C and N cycling and plant performance along a snowbed community gradient, and impact of warming Anders Michelsen, Cathrine Kallestrup, Elisabeth Kolstad, Per Ambus, CENPERM, Universit y of Copenhagen, Denmark w I, I .,i } t Analyzing soilgas from the frozen soil. Photo Anders Michelsen. The fluxes of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide were measured along a west-facing slope with snow accumulation in Blæsedalen, and compared to vegetation cover and soil nutrient availability along the slope. Furthermore, the impact of warming with open top chambers was studied. Warming enhanced the ecosystem respiration and the photosynthesis, and also impacted leaf performance measured as flavonoid and chlorophyll content. N cycle process varied strongly along the slope and between replicate plots. The project continues in 2018 with a more thorough investigation of the biogeochemical processes along the slope. Effect of enhanced snow cover on soil nitrogen cycling processes Anders Priemé, Per Ambus, CENPERM, Universit y of Snow Sense Andreas Westergaard- Nielsen, CENPERM, Universit y of Copenhagen, Denmark Snow is a key abiotic driver for ecosystem processes in the Arctic. It serves as insulating layer between the soil and atmosphere, it controls the timing of spring greenup, and it has significant repercussions on phenology and ecosystem productivity throughout the growing season due to its input of water and minerals. The Snow Sense Easter campaign is the first step towards quantifying snow volume, density, and mineral content in the southern part of Blæsedalen. Magnitude and sources of emitted CO 2 in an arctic heath Anders Michelsen, Casper Tai Christiansen, Regin Rønn, Bo Elberling, Nanna Devantier, CENPERM, Universit y of Copenhagen, Denmark Carbon dioxide and methane fluxes in four different dry heath types at Østerlien near Arctic Station were measured throughout 2017. The isotopic concentrations were studied, together with trace gas concentrations in soil profiles in order to investigate sources of emitted carbon (C). The heath showed methane uptake through the year, and CO 2 fluxes varied strongly over the year, but showed small differences between heath types. Further analysis of the isotopic concentrations may reveal the sources of emitted C, stemming from recently fixed C, and/or from old soil organic matter. 16 A R C T I C S TAT I O N Copenhagen, Denmark The enhanced snow pack on the lee-side of the snow fences in Blæsedalen mimics elevated soil temperature during winter. We compared the effect of the enhanced snow pack in summer and winter on soil nitrogen cycling, carbon dioxide production and bacterial and fungal community structure. Data from Disko will be compared to data from similar snow fence experiments in Canada and Svalbard. The response of CH 4 oxidation to changes in environmental stressors as temperature and water content over an extreme climate gradient Daniel Lyber th Hauptmann, Thomas Duchnik Hessilt, Environmental Soil Science and Climate Change, Universit y of Copenhagen, Denmark The project is a comparative study on methane oxidation and the metanotrophic communities over an extreme climate gradient from Greenland Denmark Australia. The purpose is to look if there is an adaptation to these climates in relation to temperature and water content. This project is part of our Master thesis, supervised by Jesper Riis Christiansen. university of copenhagen facu lt y of sci e nc e A RC T I C STAT I ON Annual Repor t 2017 ,e ARCTIC STATION 2 A R C T I C S TAT I O N ARCTIC STATION Annual Report 2017 CONTENTS Chairmans welcome ............................................................ 5 Monitoring at Arctic Station .................................................. 6 Research projects ................................................................. 15 Educati 4 A R C T I C S TAT I O N Chairmans Welcome Professor Bo Elberling For Arctic Station it has been important to open the station for a wider range of scientists and to foster more collaborative research on mainly terrestrial projects. Therefore, Arctic Station is since 2017 involved in a circumpolar network INTER ACT II In Monitoring at Arctic Station Charlotte Sigsgaard, Regin Rønn, Michele Citterio, Jakob Abermann, Per Juel Hansen, Kirsty Langly, Kirsten S. Christoffersen, Sille Myreng, Casper Tai Christiansen, Aart Kroon, Thomas Friborg, Bo Elberling A new struc ture of the monitoring ac tivities at Arc tic Statio 15 10 10 Temperature (oC) Temperature (oC) 5 0 -5 -10 -15 -20 -+- -25 1992 1996 2000 -10 AVG Winter/coldest months (J, F, M) -20 Max -25 2017 Min Mean annual air temperature 2004 2008 2012 2016 -30 Jan I May Jul Jun Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Figure 1040 31-J an 2-Mar 1-Apr 1-May 31-May 30-J un 30-J ul 29-Aug 28-S ep 28-Oct 27-Nov 27-Dec 2017 1000 960 30 0 20 Wind spe ed (m s -1) -10 -20 10 -30 0 16 12 8 4 0 Wind dir () 300 200 100 S now depth (m) 0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 Ground temp (C ) S oil moisture (vol%) 0 80 10 c 2 20 1 10 0 0 -1 -10 -2 -20 NEE -3 -30 A irT (diurnal mean) -4 Several manual discharge