Science and earth science

Polish Polar Research

Description

The quarterly Polish Polar Research edited by the Committee on Polar Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences is an international journal publishing original research articles presenting the results of studies carried out in polar regions.

All papers are peer-reviewed and published in English.

The Editorial Advisory Board includes renowned scientist from Poland and from abroad.

Polish Polar Research is indexed in Science Citation Index Expanded, Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Previews, Cold Regions Bibliography, Antarctic Literature, Geological Abstracts, Polish Scientific Journals Contents - Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Quarterly Review, and Zoological Record.

Journal Metrics:
Impact Factor 2022: 1.3
CiteScore metrics from Scopus 2022: 2.4
SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) 2022: 0.288
Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) 2022: 0.512

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Polish Polar Research is an open-access journal in which archive issues are freely accessible and articles are published at no cost to authors.

ISSN

ISSN 0138-0338, eISSN 2081-8262

Publishers

Polish Academy of Sciences, Committee on Polar Research

Editorial Advisory Board

Robert BIALIK (Warszawa, Poland)

Magda BŁAŻEWICZ (Łódź, Poland)

Alistair CRAME (Cambridge, UK)

Josef ELSTER (České Budějovice, Czechia)

Jacek JANIA (Sosnowiec, Poland)

Cezary KABAŁA (Wrocław, Poland)

Jerónimo LÓPEZ-MARTINEZ (Madrid, Spain)

Krzysztof MIGAŁA (Wrocław, Poland)

Jerzy NAWROCKI (Warszawa, Poland)

Maria OLECH (Kraków, Poland)

Sergej OLENIN (Klaipeda, Litva)

Sandra PASSCHIER (Montclair, USA)

Jan PAWŁOWSKI (Sopot, Poland)

Żaneta POLKOWSKA (Gdańsk, Poland)

Gerhard SCHMIEDL (Hamburg, Germany)

Peter SCHWEITZER (Vienna, Austria)

Janne SOREIDE (UNIS, Svalbard)

Lech STEMPNIEWICZ (Gdańsk, Poland)

Mateusz STRZELECKI (Wrocław, Poland)

Witold SZCZUCIŃSKI (Poznań, Poland)

Slawek TULACZYK (Santa Cruz, USA)

Jan Marcin WĘSŁAWSKI (Sopot, Poland) - President

Editor-in-Chief

Wojciech MAJEWSKI (Geosciences), Institute of Paleobiology PAS, Poland

e-mail: wmaj@twarda.pan.pl

Co-Editors:

Monika KĘDRA (Life Sciences), Institute of Oceanology PAS, Poland
e-mail: kedra@iopan.gda.pl

Michał ŁUSZCZUK (Social Science and Humanities), UMCS, Poland
e-mail: michal.luszczuk@poczta.umcs.lublin.pl

Associate Editors

Piotr JADWISZCZAK (Białystok),

e-mail: piotrj@uwb.edu.pl

Ewa ŁUPIKASZA (Sosnowiec)

e-mail: ewa.lupikasza@us.edu.pl

Krzysztof ZAWIERUCHA (Poznań)

email: k.p.zawierucha@gmail.com

Editorial Advisory Board

Robert BIALIK (Warszawa, Poland)

Magda BŁAŻEWICZ (Łódź, Poland)

Alistair CRAME (Cambridge, UK)

Josef ELSTER (České Budějovice, Czechia)

Jacek JANIA (Sosnowiec, Poland)

Cezary KABAŁA (Wrocław, Poland)

Jerónimo LÓPEZ-MARTINEZ (Madrid, Spain)

Krzysztof MIGAŁA (Wrocław, Poland)

Jerzy NAWROCKI (Warszawa, Poland)

Maria OLECH (Kraków, Poland)

Sergej OLENIN (Klaipeda, Litva)

Sandra PASSCHIER (Montclair, USA)

Jan PAWŁOWSKI (Sopot, Poland)

Żaneta POLKOWSKA (Gdańsk, Poland)

Gerhard SCHMIEDL (Hamburg, Germany)

Peter SCHWEITZER (Vienna, Austria)

Janne SOREIDE (UNIS, Svalbard)

Lech STEMPNIEWICZ (Gdańsk, Poland)

