NATURE OF SPITSBERGEN AND ITS CONSERVATION

A.A. Tischkov,
Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow

This material represents the investment of Russian ecologists into conservation of nature of Spitsbergen, or Svalbard, as Norwegian name it. It was prepared twelve years ago to remind about the careful attitude to nature of Russian miners and other mine inhabitants. Trust “Arcticugol”, working Russian mines on the archipelago, published it in a form of popular brochure in 1988. But the material didn’t lost its actuality in current day. We hope, that you will share the anxiety of the author about destiny of the archipelago nature and will know a lot of new. Warnings of the author concerning carefulness in archipelago Spitsbergen nature may be in full measure extended on any other arctic area.

You left your motherland and arrived to arctic archipelago Spitsbergen in order to live and work here, far from your country. Here you are surrounded by nature, very unlike that you know at home. Rocks, sea, ices, unusual vegetation, scarcely covering soil surface, flocks of loud marine birds...

This country is very severe and nice in its own beauty. Nobody stays indifferent to it, and many humans fail in love to these landscapes, and love Arctic all their rest life.

The arctic nature is very fragile and vulnerable, and here, on Spitsbergen, it is especially sensitive to any influences and disorders. This resulted from a few reasons. First, because of extremely short and cold summer, that delays all vital processes, and among them - processes of destroyed ecosystems reparation. Second, Spitsbergen is situated relatively far from continent, thus loss of certain plant or animal species in the result of destruction of their habitats by gathering and hunting could not be supplied by representatives of these species from mainland or nearest islands. Third, Spitsbergen is a rocky archipelago, thus the thin layer of soil, developing on its slopes, can be easily destroyed by inaccurate economic management.

Spring is coming, and you will have a possibility to know the archipelago nature more close. You were already if Barentsburg museum, where acquainted history of the archipelago industrial development, as well as with peculiarities of its geology, animal and plant world; and saw books, consisting useful information about Spitsbergen. However, the most useful knowledge may be taken from excursions and walking tours on shoreline and rocks of Spitsbegen with passing the night in tents or huts. Such a direct communication with nature allows to understand it peculiarity better and to feel its defencelessness before humans. This understanding provides conscious, that the archipelago nature should be protected, especially around the Russian settlements, and, where it is necessary, to repair it. During your walking excursions try to learn to distinguish different species of plant, and on species of birds from another. Noble tasks of learning, conservation and restoration of nature will make your life on the archipelago more interesting, and will stay a deep track in your memory.

The archipelago lies in borders of two natural zones: polar desert and arctic tundra. It consists of a few large (islands of Barents, West Spitsbergen, Edga), and a few small islands. The largest island - West Spitsbergen. The Russian settlements are situated here, thus this brochure talk just about the nature of these islands.

The overall square of the archipelago is 62096 square kilometres, 58% of them are covered by glaciers. The glaciers take a few more the half of the West Spitsbergen square.

The archipelago lies if high attitudes, only in one thousand kilometres to south from North Pole. It is streamed by warm (+4⁰C) West-Spitsbergen stream, that has a great influence on the local climate, making it less severe than in other Arctic areas.

An average temperature of a year is about -7⁰C for environs of Barentsburg, and about -4⁰C - for Ice-fiord-Radio. An average for many summers temperature of the warmest month (July) - +5.6⁰, and for the coldest (February) -16⁰. The highest temperature was recorded in July 1979 +21.3⁰ in environs of Longierbuen. and the lowest one in February -46.7⁰. An important climate peculiarity in central part of the archipelago, where the Russian and Norwegian settlements are situated, - the longer, in comparison with other areas, period with temperatures higher 0⁰C (more 100 days), and also possibility of positive temperatures for all months. In winter thawing occur regularly.

The most precipitations in the archipelago fall in a form of snow; their level is about 300 mm. The thickness of the snow cover is not large, because of strong winter winds. Average speed of wind is 5-6 m/s in summer, and 9-10 m/s in winter. Winds in direction to north-east and South are prevail, but only close to shoreline. In the altitudes the winds show North direction.