measurements were carried out at various water levels throughout the entire runof f season. The last three years of fresh water runof f from R øde Elv has been calculated using the relation bet ween Figure 9A: Røde Elv 2 June 2017. Photo Charlotte Sigsgaard. Figure 9B: Røde Elv, 6 July 2017. A cold period resulted in very low runoff and no suspended sediment. Photo Elisabeth Larsen Kolstad. Figure 9C: Røde Elv 30 August 2017. Peak runoff during rainy period. The color of the water indicate hi 2017 Discharge (m3s -1) R ain (mm) 20 15 15 10 10 5 5 0 0 -5 Air temp (C ) 20 25 20 10 Turbidity (NTU) 0 600 400 200 Water temp (C ) 0 12 8 4 0 8 pH 7.5 7 6.5 6 7-Jun 17-Jun 27-Jun 7-Jul 17-Jul 27-Jul 6-Aug 16-Aug 26-Aug 5-Sep 15-Sep 25-Sep Figure 10. Røde Elv river 0 0 100 100 100 200 200 200 300 300 300 0 -0- June 27 Ju ly 27 August 15 +-0October 10 Depth (m) 100 50 150 200 250 Nitrate (μgN L ) 0 10 50 Ammonium (μg N L ) -1 -1 15 20 25 Phosphate (μgP L ) -1 Figure 11. Vertical distribution of nitrate, ammonium and phosphate in Figure 13. Automatic weather station, Chamberlin Glacier 2 July 2016 (left). Chamberlin Glacier terminus 8 August 2016. Photo Michele Citterio (right) Figure 14. Installing ablation stake on Chamberlin Glacier 2 July 2016. Photo Jakob Abermann (left) and measuring ablation stake, 8 August 2016. Pho 14 A R C T I C S TAT I O N Research Projects Chasing clouds or how cloud dynamics might influence the climate in the Arctic Glacial Meltwater Sediment Transformation in Arctic River systems (GLAMSTAR) Jordi Cristóbal Rosselló, A siaq- Greenland Sur vey, Greenland Kathr yn Adamson, Manchester Metropolitan Universit y, UK, T C and N cycling and plant performance along a snowbed community gradient, and impact of warming Anders Michelsen, Cathrine Kallestrup, Elisabeth Kolstad, Per Ambus, CENPERM, Universit y of Copenhagen, Denmark w I, I .,i } t Analyzing soilgas from the frozen soil. Photo Anders Michelsen. The fl Effect of aboveground plant stress on biogenic volatile organic compound concentrations in soil Magnus Kramshøj, Riikka Rinnan, Depar tment of Biology, Universit y of Copenhagen, Denmark, Lærke Wester Larsen, Depar tment of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Universit y of Copenhagen, Denm Snow and ice thicknesses measured with radar on Lyngmarksbræen ice cap. Photo Jacob Clement Yde. West Greenland was to obtain plant material (seeds and silica dried leaf material) of Cochlearia groenlandica from its type locality, Mudderbugten in Disko. The material will be studied genetically and between 1 and 16 May and we collected 82 samples. A total of 5 days were spent at sea of which 4 was on a small fishing boat and 1 on the research vessel Porsild. Additionally, several days were used in the lab to filter water samples. Acquisition of oceanographic measurements from baleen whales Ma A second, smaller bloom occured in the end of May, accompanied by an increase in biodiversity. In addition to the monitoring, a microcosm experiment about the effect of nutrients on the biodiversity in the water was conducted. PWC-Arctic: Effects of dispersed oil droplets and produced water compone Sampling air to study Arctic air microbiology. Photo Nora Els. focused on promises of economic independency based on oil and mineral adventure. This project is designed to look after impacts of climate change to local communities and to evaluate the rights of local people in relation to multination Photo Kent Pørksen 22 A R C T I C S TAT I O N Education Arctic Biology Field Course Charlot te A . B. Køhnke, Thomas A . Arkwright, Camilla H. Schar f fOlsen, Mads Schultz, Cathrine Kallestrup, Lasse Brandt, David H. Blitz, Liv A . No bel, Louise C. Flensborg, Paula M. Gonzalez, Marc Allentof t Larsen, Samuel Black (students), Anders Michelsen, highlight the dif ferences bet ween bulk soil and rhizosphere soil and make an assessment of bulk soils representatively in relation to nutrients in a mesic low-arc tic tundra soil 3. To quantif y how CH 4 oxidation rates change in heath and bare ground with increasing elevation. These changes will Sampling Betula nana leaves from the Arctic Station herbarium. Photo Fabian Ercan A n n u a l R e p o r t 2017 25 Publications Scientific papers 2017 B e n d i xe n, M ., K ro o n, A . (2017 ). Co n ce ptua lizing d e l t a fo r ms a n d p ro ce s s e s in A rc t i c co a s t a l e nv iro n m e nt s . E a r t h Sur fa ce P ro ce s s e s a n d L a n d fo r m s 42, 1227-1237, d o i: 10.10 02 /e s p. 4 0 97. Chr i Members of the board Professor Bo Elberling (Chairman) Depar tment of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management Phone: + 45 3532 2520 E-mail: be@ign.ku.dk Git te Henrik sen (Secretar y) Facult y of Science Phone: + 45 3532 4256 E-mail: gin@science.ku.dk Professor MSO Kirsten Seestern Christof fers Title Arc tic Station Annual Repor t 2017 Publisher Board of the Arc tic Station, Univer sit y of Copenhagen, Denmark Editor A ar t Kroon and Charlot te Sigsgaard L ayout and graphic s Kent Pørk sen, Depar tment of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management Internet ver sion ark tisk station.ku.dk