Mateusz STRZELECKI (Wrocław, Poland)

Witold SZCZUCIŃSKI (Poznań, Poland)

Slawek TULACZYK (Santa Cruz, USA)

Jan Marcin WĘSŁAWSKI (Sopot, Poland) - President

Geosciences
Wojciech MAJEWSKI
e-mail: wmaj@twarda.pan.pl
phone: (48 22) 697 88 53

Instytut Paleobiologii PAN
ul. Twarda 51/55
00-818 Warszawa, POLAND

Life Sciences
Monika KĘDRA
e-mail: kedra@iopan.gda.pl
phone: (48 58) 731 17 79

Instytut Oceanologii PAN
Powstańców Warszawy 55
81-712 Sopot, POLAND, P.O. Box 148

Social Science and Hummanities
Michał ŁUSZCZUK
e-mail: michal.luszczuk@poczta.umcs.lublin.pl
phone: (48 81) 537 68 99

Instytut Geografii Społeczno-Ekonomicznej i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UMCS
Al. Kraśnicka 2D
20-718 Lublin, POLAND

Polish Polar Research is an open access journal with all content available with no charge in full text version.

The journal content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Content

Polish Polar Research | 2012 | No 4

1 Preface: Petuniabukta, Billefjorden in Svalbard: Czech−Polish long term ecological and geographical research

Josef Elster , Grzegorz Rachlewicz

Polish Polar Research | 2012 | No 4 | 289-295 | DOI: 10.2478/v10183−012−0027−y

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Authors and Affiliations

Josef Elster

Grzegorz Rachlewicz

2 Weather patterns of the coastal zone of Petuniabukta, central Spitsbergen in the period 2008–2010

Kamil Láska , Denisa Witoszová , Pavel Prošek

Polish Polar Research | 2012 | No 4 | 297-318 | DOI: 10.2478/v10183−012−0025−0

Keywords: Arctic Svalbard climate temperature solar radiation

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Abstract

This paper presents the first results of measurements of global solar radiation, albedo, ground surface and 2−m air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed and direction carried out in the central part of Spitsbergen Island in the period 2008–2010. The study site was located on the coastal ice−free zone of Petuniabukta (north−western branch of Billefjorden), which was strongly affected by local topography, character of the ground surface, and sea ice extent. Temporal analysis of the selected meteorological parameters shows both strong seasonal and inter−diurnal variation affected by synoptic−scale weather systems, channelling and drainage effects of the fjords and surrounding glaciers. The prevailing pattern of atmospheric circulation primarily determined the variation in global solar radiation, wind speed, ground surface and 2−m air temperatures. Furthermore, it was found that thermal differences between Petuniabukta and the nearest meteorological station (Svalbard Lufthavn) differ significantly due to differences in sea ice concentrations and ice types in the fjords during the winter and spring months.

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Authors and Affiliations

Kamil Láska

Denisa Witoszová

Pavel Prošek

3 Succession of vascular plants in front of retreating glaciers in central Spitsbergen

Karel Prach , Grzegorz Rachlewicz

Polish Polar Research | 2012 | No 4 | 319-328 | DOI: 10.2478/v10183−012−0022−3

Keywords: Arctic Svalbard climate warming glacier forelands vegetation succession

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Abstract

Vegetation succession in front of five retreating glaciers was studied using phytosociological relevés (60) located at different distances between the Little Ice Age (LIA) moraines and the present glacier fronts around Petunia Bay. Approximate dating of succession stages was based on a study of the changing position of glacier fronts in the past approximately 100 years. The described succession corresponds to the uni−directional, non−replacement model of succession. All constituent species, except one, present in the nearby old tundra have colonized the glacier forelands since the end of the LIA. The first species appeared about 5 years after deglaciation. The latest succession stages closely resemble the old tundra.