Grounds of the archipelago a characterised by many-years frozen condition, of 20 to 450 m thickness. This factor plays an important role in distribution of vegetation and in animal life. Such peculiarities of microrelief as hummocks, patches, stehs, borders, that we meet elsewhere represent a result of this many-years frozen condition presence. If these conditions are not taken into account, serious mistakes can be made in building and equipping of settlements, roads, and other communications.

The relief of the archipelago is rocky and represented by combination of rocky massifs with narrow valleys, small flat surfaces and rocky barring with wide valleys, appeared as a result of glaciers activity. With altitude climate conditions change significantly - air temperature, humidity, and following to them - flora and fauna. So, in the same area one can see rich tundra vegetation, ability of reindeers and birds, in river valleys, whereas in the altitude 300 m - poor polar desert with rare grasses and patches of mosses and lichens.

There are many lakes and rivers in the archipelago. All the rivers are feed by glaciers, and this is the reason that they have maximum water supply, depth and speed of flow in the period of maximum glaciers thawing, that occurs usually in the second half of July. In sunny days the freshet may be observed in the evening, that is important to know for tourists, who plan to cross water streams. Lakes become free from ice in June-July.

In spite of severe life condition, the quite rich flora has been formed in the archipelago - more than 160 species of flowering plants. Many species probable went through strong frozeness of earlier epochs, however, the most their part appeared here in recent thousand of years. Enrichment of the flora by new species does continue also in current time period. Humans play the strong role today in this process. During the last 40-50 years the archipelago flora has been enriched by two tens of flower species; by most part - by weeds. Among them - usual in our settlements dandelion, sorrel, millefolium, wintercress and others.

Local flowering plants flora is represented by shrubs, small shrubs and grasses. There are only two species of shrubs - dwarf (Arctic) birch and net willow. They have creeping form and such extremely small, that inexperienced eye can’t distinguish them from grasses. In the valley of river Kole we found exemplars till 3 sm. of a trunk thickness, whose age was about 100 years. As it follows from peat analysis, earlier (about 10-11 thousands of years ago) the dwarf birch did occurred on the archipelago more often, than now. Today we can find it only in some valleys of Ice-fiord (Kole, Advent).

The archipelago flora, also as in other Arctic areas, is rich with cereals and sedges, that occur everywhere, but more often - on drained slopes close to a sea, under bird colonies on the seashore.

The most diversity show saxifrages: 14 species. Many of them occurs more often in settlements, others - on seashore and rivershore pebbles, third prefer rocky placers in mountains. There are also a lot of buttercup kind representatives here. Plain yellow flowers of buttercups may be seen more often on swamps, in small warmed pools; there are also typical tundra species among them. Pallas buttercup and glacier buttercup, with relatively large light flowers, look more attractive than others.

Among uniform scarce vegetation of arctic tundra a group of plants with beautiful flowers may be distinguished: dryas, kassiopea, largelief campanula, saxifrages, arnica, arctic dandelion, cloudberry, poppies, pedicularis, Jacob’s ladder. Many of these species became rare and endangered around settlements. One of our main tasks is to abstain from gathering of bright decorative representatives of the flora and by this way to preserve them around Russian settlements. It is necessary to point out, that the Norwegian legislation forbid gathering of all these plant species for bouquets and other purposes.

In the archipelago there is also variable flora of cryptogamous (non flavouring) plants: there are about 250 species of mosses, more than 120 species of lichens, a few tens of mushrooms. Mosses and lichens occur everywhere and often form solid cover, that often promotes to storage of peat layer up to 1 m.

Among mosses bog-mosses are especially interest. There were found 7 species of the bog-mosses here, and all of them occur in more southern areas. Some of the bog-mosses live on animal carcasses - skin, bones, reindeer scats. Lichens a represented by large group of small species, living on stones. These lichens were named scum lichens. The bloom of these lichens on stones is hard to delete even with help of chisel. The scum lichens represent some kind of “pioneers” in covering of stone substrates. They are first who inhabits, for example, the places, recently leaved by a glacier, or mountain fall occurred. More noticeable group of lichens is represented by lief and scrub lichens, that live in tundra in dry tundras on drained flat surfaces on mountain slopes. In the cold time of a year reindeers readily eat these lichens.

