ALBERT

Description / Table of Contents: Arctic warming has implications for the functioning of terrestrial Arctic ecosystems, global climate and socioeconomic systems of northern communities. A research gap exists in high spatial resolution monitoring and understanding of the seasonality of permafrost degradation, spring snowmelt and vegetation phenology. This thesis explores the diversity and utility of dense TerraSAR-X (TSX) X-Band time series for monitoring ice-rich riverbank erosion, snowmelt, and phenology of Arctic vegetation at long-term study sites in the central Lena Delta, Russia and on Qikiqtaruk (Herschel Island), Canada. In the thesis the following three research questions are addressed: • Is TSX time series capable of monitoring the dynamics of rapid permafrost degradation in ice-rich permafrost on an intra-seasonal scale and can these datasets in combination with climate data identify the climatic drivers of permafrost degradation? • Can multi-pass and multi-polarized TSX time series adequately monitor seasonal snow cover and snowmelt in small Arctic catchments and how does it perform compared to optical satellite data and field-based measurements? • Do TSX time series reflect the phenology of Arctic vegetation and how does the recorded signal compare to in-situ greenness data from RGB time-lapse camera data and vegetation height from field surveys? To answer the research questions three years of TSX backscatter data from 2013 to 2015 for the Lena Delta study site and from 2015 to 2017 for the Qikiqtaruk study site were used in quantitative and qualitative analysis complimentary with optical satellite data and in-situ time-lapse imagery. The dynamics of intra-seasonal ice-rich riverbank erosion in the central Lena Delta, Russia were quantified using TSX backscatter data at 2.4 m spatial resolution in HH polarization and validated with 0.5 m spatial resolution optical satellite data and field-based time-lapse camera data. Cliff top lines were automatically extracted from TSX intensity images using threshold-based segmentation and vectorization and combined in a geoinformation system with manually digitized cliff top lines from the optical satellite data and rates of erosion extracted from time-lapse cameras. The results suggest that the cliff top eroded at a constant rate throughout the entire erosional season. Linear mixed models confirmed that erosion was coupled with air temperature and precipitation at an annual scale, seasonal fluctuations did not influence 22-day erosion rates. The results highlight the potential of HH polarized X-Band backscatter data for high temporal resolution monitoring of rapid permafrost degradation. The distinct signature of wet snow in backscatter intensity images of TSX data was exploited to generate wet snow cover extent (SCE) maps on Qikiqtaruk at high temporal resolution. TSX SCE showed high similarity to Landsat 8-derived SCE when using cross-polarized VH data. Fractional snow cover (FSC) time series were extracted from TSX and optical SCE and compared to FSC estimations from in-situ time-lapse imagery. The TSX products showed strong agreement with the in-situ data and significantly improved the temporal resolution compared to the Landsat 8 time series. The final combined FSC time series revealed two topography-dependent snowmelt patterns that corresponded to in-situ measurements. Additionally TSX was able to detect snow patches longer in the season than Landsat 8, underlining the advantage of TSX for detection of old snow. The TSX-derived snow information provided valuable insights into snowmelt dynamics on Qikiqtaruk previously not available. The sensitivity of TSX to vegetation structure associated with phenological changes was explored on Qikiqtaruk. Backscatter and coherence time series were compared to greenness data extracted from in-situ digital time-lapse cameras and detailed vegetation parameters on 30 areas of interest. Supporting previous results, vegetation height corresponded to backscatter intensity in co-polarized HH/VV at an incidence angle of 31°. The dry, tall shrub dominated ecological class showed increasing backscatter with increasing greenness when using the cross polarized VH/HH channel at 32° incidence angle. This is likely driven by volume scattering of emerging and expanding leaves. Ecological classes with more prostrate vegetation and higher bare ground contributions showed decreasing backscatter trends over the growing season in the co-polarized VV/HH channels likely a result of surface drying instead of a vegetation structure signal. The results from shrub dominated areas are promising and provide a complementary data source for high temporal monitoring of vegetation phenology. Overall this thesis demonstrates that dense time series of TSX with optical remote sensing and in-situ time-lapse data are complementary and can be used to monitor rapid and seasonal processes in Arctic landscapes at high spatial and temporal resolution.