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Authors and Affiliations

Karel Prach

Grzegorz Rachlewicz

4 What do Holocene sediments in Petuniabukta, Spitsbergen reveal?

Jiří Košnar , Alexandra Bernardová

Polish Polar Research | 2012 | No 4 | 329-345 | DOI: 10.2478/v10183−012−0023−2

Keywords: Arctic Svalbard plant macro−fossils Tardigrada Salix herbaceaxpolaris

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Abstract

Studies of past vegetation from the inner fjords of the Svalbard archipelago have not previously been reported. This study assesses the potential of sediments retrieved from two sites in Petuniabukta, Billefjorden to track vegetation response to Quaternary climate change. The first sediment profile was retrieved from periodic lake on a 4 m a.s.l. marine terrace with a basal radiocarbon dated to 5 080 ± 30 BP, the second was retrieved from a depression in wet tundra on a 24 m a.s.l. marine terrace, which upper part was dated to 9 470 ± 30 BP. The study is primarily focused on macro- and micro−fossils. Pollen grains are present in very low concentrations. Macro−fossils were represented mostly by leafs and buds of Salix species and Dryas octopetala as well as the hybrid Salix herbacea x polaris . Fossil moss remains represent an important part of arctic ecosystems. Tardigrada remains were found in the sediments in high abundance whilst eggs and exuviae of at least six species were identified. The sediments are definitely suitable for the reconstruction of past conditions. However, it is necessary to take care not to focus at single type of analysis, as pollen analysis appeared uninformative and more information was obtained from plant macro − fossils (mosses, vascular plants). Little attention has been given to Tardigrada in the past, as they were overlooked and the preservation in sediments is usually very low.

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Authors and Affiliations

Jiří Košnar

Alexandra Bernardová

5 Cyanobacterial diversity of Petuniabukta, Billefjorden, central Spitsbergen

Jiří Komárek , Lubomír Kováčik , Josef Elster , Ondřej Komárek

Polish Polar Research | 2012 | No 4 | 347-368 | DOI: 10.2478/v10183−012−0024−1

Keywords: Arctic Svalbard Cyanobacteria diversity ecology

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Abstract

The diversity of cyanobacterial assemblages from various microhabitats in the Arctic area of Petuniabukta, Billefjorden, central Svalbard, was described. The present article contains the introductory common review of the cyanobacterial diversity and ecological data concerning main habitats, while the characteristics of individual taxonomic groups will be presented in following specific studies. Eight distinct main habitats were recognized, which differed in their species composition and especially the dominant species. More than 80 morphospecies were registered during our investigation, but only about 1/3 of them could be assigned to known and described taxa. The others require additional analyses based on modern taxonomic methods (the polyphasic approach ). The composition of cyanobacterial micro flora was comparable with assemblages in coastal Antarctica. The diversity of unicellular and colonial morphotypes (36 taxa) was higher tha n other groups. The number of filamentous species without heterocytes and akinetes, with 30 species, and heterocytous types, with only 20 species, were similar in both of these ecosystems. These numbers will be surely changed in the future, but the overall proportion of different groups will likely stay the same. In contrast to the limited species diversity, simple filamentous aheterocytous species were dominant and formed massive populations. Fewheterocy tous taxa, mostly grouped within the genus Nostoc ( N. commune –complex), were dominant in tundra soils.

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Authors and Affiliations

Jiří Komárek

Lubomír Kováčik

Josef Elster

Ondřej Komárek

6 Biogeography of Phormidium autumnale (Oscillatoriales, Cyanobacteria) in western and central Spitsbergen

Otakar Strunecký , Jiří Komárek , Josef Elster

Polish Polar Research | 2012 | No 4 | 369-382 | DOI: 10.2478/v10183−012−0020−5

Keywords: Arctic Svalbard blue−green algae ecology

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Abstract

Filamentous types from the order Oscillatoriales, particularly the species Phormidium autumnale , have widely diverse morphotypes, which dominate in Arctic aquatic microbial mats and wet soils. We cultivated 25 strains of Ph . autumnale from Svalbard and compared them with available strains from surrounding regions. The comparison of strains, based on 16S rDNA and 16S−23S rDNA intergenic spacer sequences, revealed the similarity of strains from Ellesmere Island, the Canadian Arctic and Abisko, Sweden with strains from Svalbard. The rate of colonization of Ph. atumnale from aquatic habitats is relatively high and we suggest geese as a main transmission vector from surrounding lands. Strains of Ph. autumnale were positioned in the phylogenetic tree according to their occurrence in similar habitats. An apparent clustering factor is the duration of availability of water in lakes and long−lasting streams in contrast to rapid and repeated desiccation in soil and on wetted rock in the spray zone of waterfalls. Strains that grow in very cold waters just above the melting point of snow or ice form a distinct genetic group. The strains investigated in this study show morphological similarity in the shape of the trichomes of the studied specimens. Overall, the cell diameter, except for terminal cells, of our strains varied between 3 and 10 μm. Comparison of 16S rDNA sequences of the genus Ph. autumnale with the previously published definition of the species Microcoleus vaginatus revealed the identity of these two species.

