Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Svalbard landscape structure and dynamics under the climate change since the Little Ice Age  (SVALSCAPE)

Outline
Svalbard terrestrial environment is extremely sensitive to climatic changes. Investigating them in Svalbard must not be separated from a comprehensive environmental knowledge comprising both abiotic and biotic (life) elements (geocomponents) of the landscape system. Landscape ecological approach is the best for that purpose because of its emphasis on interrelations between all the elements. This approach was used for assessment of the landscape structure and dynamics in Sorkapp Land since 1982 and in Nordenskiold Land since 1995. Basic methods are: field mapping, interpreting photos (both terrestrial and aerial ones) and satellite images, radiocarbon dating, analysis of historical-archaeological data, determining animal or plant species. The last but one huge landscape transformation in Svalbard was connected with the Little Ice Age lasting to the end of the 19th century. Afterwards, the contemporary landscape transformation has begun due to the climate warming after the Little Ice Age, i.e. since the beginning of the 20th century. Changes of the life geocomponents (animals, vegetation, soil) follow earlier transformations of the abiotic geocomponents (glaciation, relief, water). Glacial recession is the quickest and most important of these changes, and enables the plant succession and the animal life and soil development. Similar processes have been stimulated by the warming in unglaciated areas, which were too severe for life before. One of the most interesting phenomena are the temporal changes in the altitude of the snow line and the upper vegetation limit. A final result of those transformations is significant advance of the unglaciated and biotic subsystems in the whole landscape system. A lot of results, data and experiences were collected since 1982. In future, this research activity should be continued in the same regions (to observe temporal development of the processes investigated before) and in other Svalbard areas (to recognise regularities of a wide spatial differentiation of the landscape changes). First of all, it is necessary to investigate the glaciated interior and eastern coast of Spitsbergen, and some eastern islands of Svalbard, because Svalbard is much more differentiated from east to west than from south to north. The character and rate of landscape changes in the (known) western coast of Spitsbergen differ very much in comparison with the rest of Svalbard. The final results of the project will contain maps of the landscape structure and dynamics at 1:100.000 scale for the regions investigated in details and at 1:200.000-1:500.000 scale for big parts of Svalbard.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
A real advantage of this project will be sureness of comprehensive conclusions drown in the scale of Svalbard Archipelago and referring to the whole landscape (environmental) system, without dividing the system into abiotic and biotic parts or components. The most significant advance will be discovering the character and rate of landscape (environmental) changes in the Spitsbergen interior and eastern part of Svalbard, which differ very much from the ones (already known) in western coast of Spitsbergen.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
No.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Svalbard: different parts (regions) of Spitsbergen (the main island of the archipelago), may be some other islands of Svalbard

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: July 2007 - August 2007      July 2008 - August 2008      
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Ships or helicopters. The project can share other Polish IPY activities.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
No.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Consortium
Own national polar operator
Another national polar operator
Commercial operator
Own support

These are possible solutions. One of them will be chosen in future and realised.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Accepted by Polish National Committee for 4-IPY 2007-2008.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
Exp

The project is a component of the official project titled Geosystem structure and functioning of the European Arctic and mountains, realised by the leader in Institute of Geography and Spatial Management of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow since 1998, included in Arctic and Antarctic Research Programme of Poland 2002-2010.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will be self-managed or a part of the mentioned above Arctic and Antarctic Research Programme of Poland.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Initial ideas for EOC have not been established yet.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
The collected data should be published by 2010. The ICSU World Data Centres are likely to be involved.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Funding will be probably obtained through national (Polish) funding agencies or from Jagiellonian University in Cracow.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
No.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Wieslaw Ziaja
Jagiellonian Universityul.
Grodzka 64
Krakow
31-044
Poland

Tel: 48 12 6631789
Mobile: no
Fax: 48 12 4225578
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation