An account of the vegetation of the far northern areas of the Soviet arctic. Includes data collected during research on high arctic areas already published as well as original material collected on Zemlya Frantsa-Iosifa. Describes peculiarities of the soils and microclimate and provides a list of plants. Focuses primarily on the polar deserts of the Barents and Siberian provinces.

The arctic region is predicted to experience the earliest and most pronounced global warming response to human-induced climatic change. This book synthesizes information on the physiological ecology of arctic plants, discusses how physiological processes influence ecosystem processes, and explores how climate warming will affect arctic plants, plant communities, and ecosystem processes. - Reviews the physiological ecology of arctic plants - Explores biotic controls over community and ecosystems processes - Provides physiological bases for predicting how the Arctic will respond to global climate change

By demonstrating the importance of communication among social scientists, scientists in the natural sciences and stakeholders living in the Arctic, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the region's rapidly changing physical and human dimensions. In response to the tremendous challenges and opportunities facing the Arctic it is an essential resource for all Arctic researchers and those developing multidisciplinary projects. Representing a state-of-the-art overview of key areas of Arctic research by renowned specialists in the field, each chapter forms a detailed, varied and accessible account of current knowledge. Each author introduces the subject to a non-specialist readership, while retaining intellectual integrity and relevance for specialists. Overall, the richness of the material presented in this volume reflects the ecological and cultural diversity of this vast and environmentally critical part of the globe.

Originally published in 2000, The Arctic provides a comprehensive overview of the region's rapidly changing physical and human dimensions, and demonstrates the importance of communication between natural scientists, social scientists, and local stakeholders in response to the tremendous challenges and opportunities facing the Arctic. It is an essential resource for all Arctic researchers, particularly those developing multidisciplinary projects. It provides an overview of key areas of Arctic research by renowned specialists in the field, and each chapter forms a detailed, varied and accessible account of current knowledge. Each author introduces the subject to a specialist readership, while retaining intellectual integrity and relevance for specialists. Overall, the richness of the material presented in this volume reflects the ecological and cultural diversity of this vast and environmentally critical part of the globe.

This is the third volume in The Oxford Regional Environments series. The series volumes are devoted to major regions of the world, each presenting a detailed and up-to-date body of scientific knowledge concerning a particular region. For most topics on the physical geography of Northern Eurasia abundant literature now exists. Most of it, however, is in Russian and other East European languages and this has significantly limited the number of potential readers. This volume seeks to familiarize, at an international level, those with an interest in this area with the most significant achievements in classical and current geographical research. The Physical Geography of Northern Eurasia covers most of the territory of the former USSR. The first section discusses the individual compenents of the physical environment. These chapters cut across regional boundaries and treate the area discussed as a whole. A regional analysis follows mainly in the context of geographical zonation, though a number of specific regions are given individual treatment. The concluding chapters discuss the effects of anthropogenic activities on the physical environment. The approach is an integrative one, tying together various aspects of the physical environments with the environmental implications of human activites. Every component of the environment is treated as a step in the development of the multi-faceted landscapes which in turn provide possibilities and limitations for cultural and economic usage.