Validation of water flux and body composition in Glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus)

Water influx rates (WIR) measured with tritiated water dilution were compared with direct measures of water and energy intake in glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus). Total body water (TBW) measured isotopically was also compared with TBW determined by body composition analysis (BCA) of the same birds. Seventeen wild gulls were captured and studied in outdoor enclosures at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, in July 2002. Gulls were hand-fed known quantities of Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) or given water on the basis of one of four experimental treatments: (A) fasting, (B) fish only, (C) water only, or (D) fish and water. Water and energy content of Arctic cod was also determined. WIR of gulls (after subtracting metabolic water production) in treatments A, B, C, and D were 0, 101 ± 5, 62 ± 19, and 122 ± 21 SD g d-1, respectively. Measured water intake in each group was 0, 111 ± 2, 64 ± 3, and 134 ± 15 SD g d-1, respectively. On average, WIR underestimated measured water intake in each group. Errors were lowest but most variable for gulls fed water only (-2.2% ± 32.8%) compared with gulls fed fish only (-9.0% ± 5.4%) or fish and water (-9.0% ± 7.0%). Compared with measured water intake, errors in WIR were relatively low overall (-6.9% ± 17.4%) and comparable to previous validation studies. The difference in TBW determined by BCA versus isotopic dilution ranged between -1.02% and +8.59% of mass. On average, TBW measured isotopically (632 ± 24 g kg-1) overestimated true body water by a factor of 1.033

Multiple stressors in a top predator seabird: potential ecological consequences of environmental contaminants, population health and breeding conditions

Environmental contaminants may have impacts on reproduction and survival in wildlife populations suffering from multiple stressors. This study examined whether adverse effects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) increased with poor population health and breeding conditions in three colonies (60–74°N) of great skua (Stercorarius skua) in the north-eastern Atlantic (Shetland, Iceland and Bjørnøya [Bear Island]). POPs (organochlorines [OCs] and polybrominated diphenyl ethers [BDEs]) were measured in plasma of incubating birds (n = 222), concentrations differing nearly tenfold among colonies: Bjørnøya (2009) > Bjørnøya (2010) > Iceland (2009) > Shetland (2009). Reproductive success (hatching success and chick survival) showed that breeding conditions were favourable in Shetland and at Bjørnøya (2010), but were very poor in Iceland and at Bjørnøya (2009). Biomarkers indicated that health was poor in the Shetland population compared to the other populations. Females whose chicks hatched late had high POP concentrations in all colonies except at Bjørnøya (2010), and females losing their eggs at Bjørnøya (2009) tended to have higher concentrations than those hatching. Moreover, there was a negative relationship between female POP concentrations and chick body condition at hatching in Iceland and at Bjørnøya (2010). Supplementary feeding experiments were conducted, and in Iceland where feeding conditions were poor, significant negative relationships were found between female POP concentrations and daily growth-rate in first-hatched chicks of control nests, but not in food supplemented nests. This suggests that negative impacts of POPs were mitigated by improved feeding conditions. For second-chicks, there was a strong negative relationship between the female POP concentrations and growth-rate, but no effects of supplementary feeding. Lowered adult return-rate between breeding seasons with increasing POP loads were found both at Bjørnøya (2009) and in Shetland, especially related to BDEs. This indicates stronger fitness consequences of POPs following seasons with very poor breeding conditions and/or high reproductive effort. This study suggests that the impacts of POPs may differ depending on population health and breeding conditions, and that even low concentrations of POPs could have ecological consequences during adverse circumstances. This is important with regard to risk assessment of biomagnifying contaminants in marine ecosystems

Five decades of terrestrial and freshwater research at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard