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Authors and Affiliations

Otakar Strunecký

Jiří Komárek

Josef Elster

7 Variability of contemporary vegetation around Petuniabukta, central Spitsbergen

Karel Prach , Jitka Klimešová , Jiří Košnar , Olexii Redčenko , Hais Martin

Polish Polar Research | 2012 | No 4 | 383-394 | DOI: 10.2478/v10183−012−0026−z

Keywords: Arctic Svalbard bryophytes lichens ordination analysis vascular plants vegetation mapping

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Abstract

Vegetation was described in various spatial scales in the area of 37.8 km 2 including distinguishing vegetation units, vegetation mapping, recording phytosociological relevés (53), and completing species lists of vascular plants (86), mosses (124) and lichens (40). Phytosociological relevés were elaborated using ordination methods DCA and CCA. The relevés formed clusters corresponding well to a priori assigned vegetation units. Slope and stoniness significantly influenced the vegetation pattern. Despite the high latitude (nearly 80 ° N), the vegetation is rather rich in species. Non−native species do not expand. The moss Bryum dichotomum is reported for the first time from Svalbard archipelago.

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Authors and Affiliations

Karel Prach

Jitka Klimešová

Jiří Košnar

Olexii Redčenko

Hais Martin

8 Impact of warming on Nostoc colonies (Cyanobacteria) in a wet hummock meadow, Spitsbergen

Josef Elster , Jana Kvíderová , Tomáš Hájek , Kamil Láska , Miloslav Šimek

Polish Polar Research | 2012 | No 4 | 395-420 | DOI: 10.2478/v10183−012−0021−4

Keywords: Arctic Svalbard Cyanobacteria nitrogenase activity photosynthesis

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Abstract

In order to simulate the warming effects on Arctic wetlands, three passive open−top chambers (OTCs) and three control cage−like structures (CCSs) equipped with soil temperature and soil volumetric water content (VWC) probes for continuous micro− climatic measurements were installed in a wet hummock meadow, Petuniabukta, Billefjorden, central Spitsbergen, in 2009. The warming effects on primary productivity were investigated during summer seasons 2009 and 2010 in cyanobacterial colonies of Nostoc commune s.l., which plays an important role in the local carbon and nitrogen cycles. The microclimatic data indicated that the effect of OTCs was dependent on microtopography. During winter, two short−term snow−thaw episodes occurred, so that liquid water was available for the Nostoc communities. Because of the warming, the OTC hummock bases remained unfrozen three weeks longer in comparison to the CCSs and, in spring, the OTC hummock tops and bases exceeded 0 ° C several days earlier than CCS ones. Mean summer temperature differences were 1.6 ° C in OTC and CCS hummock tops, and 0.3 ° Cinthe OTC and CCS hummock bases. The hummock tops were drier than their bases; however the VWC difference between the OTCs and CCSs was small. Due to the only minor differences in the microclimate of OTC and CCS hummock bases, where the Nostoc colonies were located, no differences in ecophysiological characteristics of Nostoc colonies expressed as photochemistry parameters and nitrogenase activities were detected after two years exposition. Long−term monitoring of Nostoc ecophysiology in a manipulated environment is necessary for understanding their development under climate warming.