Lichens are enough vulnerable to trampling and air pollution. It’s should to remember, that the lichen cover demands tens years for restoration after destruction.

Among mushrooms, cortinarius, milk-caps, russulas, puffballs, agarics occur in tundras. Nearly all of them are appropriate for eating, and, after boiling and washing, may be used as food. It is necessary to keep surface layer undestroyed during gathering of the mushrooms.

During excursions around Russian settlements you can acquaint with flora and vegetation of different kinds of tundra, arctic swamps, mountain slopes under bird colonies on the seashore. Make your excursions in the nature more interesting and knowledgeable - observe, photography, make sketches of all that attracted your attention. Abstain from gathering of bouquets, plants for herbariums - among cutten plants may occur rare for Spitsbergen species and those who arrived here recently and only assimilate in the local environment.

Fauna of the archipelago dry land, in comparison to flora, is not so rich. Scientists found here only a few tens of insects - flies, butterflies, beetles, a few species of spiders. Tiny microscopic invertebrates, inhabiting plant residues and soil, are more variable, but this “underground world” is poor studied for the present.

From nearly 100 bird species, registered on the archipelago, only about two tens nest regularly. Indeed, in the dry land only rock ptarmigan, snow bunting, wheatear, purple sandpiper and dunlin are common species. In contrast, most of birds are related with sea and fresh-water pools: among them are bean geese, barnacle geese, long-tailed ducks, eiders, Arctic terns and marine colonial birds - little auks, thich-billed murres, puffins, black-legged kittiwakes, glaucous gulls, black guillemots, silver-grey fulmars.

In accordance with Norwegian rules, hunting is permitted on Spitsbergen on bean goose, barnacle goose, and also on all marine colonial birds (excluding black-legged kittiwakes) - from 1 September to 31 October, on rock ptarmigan - from 1 September to 31 March, on glaucous gull - all over a year, excluding Christmas, Good Friday and fist day of Easter - national Norwegian holidays.

Excursionists must remember, that human represents a strong threatening factor for birds, both for nesting singly, and in colonies. Threatened birds may leave clutch or chickens. Often, jaegers or glaucous gulls follow excursionists in tundra, discovering with help of humans nests of ptarmigans, sandpipers, geese and ducks, and then destroy them.

Among terrestrial mammals reindeer take a leading place. In population on the archipelago reached in recent years 10 thousands. In relation with often ice covering of ground after winter thaws and following them fodder shortage, the reindeers losses occur.

Usual for Arctic fur animal - Polar fox - is not so numerous in Spitsbergen tundras, as on continent, where rodents (lemmings) - its favourite food - occur in abundance. The Polar fox foraging on the archipelago on residues of bird colonies, rock ptarmigans, remainders of Polar beer meal, reindeer carcasses, various sea castings.

In recent years the cases of common vole-rodent observation and catch occur more and more often. This rodent appeared here owing to humans. Most part of a year the voles live in houses, and in summer come into tundra nearby. Presence of these rodents on the archipelago represent enough interesting and poor studied, for the present, fact. So, any registrations of rodents on Spitsbergen represent especial scientific interest.

Spitsbergen is one of the Arctic areas, where a lot of Polar beers remained. The population number of these bears has been stabilised after hunting prohibition, and became to increase in the last years. These trend is also promoted by successful conservation of the polar bear in Russian Arctic. The most numbers of the bears appear on South, North-West Earth and islands of King Karlos where breeding females lairs are concentrated. In central parts of the archipelago the bears appear only during nomading transitions. Hunting on Polar bears is forbidden. Shooting of a Polar bear, besides criminal responsiveness, results in money fine, that, in accordance to Russian legislation, reaches ten thousands of rubbles.

