ........................................................................................................................ 269 6 New perspectives in polar research Preface This volume is the result of 35th Polar Symposium, which took place in Wrocław on 4–7 June 2014. The conference was organized by the University of Wrocław in cooperation with The Committee on Polar Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences and two NGOs: Polar Club of Polish Geographical Society and APECS Poland. The honorary patronage over the Symposium was taken by the Rector of University of Wrocław and by the Mayor of Wrocław. The Symposium held under the theme “Diversity and state of polar ecosystems”. The meeting was attended by 170 participants (including 11 from overseas) representing 36 independent national bodies of universities and Academy of Scienc- es and nine foreign centers of Austria (1), Czech Republic (2), the Netherlands (1), Germany (1), Norway (1) Russia (3) and the UK (2). A total number of 64 oral presentations, introduced on two plenary and five thematic sessions, and 69 poster presentations highlighted the various aspects of polar sciences. The sessions were celebrated by the invited speakers: Saskia Brix- Elsig from German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research, Josef Elster from Czech Centre of Polar Ecology and Wolfgang Schoener from Zentreal Anstalt fur Meteorologie und Geodynamik. In total, more than 130 different works were presented whose abstracts were published in the electronic version: Migała et al. 2014 (eds) Book of Abstracts 35th Polar Sym- posium “Diversity and state of polar ecosystems” 4–7 June 2014, Wrocław, 136 pp, ISBN 978−83−62673−39−1. The conference allowed to assess that in the Polish scientific community in- volved in the polar regions there are new lines of research and successful attempts at synthesis. The young age of the majority of speakers and a variety of research topics and the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of the research, as well as attempts at synthesis are encouraging for the future. Most of the speeches have reached a good international standard. Also was noted significant progress in methodology, modern technics and scientific equipment of polish polar research. The Editors Krzysztof Migała, Piotr Owczarek, Marek Kasprzak & Mateusz C. Strzelecki 7 New perspectives in polar research Magdalena Madej Jagiellonian University Institute of Political Science and International Relations 5 Jabłonowskich st, 31-114 Kraków, Poland [email protected] Arctic Council and the ecosystem-based management approach Abstract: The Arctic region consists of a number of distinct marine and terrestrial ecosystems, which vary significantly in ecological and demographic ways. There are many existing and potential pressures, which make the Arctic ecosystems vulnera- ble. The Arctic climate is warming rapidly. Its impacts like thinning and reduced the extent of sea ice has significant implications for Arctic wildlife and human popula- tions. The other threats are pollution and increased economic activities such as oil and gas exploration or shipping. To address these challenges, there is a need for flexible and adaptive interdisciplinary