Abstract: The arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is endemic to the Arctic where it holds a central position in the trophic interactions. The diet of the species has previously been described as being highly flexible, but whether this flexibility is a constant trait through time, or merely reflects fast temporal changes in abundance among prey taxa, has so far been poorly resolved. Using molecular analyses of arctic fox scats from Northeast Greenland, we first examined the temporal dynamics of arctic fox diets during the short snow-free season, and then examined whether local food availability at different sites affected arctic fox dependence on lemmings. Arctic fox diets included most terrestrial vertebrate species found in the region, and exhibited substantial temporal changes, generally reflecting the dynamic changes in prey availability from late winter through autumn. This dietary flexibility was also reflected geographically, with arctic foxes consuming a variety of local prey (mainly waterfowl and lemmings) in summer. Moreover, the dietary response of arctic foxes to changes in lemming abundance depended on access to non-lemming prey. Based on these findings, we discuss whether varying degrees of lemming-dependency, combined with geographical differences in winter food availability, may explain previously published differences in arctic fox breeding patterns in high arctic Greenland.

Abstract: Conduction of integrated seismo-geophysical studies in the Antarctic region is a challenge as well as very much warranted to explore the region for its better geo-scientific understanding. Seismogenesis and seismic potential of the Antarctic region have not yet been well understood because of lack of common consensus on various issues, besides its unique and complex geotectonic settings associated with intriguing landscape evolution of the Antarctic plate since the breakup of Gondwana, West Antarctic Rift System (WARS), different patterns of exhumation events that occurred between the Early Cretaceous and Cenozoic. The hostile climatic situation and inaccessibility of the region due to the huge spatial distribution of thicker ice sheets hindered the mission of conducting comprehensive seismo-geophysical studies for the Antarctic Peninsula due to severe constraints of installations of ground-based sophisticated seismo-geophysical equipments in the region. Several causative factors associated with natural and anthropogenic are found still enigmatic in the sense to unravel the fact how the genesis of earthquakes are related to the glacial-dynamics and glacial mass change-induced earthquakes (GMCIE). It has become important to decipher the role and contribution of the East and the West Antarctic microplates and West Antarctic rift systems (WARS) in seismogenesis using advanced methodologies of geosciences. Seismicity of the Antarctic continent region is confined to different tectonic blocks, distributed into the southern ocean, continental margin, Lutzow-Holm Bay, Antarctic Peninsula, and in the volcanic regions in and around Deception Island, which helped estimate the seismic structure of Antarctica. In this chapter, a comprehensive overview of seismo-geophysical studies has been made to understand seismo-geodynamical implications for the Antarctic region in light of the Plate Reconstruction and seismo-geophysical structures of Antarctica.