Description / Table of Contents: The collection of articles contains the latest materials on the state of study of biological resources of the State Nature Reserve Ust-Lensky and adjacent territories. Information on the distribution of fungi of resource value is given. An overview of the state of study of the algae of the Lena Delta and adjacent areas, an annotated list of algae, indicating the authors of the study and the collection points of the actual material. The distribution of tree and shrub vegetation (larch and alder) on the border of the tundra zone, within the protected area «Sokol» (right Bank of the Lena river) is considered. Data on the structure and distribution of the f ish and birds of the Lena Delta are presented. The information about the current state and features of the ecology of a large ungulates mammal introduced in the territory of the reserve — muskox is given.

Description / Table of Contents: Сборник содержит новейшие материалы о состоянии изученности биологических ресурсов Усть-Ленского государственного природного заповедника и прилежащих к нему территорий. Представлены сведения о распространении грибов, имеющих ресурсное значение. Приведены обзор состояния изученности альгофлоры дельты р. Лена и прилежащих к ней территорий, а также аннотированный список водорослей с указанием авторов исследования и пунктов сбора фактического материала.

Description / Table of Contents: With the term "Library 2.0" the editors mean an institution which applies the principles of the Web 2.0 such as openness, re-use, collaboration and interaction in the entire organization. Libraries are extending their service offerings and work processes to include the potential of Web 2.0 technologies. This changes the job description and self-image of librarians. The collective volume offers a complete overview of the topic Library 2.0 and the current state of developments from a technological, sociological, information theoretical and practice-oriented perspective

Description / Table of Contents: Появившиеся в последние десятилетия новые данные (множественные радиометрические определения возраста памятников, в том числе их ряды, для памятников голоценового каменного века Северо-Восточной Азии), а также новые геоархеологические объекты (например, палеолитическая Янская стоянка - самый северный памятник раннего верхнего палеолита мира), позволяют обратиться к рассмотрению проблем хронометрии последовательностей культурноисторического развития Северо-Востока Азии в позднем неоплейстоцене и голоцене, в эпохи, предшествовавшие формированию современной этнической карты этих территорий. Наибольшее внимание в предлагаемой работе уделено проблемам радиоуглеродной хронологии и хроностратиграфии памятников верхнего палеолита, документирующих на настоящий момент древнейшие достоверные этапы расселения человека на Северо-Востоке Азии. Для археологов, специалистов в области четвертичной геологии, геоморфологов, палеогеографов.

Description / Table of Contents: В книге рассматриваются два природных объекта, определяющие многие особенности природы России - климат и вечная мерзлота. Представлена сложная многоплановая связь вечной мерзлоты ( ее температуры, распространения, криогенных процессов) с климатом, динамика мерзлоты под влиянием неоднократных изменений климата на протяжении последних этапов геологической истории Земли и в наше время. Изложены современные представления об изменениях климата и его причинах (естественного и антропогенного характера), периодичности колебаний. Исследуется реакция вечной мерзлоты на изменения климата - естественные (колебательные, с разными периодами колебаний) и антропогенные, включая техногенное воздействие (направленного характера). Книга написана для широкого круга специалистов - географов, геологов, инженеров, преподавателей, студентов, чья профессиональная деятельность связана с районами распространения вечной мерзлоты, а также для всех тех, кто интересуется науками о Земле.

Description / Table of Contents: Translation of the abstract: The book deals with two natural objects that determine many of the features of Russia's nature - climate and permafrost. The complex multifaceted relationship of permafrost (its temperature, distribution, cryogenic processes) with climate is presented, the dynamics of permafrost under the influence of repeated climate changes during the last stages of the geological history of the Earth and in our time. Present-day ideas about climate change and its causes (natural and anthropogenic) and periodicity of fluctuations are presented. The reaction of permafrost to climate change - natural (oscillatory, with different periods of fluctuations) and anthropogenic, including technogenic impact (directional nature) is being studied. The book is written for a wide range of specialists - geographers, geologists, engineers, teachers, students whose professional activities are related to permafrost areas, as well as for all those who are interested in the Earth sciences.