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Authors and Affiliations

Josef Elster

Jana Kvíderová

Tomáš Hájek

Kamil Láska

Miloslav Šimek

9 Clonal growth forms in Arctic plants and their habitat preferences: a study from Petuniabukta, Spitsbergen

Jitka Klimešová , Jiří Doležal , Karel Prach , Jiří Košnar

Polish Polar Research | 2012 | No 4 | 421-442 | DOI: 10.2478/v10183−012−0019−y

Keywords: Arctic Svalbard vascular plants clonal growth substrate

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Abstract

The ability to grow clonally is generally considered important for plants in Arctic regions but analyses of clonal characteristics are lacking for entire plant communities. To fill this gap, we assessed the clonal growth of 78 plant species in the Petuniabukta region, central Spitsbergen (Svalbard), and analyzed the clonal and other life−history traits in the regional flora and plant communities with respect to environmental gradients. We distinguished five categories of clonal growth organs: perennial main roots produced by non− clonal plants, epigeogenous rhizomes, hypogeogenous rhizomes, bulbils, and stolons. Clonal growth differed among communities of the Petuniabukta region: non−clonal plants prevailed in open, early−successional communities, but clonal plants prevailed in wetlands. While the occurrence of plants with epigeogenous rhizomes was unrelated to stoniness or slope, the occurrence of plants with hypogeogenous rhizomes diminished with increasing stoniness of the substratum. Although the overall proportion of clonal plants in the flora of the Petuniabukta region was comparable to that of central Europe, the flora of the Petuniabukta region had fewer types of clonal growth organs, a slower rate of lateral spread, and a different proportion of the two types of rhizomes.

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Authors and Affiliations

Jitka Klimešová

Jiří Doležal

Karel Prach

Jiří Košnar

10 Photosynthetic activity in three vascular species of Spitsbergen vegetation during summer season in response to microclimate

Miloš Barták , Váczi Peter , Josef Hájek

Polish Polar Research | 2012 | No 4 | 443-462 | DOI: 10.2478/v10183−012−0018−z

Keywords: Arctic Svalbard vascular plants plant ecophysiology net photosynthesis chlorophyll fluorescence

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Abstract

Diurnal measurements of photosynthetic pr ocesses, effective quantum yield of photosystem II ( F PSII ), photosynthetic electron transport rate (ETR) were done in three domi− nant species of Arctic tundra ( Silene acaulis , Dryas octopetala , Salix polaris ) in Petunia− bukta, Spitsbergen. Daily courses of net photosynthesis (P N ) were calculated from chloro− phyll fluorescence data and daily photosynthesi s evaluated. The short−term field measure− ments were carried out in summer 2009, and 2010. Fluorometric parameters ( F PSII and ETR) were measured each 5 minutes as well as microc limate characteristics of the site for 10 (2009) and 8 days (2010), respectively. In all species photosynthetic ETR was well related to incident photosynthetically active radiation a nd leaf temperature. In general, D. octopetala exhibited slightly lower ETR than the other two speci es. Estimated maximu m photosynthetic rate (P Nmax ) reached 17.6, 21.4, and 22.9 μmol CO 2 m −2 s −1 for S. polaris , S. acaulis ,and D. octopetala , respectively. Daily photosynthesis reach ed comparable values in all species, D. otopetala , however, exhibited slightly lower values than the other two species both for overcast and fully sunny days (3.9 and 13.4 mmol CO 2 m −2 d −1 , respectively). The range of daily photosynthesis for S. polaris and S. acaulis studied, reached the ranges of 4.6–6.9 and 14.6–15.2 mmol CO 2 m −2 d −1 for overcast and fully sunny day, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

Miloš Barták

Váczi Peter

Josef Hájek

Instructions for authors

The quarterly Polish Polar Research invites original scientific papers dealing with all aspects of polar research. The journal aims to provide a forum for publication of high-quality research papers, which are of international interest.

We warmly welcome review papers and proposals for thematic Special Issues.

Articles must be written in English. Authors are requested to have their manuscript read by a person fluent in English before submission. They should not be longer than 30 typescript pages, including tables, figures and references. However, upon request, longer manuscripts may be considered for publication. All papers are peer-reviewed. With a submitted manuscript, authors should provide e-mail addresses of at least three suggested reviewers.

Submission of the manuscript should be supported with a declaration that the work described has not been published previously nor is under consideration by another journal.

For text submission, Word file format is preferred. Please use the PPRes style template when preparing the final version of your paper. Pay special attention to writing correctly the list of references with doi. Manuscripts which are not prepared in line with the template will be returned to the authors. Please submit your manuscripts using our online submission system.

The journal does not have article processing charges (APCs) nor article submission charges. No honorarium will be paid to authors for publishing papers.