Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1968. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

The Arctic region has not been a topic of discussion or a reason for a conflict in the past, but with the development of environmental issues which has resulted in melting of the ice, so has the interest for the region developed. This has resulted in a conflict over the area, with five countries as main actors. This paper investigates the five main actors’ goals with increased influence in the area, using the thoughts of Rational Actor Model, with states as utility-maximizing actors and foreign policy as the expression of national interest. Furthermore the paper investigates the means of getting to the goal, what kind of tools they use.The paper shows that all of the countries are interested in the economically benefits that are buried under the melting ice and the short cuts in sea routes that will be a possibility to use ones the ice melt more. It is also revealed that there is a security concern when the region is more accessible. The main tools that the countries use to get the influence that they wish are military and diplomacy means.

The land ecosystems in northern high latitudes (>45° N) occupy 22% of the global surface and store more than 1600 Pg soil organic carbon. Warming in this region has been documented during the past decades. Warming-induced changes in regional carbon dynamics are expected to loom large in the global carbon cycle and exert large feedbacks to the global climate system. Numerous Earth System Models have been widely used to quantify the response of terrestrial ecosystem carbon dynamics to climatic changes. However, predictions of terrestrial ecosystem carbon responses to increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and climate change is still uncertain due to model limitations. The limitations include relatively low levels of representation of ecosystem processes that determine the exchanges of water, energy, and carbon between land ecosystems and the atmosphere and omitting some key biogeochemical mechanisms. To improve model realism and provide a better projection of the Arctic carbon dynamics, this dissertation developed three new versions of a process-based biogeochemistry models that involve more fundamental processes of terrestrial ecosystems. First, microbial dynamics and enzyme kinetics that catalyze soil carbon decomposition have been incorporated into the extant terrestrial ecosystem model TEM to remedy the inadequate representation of soil decomposition process. Furthermore, a vital microbial life-history trait, microbial dormancy, has been implemented into previous microbial-based model to consider the impacts of microbial dormancy in modeling. Additionally, the role of moss in the Arctic terrestrial ecosystem carbon quantification was also demonstrated by incorporating moss and higher plant interactions in modelling.

Given the pace of climate change in the Arctic, it is vital to better constrain terrigenous dissolved organic matter (tDOM) fluctuations in large Arctic Rivers and the role that climate change may bring to tDOM inputs into the Arctic Ocean and to the global carbon cycle. This project uses the optical properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) to investigate the quality, quantity and fate of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in large Arctic Rivers and the interior Arctic Basin. In large rivers surrounding the Arctic, peak discharge CDOM is largely derived from fresh terrestrial plant material whereas during base flow the CDOM pool has a greater microbial imprint, particularly in the Mackenzie. The higher microbial imprint in the Mackenzie can be explained by longer water residence times, which may be important in a warming climate where increased precipitation rates will likely lead to increased hydrological connectivity and therefore longer water residence times. In surface waters of the Canadian Archipelago, 17 % of the DOM pool is of terrestrial origin, even though waters are diluted with sea ice melt, suggesting the likelihood of a subsurface plume of tDOM entrained within river runoff from Arctic Rivers. In the interior Arctic, an elevated terrestrial CDOM signal in the Eurasian Basin (EB) points to the presence of Eurasian river CDOM entrained within river runoff in the Transpolar Drift. In contrast, autochthonous/microbial CDOM sources become more important the Canadian Basin (CB) and the terrestrial CDOM signal is much lower relative to the EB. A good constraint on the nature and distributions of freshwater (FW) in the Arctic Ocean is paramount to understand the role climate change may play for the Arctic’s hydrological cycle. During this study, we used the spatial patterns of terrestrially derived CDOM to better understand the distribution and nature of river runoff across the upper Arctic Basin. This study illustrates the usefulness of CDOM to finger-print water masses within the Arctic Ocean and shows promise to improve our understanding of upper Arctic Ocean ventilation patterns.

