Ecology

  2012 MAY 11 - (VerticalNews.com) -- According to the authors of recent research published in the journal Polar Biology, "Understanding how environmental factors affect ecological parameters is important to understanding and predicting impacts of environmental change. Given evidence and anticipated impacts of climate variability, this is especially true with respect to sea ice and its role in animal life history in northern regions. ...read more

  2012 MAY 11 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "This study focused on simulated glacier surface conditions (simulated Surface Melt and liquid Precipitation available for supra-, en-, sub-, and proglacial flow processes [after vertical percolation and potential, storage within the snowpack] [henceforth SWP]), internal water storage and release, and runoff from the Kangerlussuaq drainage area of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS), West Greenland, for the period 2006/2007 to 2007/2008. GrIS winter accumulation and summer ablation processes, including SMP, was simulated on both daily and hourly time steps," investigators in Utrecht, Netherlands report ...read more

  2012 MAY 11 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "Antarctica is a rugged, austere, and yet stunningly beautiful continent with charismatic fauna including several species of penguins, whales, and seals. Mass media, writings from the early explorers, and modern film all describe firsthand experiences as delightful, beautiful, challenging, humbling, and even awe-inspiring," scientists in Moscow, Idaho report.

  "This dramatic allure of Antarctica now fuels one of the fastest growing tourism markets in the world with over 30,000 visitors annually traveling to the continent. Despite the fact that Antarctic tourism has occurred for over 30 years, little research has investigated the psychological and affective influence of these immersive tourism experiences in the Antarctic environment. This study explored visitors' affective judgments regarding their Antarctic tourism experience. An onsite post experience survey was administered to Antarctic tourists to investigate their satisfaction with a range of tour attributes. In addition, the researchers used the open-ended question, 'How did this Antarctic experience affect you?' to explore tourists' affective response to their interaction with the Antarctic tourism environment. These open ended responses were coded using a priori themes generated from Kellert's environmental values typology. Additionally, each response was analysed for the presence of an awe experience. Further analysis revealed that tourists described five sub-dimensions of an 'awe' experience (nature-human relationship, spiritual connection, transformative experience, goal clarification, and sense of feeling humbled), with many individuals experiencing multiple dimensions of awe," wrote R.B. Powell and colleagues, University of Idaho ...read more