For more than five decades, research has been conducted at Ny-Ålesund, in Svalbard, Norway, to understand the structure and functioning of High-Arctic ecosystems and the profound impacts on them of environmental change. Terrestrial, freshwater, glacial and marine ecosystems are accessible year-round from Ny-Ålesund, providing unique opportunities for interdisciplinary observational and experimental studies along physical, chemical, hydrological and climatic gradients. Here, we synthesize terrestrial and freshwater research at Ny-Ålesund and review current knowledge of biodiversity patterns, species population dynamics and interactions, ecosystem processes, biogeochemical cycles and anthropogenic impacts. There is now strong evidence of past and ongoing biotic changes caused by climate change, including negative effects on populations of many taxa and impacts of rain-on-snow events across multiple trophic levels. While species-level characteristics and responses are well understood for macro-organisms, major knowledge gaps exist for microbes, invertebrates and ecosystem-level processes. In order to fill current knowledge gaps, we recommend (1) maintaining monitoring efforts, while establishing a long-term ecosystem-based monitoring programme; (2) gaining a mechanistic understanding of environmental change impacts on processes and linkages in food webs; (3) identifying trophic interactions and cascades across ecosystems; and (4) integrating long-term data on microbial, invertebrate and freshwater communities, along with measurements of carbon and nutrient fluxes among soils, atmosphere, freshwaters and the marine environment. The synthesis here shows that the Ny-Ålesund study system has the characteristics needed to fill these gaps in knowledge, thereby enhancing our understanding of High-Arctic ecosystems and their responses to environmental variability and change

Assessment of the Applicability for Pollution Control Authorities of the Concept "Critical loads" of Long range Transported Micropollutants in Relation to Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems

The applicability for pollution management and control authorities of consept "Critical load" of long-range transported micropollutants has been evaluated for sensitive parts of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The background for this assessment is the previous sucessful use of the critical load approach in international negotiations aiming at the reduction of acid precipitation components. The review of discharge and deposition data for micropollutants showed that this information was inadequate to calculate load with sufficient accuracy except for lead (and possibly cadmium). The reviews about observed effects in Norwegian water, soil, terrestrial and Arctic environments all concluded that effects on population levels from long-range transported persitent organic and metals could not be documented so far. As and alternative approach in international negotiations to reduce spreading of micropollutants it is recommended to use the precautionary principle. It is recommended to increase efforts in mapping of discharge and deposition of micropollutants and to give high priority to effect studies, in particular with regard to critical doses and critical concentrations in exposure media and organisms

Fugleovervåkning ved etablering av nytt geodesieanlegg ved Ny-Ålesund:Årsrapport for 2014