The tourism industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and the growth of tourism in the northernmost county of Sweden, Norrbotten, has been evident in recent years. With this rapid growth within tourism in Norrbotten, a reflection arises of why tourism is increasing to this extent. Therefore, this study’s purpose was to get a better understanding of what the core of exclusiveness is for tourism in Norrbotten and how tourism can flourish and grow while keeping the place unique and exclusive. In order to fulfill this purpose, two research questions were stated as follows: “What features make tourism in Norrbotten exclusive?” and “How can tourism in Norrbotten grow without risking overcrowding?”.    To answer these questions, a frame of reference was established based on the previous literature within the subject. The study conducted a qualitative approach which allowed the authors to collect data through semi-structured interviews. The two interviews were conducted with two organizations located in Norrbotten County. Swedish Lapland and Pine Bay Lodge. By interviewing one person from each company, the authors received relevant information that gave a better understanding regarding the study. Thereafter, a comparison between frame of reference and the collected data could be done. The results suggested that it is of utmost importance to have a strategy regarding overcrowding. Furthermore, it could be stated that the nature and natural assets Norrbotten possess, is a key for success. Nevertheless, the importance of providing the tourist with excellent hospitality cannot be forgotten, as this creates an even higher feeling of exclusiveness. / Turism industrin är en av de snabbast växande industrierna i världen och tillväxten av turism i Sveriges nordligaste län, Norrbotten, har varit tydlig under de senaste åren. Detta skapar en nyfikenhet kring varför turismen i just Norrbotten har ökat i denna utsträckning. Därför var syftet med denna studie att få en djupare förståelse för vad kärnan inom turismen i Norrbotten är, samt hur turismen kan blomstra och växa samtidigt som platsen fortsätter vara unik och exklusiv. För att kunna besvara detta syfte tillämpades två forskningsfrågor; “Vilka faktorer gör turismen i Norrbotten exklusiv? samt “Hur kan turismen i Norrbotten växa utan att riskera att bli överbefolkat?”   För att kunna besvara dessa frågor framtogs en referensram som är baserad på tidigare vetenskaplig litteratur inom ämnet. Denna studie var av kvalitativ sort vilket bidrog till att författarna kunde samla in data genom semistrukturerade intervjuer av två företag. Intervjuerna hölls med en organisation och ett företag som är belägna i Norrbotten, nämligen Swedish Lapland och Brändökonferens & Fritidsby. Genom att intervjua dessa två företag kunde författarna samla in relevant information som var till stor hjälp för studien. Den insamlande data från intervjuerna jämfördes med teorierna i referensramen. Detta utgjorde grunden för resultatet och de slutsatser som kunde dras. Jämförelsen visade att det är ytterst viktigt att ha en strategisk plan för hur man ska hantera att platser kan bli överbefolkade i framtiden. En annan slutsats som också kunde dras var att naturen och de naturtillgångar som Norrbotten innehar är en viktig och avgörande faktor för turismen. Slutligen är det avgörande att förstå hur viktigt det är att erbjuda ett värdskap utöver det vanliga, eftersom detta skapar en ännu starkare känsla av exklusivitet.

Climate change is opening opportunities for further extraction of natural resources and business in the Arctic, which is why the region is more desirable to a variety of actors, including the European Union (EU). Even though the EU is not a permanent observer in the Arctic Council, the EU Member States, Sweden and Finland, are. Henceforth, this thesis is an explorative comparative case study with the aim to investigate the EU's role in Arctic affairs, and if the EU's interests overlap and/or challenge the interest of the two EU Member States. It explains this through the theoretical approaches of liberalism (cooperation) and realism (confrontation). The material under investigation is the Arctic policies of the EU, Sweden, and Finland. The Arctic policies are analyzed based on the three priorities of the EU's Arctic policy: (1) International cooperation on Arctic Issues, (2) Climate change and safeguarding the Arctic Environment, and (3) Sustainable development in and around the Arctic by conducting a frame analysis. The findings of the study show that the EU frames itself as a ‘helping hand’ in the Arctic, meanwhile Sweden and Finland do not fully agree with this picture. Concluding that the EU does not show any attempt to challenge its Member States' interests in the Arctic. It also shows all three actors on one side have a very liberal frame for international cooperation, but on the other side have visible elements of a more realistic frame in terms of sustainable development.

