Although there are some biological processes that are supported by UV radiation, most organisms are stressed by it in various ways, e.g. through DNA damage. Top international experts present an integrated overview of UV radiation and its effects on terrestrial, freshwater and marine Arctic biota. Increased stratospheric ozone depletion and the corresponding increase in ground levels of UV radiation as well as ambient, "natural" UV radiation as a key ecological factor in the Arctic spring and summer are discussed in detail. Additionally, basic information on Arctic ecosystems is given. The volume provides not only an excellent account of present-day knowledge of the subject, but also describes the state of the art on which future research can be built.

From microbial to plant ecosystems, this book examines how changes in UV radiation, caused by anthropogenic ozone depletion, as well as changes in radiation levels throughout the evolution of life on Earth, can alter species composition and interspecies competitiveness. It focuses on the evolutionary aspects of the effects of UV as well as the various synergistic interactions of UV radiation with other environmental factors. Because our knowledge of UV effects on whole ecosystems is still at a relatively early stage, an important part of each chapter is an overview of future research directions and indications of where new date and knowledge is needed.

This book focuses on how climate affects or affected the biosphere and vice versa both in the present and in the past. The chapters describe how ecosystems from the Antarctic and Arctic, and from other latitudes, respond to global climate change. The papers highlight plant responses to atmospheric CO2 increase, to global warming and to increased ultraviolet-B radiation as a result of stratospheric ozone depletion.

Numerous studies report that ultraviolet (UV) radiation is harmful to living organisms and detrimental to human health. Growing concerns regarding the increased levels of UV-B radiation that reach the earth's surface have led to the development of ground- and space-based measurement programs. Further study is needed on the measurement, modeling, and effects of UV radiation. The chapters of this book describe the research conducted across the globe over the past three decades in the areas of: (1) current and predicted levels of UV radiation and its associated impact on ecosystems and human health, as well as economic and social implications; (2) new developments in UV instrumentation, advances in calibration (ground- and satellite-based), measurement methods, modeling efforts, and their applications; and (3) the effects of global climate change on UV radiation. Dr. Wei Gao is a Senior Research Scientist and the Director of the USDA UV-B Monitoring and Research Program, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University. Dr. Gao is a SPIE fellow and serves as the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Applied Remote Sensing. Dr. Daniel L. Schmoldt is the National Program Leader for instrumentation and sensors at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dr. Schmoldt served as joint Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Computers & Electronics in Agriculture, from 1997 to 2004. Dr. James R. Slusser retired in 2007 from the USDA UV-B Monitoring and Research Program at Colorado State University. He was active in the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Meteorological Society. Dr. Slusser is currently pursuing his interests in solar energy and atmospheric transmission.

The European Arctic and Alpine regions are experiencing large environmental changes. These changes may have socio-economic effects if the changes affect the bioproduction, which form the basis for the marine and terrestrial food chains. This uniquely multidisciplinary book presents the various aspects of contemporary environmental changes in Arctic and Alpine Regions.

High-Arctic Ecosystem Dynamics in a Changing Climate is based on data collected during the past 10 years by Zackenberg Ecological Research Operations (ZERO) at Zackenberg Research Station in Northeast Greenland. This volume covers the function of Arctic ecosystems based on the most comprehensive long-term data set in the world from a well-defined Arctic ecosystem. Editors offer a comprehensive and authoritative analysis of how climate variability is influencing an Arctic ecosystem and how the Arctic ecosystems have inherent feedback mechanisms interacting with climate variability or change. - The latest research on the functioning of Arctic ecosystems - Supplements current books on arctic climate impact assessment as a case study for ecological specialists - Discusses the complex perpetuating effects on Earth - Vital information on modeling ecosystem responses to understand future climates

The Arctic is now experiencing some of the most rapid and severe climate change on earth. Over the next 100 years, climate change is expected to accelerate, contributing to major physical, ecological, social, and economic changes, many of which have already begun. Changes in arctic climate will also affect the rest of the world through increased global warming and rising sea levels. Arctic Climate Impact Assessment was prepared by an international team of over 300 scientists, experts, and knowledgeable members of indigenous communities. The report has been thoroughly researched, is fully referenced, and provides the first comprehensive evaluation of arctic climate change, changes in ultraviolet radiation and their impacts for the region and for the world. It is illustrated in full color throughout. The results provided the scientific foundations for the ACIA synthesis report - Impacts of a Warming Arctic - published by Cambridge University Press in 2004.