Moe, B., S.A. Hanssen, G.W. Gabrielsen & M.J.J.E Loonen (2015) Fugleovervåkning ved etablering av nytt geodesianlegg ved Ny-Ålesund. Årsrapport for 2014. - NINA Rapport 1140. 28 s. Statens kartverk har drevet geodetisk observatorium i Ny-Ålesund på Svalbard siden 1994. Et nytt og oppdatert geodesianlegg bygges ved Brandalslaguna, inkludert bygging av ny vei mellom det nye anlegget og flyplassen i Ny-Ålesund. Veien og geodesianlegget etableres i et område som er verdifullt for fuglelivet. I tillatelsen fra Sysselmannen på Svalbard er det satt vilkår om overvåkningsprogram som følger effekter av inngrepet på hekkende tyvjo og vadefugl, samt fugl i Brandalslaguna og vannene ved Knudsenheia. Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA) har designet overvåkningsprogrammet på oppdrag fra Statens kartverk for å innfri kravene fra Sysselmannen på Svalbard. Overvåkningsprogrammet inkluderer kontroll-områder for å se resultatene i lys av naturlig variasjon og effekten av tiltaket. Programmet er delt inn i ulike faser avhengig av om dataene registreres før anleggstiden, i anleggsfasen eller i driftsfasen. Hovedmålet med overvåkningen i 2014 var å samle inn data for anleggsfasen det berørte området og kontrolldata i kontrollområdene, vurdere mulige effekter og foreslå eventuelle avbøtende tiltak. Det var i 2014 knyttet anleggsaktivitet til siste del av veien og stasjonsområdet ved Brandallaguna. Hovedresultatet fra årets overvåkning er at antallet hekkende fugl var kraftig redusert fra året før. Ved Brandal, som inneholder det berørte området, var det 60% færre hekkende par enn i 2013. Dette skyldes i all hovedsak naturlig variasjon og spesielle miljøforhold med mye snø og sein snøsmelting som gjorde hekking vanskelig for bakkehekkende fugl på tundraen rundt Ny- Ålesund. Dataene fra kontrollområdene og de delene av Brandal som lå relativt lengre unna inngrepene, viste også dårlige hekketall sammenlignet med året før. Hvis ikke overvåkningen hadde inkludert kontrollområder kunne man feilaktig ha konkludert med at anleggsaktiviteten var årsaken til nedgangen. Selv om funnene hovedsakelig viser naturlig variasjon, så kan vi ikke utelukke at anleggsaktiviteten har hatt noen effekt. Det gjelder først og fremst der veien og anleggsarbeidet har beslaglagt areal som tidligere var hekkeplass (for 2-3 par i 2013) og leveområde for fugl. Hekkefunn og forekomster av fugl ble kommunisert til oppdragsgiver underveis, og det ble ikke nødvendig å iverksette avbøtende tiltak i 2014.Moe, B., S.A. Hanssen, G.W. Gabrielsen & M.J.J.E Loonen (2015) Monitoring of birds in connection with establishment of a new geodetic observatory in Ny-Ålesund. Annual report 2014. - NINA Report 1140. 28 pp. Norwegian Mapping Authority (NMA) has operated a geodetic observatory at Ny-Ålesund in Svalbard since 1994. A new and modernized geodetic observatory will be constructed at Brandalslaguna, including construction of a new road between the new facilities and the airport in Ny-Ålesund. The road and the geodetic observatory will be established in an important bird area, and the permission granted from the Governor of Svalbard included establishment of a bird monitoring program for evaluating the potential effects of the intervention on nesting arctic skuas and waders, as well as birds at Brandalslaguna and the lakes in the vicinity to Knudsenheia. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) has designed this bird monitoring program on behalf of NMA in order to meet the terms of the Governor of Svalbard. The monitoring program includes control areas in order to evaluate the effects in light of natural variation and the effects of the intervention. The monitoring program is divided into different stages depending on whether the data is collected before the construction started, during the construction phase or during the operational stage. The principal goal of the monitoring in 2014 was to collect data for the ‘construction phase’ in the affected areas and control data in the control areas, assess potential effects and suggest mitigating measures. In 2014, construction work occurred on the last part of the road and the station area at Brandallaguna. The main result from the monitoring in 2014, was the substantial decrease in number of breeding birds compared to 2013. At Brandal, which includes the affected area, the number of breeding pairs was 60% lower in 2014 compared to 2013. The main reason for this reduction was natural variation and special environmental conditions with substantial snow cover and late snow melt which in turn created poor breeding conditions for ground breeding birds on the tundra around Ny-Ålesund. The results from the control areas and the parts at Brandal located relatively far away from the construction work, also showed low numbers of breeding birds compared to 2013. If the monitoring had not included control areas, there would be a risk for making the wrong conclusion that the substantial reduction in breeding numbers was caused by the construction work. The results show that the reductions occurred due to natural variation. However, we cannot rule out that the construction work did have any effect. In particular this applies to where the road and the construction work have occupied areas that earlier were breeding grounds (for 2-3 pairs in 2013) and habitats for bird. Bird nests and occurrences of birds were communicated to Norwegian Mapping Authority during the ongoing monitoring, thus no mitigating measures were then necessary to take during this field season.© Norsk institutt for naturforskning. Publikasjonen kan siteres fritt med kildeangivelse