Life around the North Water ecosystem: Natural and social drivers of change over a millennium

TY - JOUR

T1 - Life around the North Water ecosystem

T2 - Natural and social drivers of change over a millennium

AU - Hastrup, Kirsten Blinkenberg

AU - Andersen, Astrid Oberborbeck

AU - Grønnow, Bjarne

AU - Heide-Jørgensen, Mads Peter

PY - 2018/4/1

Y1 - 2018/4/1

N2 - The formation of the North Water in Smith Sound about 4500 years ago, as evidenced by the establishment of bird colonies and human presence, also initiated a long-term anthropogenic agent as part of this High Arctic ecosystem. Different epochs have influenced the human occupation in the area: immigration pulses from Canada and Alaska, trade with meteorite iron throughout the Arctic, introduction of new technologies by whalers and explorers, exploitation of resources by foreigners, political sequestration, export of fox and seal skins and later narwhal products, and recently fishing. Physical drivers in terms of weather and climate affecting the northern hemisphere also impact accessibility and productivity of the ecosystem, with cascading effects on social drivers, again acting back on the natural ecologies. Despite its apparent isolation, the ecosystem had and still has wide ranging spatial ramifications that extend beyond the High Arctic, and include human activity. The challenge is to determine what is internal and what is external to an ecosystem.

AB - The formation of the North Water in Smith Sound about 4500 years ago, as evidenced by the establishment of bird colonies and human presence, also initiated a long-term anthropogenic agent as part of this High Arctic ecosystem. Different epochs have influenced the human occupation in the area: immigration pulses from Canada and Alaska, trade with meteorite iron throughout the Arctic, introduction of new technologies by whalers and explorers, exploitation of resources by foreigners, political sequestration, export of fox and seal skins and later narwhal products, and recently fishing. Physical drivers in terms of weather and climate affecting the northern hemisphere also impact accessibility and productivity of the ecosystem, with cascading effects on social drivers, again acting back on the natural ecologies. Despite its apparent isolation, the ecosystem had and still has wide ranging spatial ramifications that extend beyond the High Arctic, and include human activity. The challenge is to determine what is internal and what is external to an ecosystem.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - Drivers of change

KW - Ecosystem dynamics

KW - North Water

KW - Smith Sound

KW - Social–ecological transformation

U2 - 10.1007/s13280-018-1028-9

DO - 10.1007/s13280-018-1028-9

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 29520750

SN - 0044-7447

VL - 47

SP - 213

EP - 225

JO - Ambio

JF - Ambio

IS - Suppl 2

ER -