With the aim of contributing to the theoretical discussion of small state behaviour, this thesis investigates the Nordic state’s security strategies concerning the Arctic region. The applied theoretical framework is based upon a traditional state-centric understanding of security to investigate if the predicted behaviour derived from small state theory can be captured in the Nordic states' security strategies in the Arctic region. The study is conducted by a qualitative content analysis utilising Jacob Westberg’s theorisation of security strategies through the categories of context, ends, means and ways. The state-centric security focus is steered by the traditional realist focus of small states and motivated by the deteriorating geopolitical sphere currently occurring in the Arctic region, where the small Nordic states operate next to great powers. The results demonstrate that several aspects can be argued to coincide with the assumptions derived from small state theory, albeit some do not fully conform. Most apparent are the aspects relating to the importance of alliances and cooperation. Differences are also deductible between the small state's strategies, primarily between Denmark and Norway vis-a-vis Finland and Sweden. This incoherency enables a discussion of the relevance of states' size in the case of the Arctic theatre and of the noticeable shift in the states' referent security object. The analytical framework captures issues that point towards a more state-centric security understanding, presenting new threats to the state's survival in the Arctic region.

Marine diatoms are the dominant primary producers in coastal and shelf regions, and contribute to about 20% of the annual photosynthesis on Earth. Diatoms also exert a major control on the marine silicon (Si) cycle through the formation of biogenic silica (bSiO2). Continental shelves account for half of the total marine area in the Arctic, yet our knowledge of the cycling of Si for this critically climate-impacted region is limited. The overall objective of this thesis was to improve our understanding of marine bSiO2 dynamics and Si cycling in marine Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems using novel techniques. Phytoplankton and nutrient observations, including dissolved and particulate silica concentrations, are presented from a period of ten years within five biological ‘hotspots’ in the Bering and Chukchi Seas. The first measurements of bSiO2 production and dissolution rates are also presented from a period of four years at the same sites. Results from this work show that (i) although interannual variability is high, diatoms are responsible for most of the high primary productivity in the Bering and Chukchi Seas, (ii) bSiO2 is primarily re-dissolved within the euphotic zone rather than exported, and (iii) phytoplankton phenology and marine Si cycling are affected by short-term climatic changes in this region. We also present the first measurements of bSiO2 production rates along a transect from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA), through Baffin Bay and into the Labrador Sea. We show that diatoms are both abundant and productive throughout these regions in summer, despite widespread Si limitation in the low-nutrient surface waters. Finally, we also investigated the natural variations in the Si isotopic composition of silicic acid (30Si(OH)4). On a transect through the Bering and Chukchi Seas, Canada Basin and CAA, and finally to Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea, we found that δ30Si(OH)4 signals reflect water mass composition, the dissolution of bSiO2 throughout the water column, and the biological utilization of Si in surface waters. Ultimately, this work provides insight into the processes controlling marine Si cycling within the Arctic and its links to the global marine Si cycle and other biogeochemical cycles. / Graduate / 2020-03-13

<p>The polar ice in the Arctic is melting resulting in new opportunities for the Arctic states to extracting vital resources and to find new shorter transport routes. Two of the largest actors who both presently have published polices towards the Arctic region is the EU and the US. This work firstly aims to offer a descriptive view of the EU and the US’ polices towards the Arctic region. Secondly, investigate the documents quantitatively and qualitatively to show weather the EU and US policies are featured by ‘hard power’ or ‘soft power’ by the research of Joseph S. Nye Jr. to find out if Robert Kagan’s hypotheses that the EU mainly use ‘soft power’ and that the US mainly use ‘hard power’. The findings showed that Kagan in this case was right about the EU and the use of ‘soft power’ but that the US mainly uses ‘soft power’ politics in their Arctic policy.</p>

Ph.d.-afhandling. Københavns Universitet, 2001. / Haves kun i elektronisk udg.