In the sea near the archipelago live a few species of marine mammals. In the last time there were a lot of whales here. traces of active hunting on them in XVII-XVIII centuries till present appear before tourists in a form of vertebras and other parts of skeletons. Beaches of Atlantic walruses were also relatively rich here. In present, a few hundreds of walruses maintained in the South and West of the archipelago. In Russia and Norway the Atlantic walrus is under protection. This subspecies is in Red List of Russia. Among other species of pennipedes, seals and bearded seals occur in shorewaters as common species.

In fresh waters lives a single fish species - Arctic char . Fishing in waterpools of the archipelago is forbidden from 26 July to 10 August, period of Arctic char spawning.

Animals represent obligate component of the arctic landscape. They are who react especially sensitively on all changes of environment, resulting from human activity. Pioneers of the archipelago have been talking, that reindeers, Polar foxes, geese and rock ptarmigans here don’t afraid humans perfectly, and allow to hunters come close to them. Now the picture changed. Populations of many species decrease, animals became careful. To preserve the unique nature of the archipelago, everybody must be involved. Your investments is in following to rules of behaviour on excursions, especially close to bird colonies, Polar fox lairs, bitches of pinnipedes, as well as preventing of any forms of poaching, violations of excursion and fishing rules.

Ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and microorganisms on a certain territory, that they transform in direction, necessary for their living. Spitsbergen represent a perfect Arctic museum. Nearly all types of Polar ecosystem a presented here.

On wide marine terraces, on valleys and low plato ecosystems of arctic tundras are represented. These ecosystems are characterised by hillock microrelief and patch tundra soils with small consistence of detritus. Vegetation cover consists of mosses patches, whose dense pillows are penetrated by sprouts of polar willow, stems of sweep and polygonum. Locally, saxifrages and buttercups. On more dry plots dryas an kassiopea lead. In mosses pillows, there is a lot of soil invertebrates - collembolas and ticks. On surface one can meet gnats, flies, hymenoptera and spiders. Arctic tundras provides base pastures for reindeers in summer and in small snow winters. Rock ptarmigan, purple sandpiper and snow bunting nest readily here.

In some areas of Ice-fiord valleys (Advept, Kole, Rein and oth.), fragments of typical subarctic tundra ecosystems - bitch and bog bilberry - occur on slopes of south and west orientation. In lowerings large hillocks swamps with small pools situated between the hillocks, do developing. The cloudberries and bilberries occur on these swamps, but only flowering, not bearing fruits. In subarctic tundra, the invertebrates fauna is more various - there are here butterflies-she-bears, beetles-weevils and stafilines, ichneumon-flies, blood-sucker gnats and oth.. In these landscapes reindeers ability is the biggest (Kole valley).

The swamps with dominance of water-loving vegetation - cotton grass, sedges, some species of cereals, and especially mosses - are also widespread on Spitsbergen. The gnats breed on these swamps. Geese, brantas, some species of sandpipers build here their nests.

Ecosystems of shoreseas are extremely poor in fauna and flora. From plants, mertensia marina, with beautiful bright-dark-blue flowers and lieves, occurs here, as well as some species of sedges, cereals and saxifragas. There are a lot of small flies, developing in seaweeds, casted a shore by storms. Nests of Arctic terns are common on the shoresea.

Bird colonies are the most full-of-life terrestrial ecosystems of the archipelago. High biological productivity of meadow-like ecosystems under the bird colonies results from bird-provided constant relation between dry land and sea, because the birds carry out to a shore a lot of organic and chemistry elements from the sea. On rocks and stone placers in the zone of bird colonies influence dense vegetation cover arises, consisting of poas, fescues, chickweeds, stellarias, buttercups and mosses, prefering rich soils. There is the highest density of invertebrates and insects here. Reindeers rarely foraging on these slopes because of their steepness. On the edge of the colonies Polar foxes settle often, gathering contribution from colonies or using their residuals.

