Abstract
Whilst the Arctic is often imagined as a pristine, isolated part of our planet, this first edition textbook reminds us that this is far from reality. From describing the influence of the polar jet stream on mid-latitude weather patterns to discussing the discovery of microplastics in Arctic sea ice, the book successfully fulfils its aim of highlighting the interconnectedness between the Arctic and the rest of the globe.
Edited by David N. Thomas, an expert in the field of (Arctic) marine systems, the book comprises the specialist contributions of 37 Arctic researchers, predominantly from Europe, Canada and the USA. The book follows a clear structure and is divided into distinct chapters, each providing a glimpse of one of the diverse ecologies present within the Arctic. This allows the reader to dip in and out of chapters or focus on specific themes or habitats. The book is primarily designed for graduate students, but also aims to capture a wider audience of researchers and policy-makers, and is indeed an excellent resource for anyone interested in Arctic environments.
The scene is set in Chapter 1, which first constructs the boundaries of the area in focus, and then highlights what makes the Arctic unique. In 20 pages, the reader is introduced to some of the main biotic and abiotic components and phenomena that define the Arctic. Terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems are succinctly described, preparing the reader for sections that follow.
After the background is established in the first chapter, the focus turns to the history of the area. Chapter 2 explores the palaeoenvironmental perspective of Arctic ecology and should be of particular interest to The Holocene readership. Although brief reference is made to the Eocene epoch, the focus of this chapter is predominantly on the ecological change experienced during recent centuries. This allows the authors, Michael Pisaric and John P. Smol, to take an intriguing approach of contrasting natural environmental change with change attributed to anthropogenic activities. The chapter outlines the state-of-the-art methods and proxies used for reconstructing the Arctic past, with a focus on dendrochronology and palaeolimnology, but also introduces the latest advancements in this field, such as the use of ancient DNA preserved in organic material.
Moving forward in time, but keeping the focus on environmental change, Chapter 3 outlines the effects of climate change on atmospheric and oceanic circulations, and on ice cover. Global impacts are discussed through examples of ice/albedo feedbacks, and reference is made to recent research, which suggests that this phenomenon may not, in fact, be the dominant driver of Arctic amplification (Lee et al., 2018). Surprisingly, the terrestrial component and associated feedbacks (e.g. relating to permafrost thaw or tundra greening) are largely missing from this chapter; however, the implications of such changes are briefly discussed elsewhere in the book.
Although the Arctic is the region that is arguably worst affected by current climate change (Overland et al., 2019), and the topic is therefore receiving a lot of international attention, describing these impacts is not the intended focus of this book. David N. Thomas explains in the preface that due to the rapid development of new knowledge on the subject, this is better accessed through other sources. Whilst climate change is referred to in many contexts throughout, the book aims instead to introduce the different ecologies that can be encountered within the Arctic today, and fully succeeds in doing so.
Thus, one by one, the following chapters examine the ecologies relating to distinct terrestrial and marine habitats (tundra, glaciers, lakes, rivers, sea ice, benthos, pelagic zone) and take a closer look at some of its inhabitants (mammals and birds). As a researcher concerned mainly with the terrestrial ecosystems of the Arctic, I found the chapters on marine environments especially captivating. Particularly interesting was Chapter 10 on the ecology of Arctic sea ice, by C.J. Mundy and Klaus M. Meiners, which describes the intricate food webs that include viruses and diatoms to pelagic fish, and provides instructions for a simple practical experiment demonstrating the formation of brine as sea ice freezes. However, due to the breadth of the topics covered in this book, most chapters can be described as a comprehensive introduction rather than an in-depth study of each subject. Therefore, the book presents a resource for all Arctic researchers to ‘zoom out’ and complement their existing knowledge of the Arctic.
Any comprehensive discussions about ecosystems should also acknowledge the human component, and its role in shaping the surrounding environment. This topic is investigated in the final chapter written by social anthropologist Mark Nuttall, who describes the social and economic transformations that have affected diverse Arctic indigenous peoples over the past century, and the enormous challenges they face with continued warming and environmental change. The involvement of indigenous knowledge and communities in environmental monitoring, management and policy takes centre stage in this chapter. The takeaway message here is that to fully understand and manage the change in the Arctic, it is critical to integrate indigenous expertise into the international response.
The strength of the book lies in its ability to capture snapshots of all the different aspects of the Arctic – whether terrestrial or marine – and present a well-referenced and clearly illustrated report of the state of the Arctic in the context of current and predicted future change. The book will certainly provide a basis for understanding the underlying ecology of the Arctic, which is undoubtedly essential to address the urgent matter of climatic warming in the area.