The archipelago nature and her living cover passed long way of establishment and adaptation to the severe climate conditions. However, in present times we also can see surfaces, where ecosystems are on the initial stage of their development. Among these surfaces are territories, bared from the sea because of slow rise of the archipelago dry land, and places, recently covered by snow blocks and glaciers; mountain screes and rocky bares. Basing on the Geographical Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences data, processes of so called initial development on such “young surfaces” need about 800-1 thousands to 3 thousands years. It’s clear, that any destroyments of vegetation and soils in these conditions result in delay of living cover or even its elimination.

On arriving to the arctic archipelago, you should remember, that the human influence may lead here to irreversible destroyments. The most dangerous is influence on the ecosystems of the heavy caterpillar cars. Traces of the treks are visible in the tundra for many years. Roads of constant use represent anhealing sores, that grow steadily and grab more and more surface of virgin tundra. Footpasses should also be constant, because even weak destroyment of turf may evoke pouring of the soil up on surface because thawing of frozen, and death of vegetation.

Another very serious question in relation with conservation of tundra ecosystems - their very low ability to self-cleaning. Decomposition processes pass here very slow, that results in obstruction of the ecosystems by products of human activity. Unpleasant pictures of dumps and consumer litter in environs of settlements in some arctic areas represent sad suggestment to that.

You must remember all the things, when you plane excursion of tourist walk on the island, and, furthermore, when your work have close relation with natural ecosystems and may be resulted in direct injuries of vegetation, soils and animals. An effect of human influence on arctic nature is always invarious, so, the Spitsbergen ecosystems, with their poor fauna and flora, establishing in severe climate conditions in sea surrounding, are especially vulnerable.

There are no State borders for the nature protection today. Join actively to work on nature protection of the archipelago, that is on some time your home, place of work and relaxation.

In summer, is the time of bird nesting on Spitsbergen. This period is short, so the birds must have time not only to hatch them, but also to grow them and prepare to long way to their wintering places.

Let’s help to our feather neighbours in this responsible period. Don’t destroy their nests! Don’t be curious - don’t look for nests in the place, where you frightened a bird. Know, that longitudinal absence of a bird results in death of clutch and chickens! Your presence close to a nest demask it and facilitate searching of prey to seagulls and jaegers. Don’t chase, on the dry land or on the water, geese, brantas, eiders and other birds with chickens! Even your kind motives (to photography, to pay attention of your friend) - will turn out by tragedy for the feathered!

Reindeer pastures of Spitsbergen are scarce on food reserves. Here the reindeers needs in more time and forces on foraging, than on the continent. In time of snow foraging is especially difficult. This is the time where loss of animals may occur.

Try to behave in the nature as calm and quietly, as it is possible. Don’t frighten reindeers and don’t chase them. Give them a possibility to forage and relax quietly! This is a guarantee, that reserved energy let them possibility to survive in the difficult period of a year, and give them forces for searching for food in winter!

Lichens represent a necessary component of the arctic vegetation. They play a large role in life and restoration of the archipelago ecosystems; in existence of animals, especially of reindeer.

There plants are exclusively sensitive to such human influences as atmosphere, snow and soil pollution, as well as to trampling. Under pollution with sulphur compounds, the lichen cover death step by step and not restore then. Under trampling of destruction by transport, the lichens restore only in 20-30 years.

Preserve the lichen cover! Use during excursions into nature by constant roads and footpasses!

The records showed, that a single pass of heavy transport evoke destruction of 1 he of surface on 1 km of a trek. The repeated passes completely destroy the tundra vegetation cover.

As a result, conditions of heat exchange between atmosphere and soil change sharply, erosion start to develop, new water streams appears, degradation of neighbouring tundra plots arises.

The crippled by heavy transport territory may not be practically restored. Swamp and dirty streams in spring will be established here for many years. To escape that, there is only a single way - clearly defined routs of heavy transport moving; excluding of wet plots and slopes from the passes, and refusal from this transport, where it is possible.

Tundra is incapable, because of peculiarities of its ecosystems, to convert residuals of human management. Don’t through litter in tundra, use for this purpose only special containers with tops, placed on established plots.