Damage to the fragile ecosystem of the Arctic tundra can have a massive impact on animal life.
The Arctic tundra, one of the world's most fragile ecosystems, is a vast plain stretching across the polar regions of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Finland and Russia. Ironically, much of this region is classified as both desert and wetland because even though annual precipitation from rain and snow is less than that of the Mojave Desert, the permanently frozen ground, or permafrost, inhibits the absorption of moisture so water stays on the surface. Once damaged, the tundra is unable to recover quickly, which means that even minor environmental destabilization can result in long-term disruption of the interdependent relationships between indigenous plant and animal life.
Global Warming
The delicate plant life of the Arctic tundra is especially vulnerable to destruction from climate change.
About 14,000 years ago, the Arctic climate began to change, resulting in massive extinctions of Ice Age plants and animals. Today, many scientists fear that history may be repeating itself. The depletion of the protective ozone layer over the polar regions, caused in large part by the chlorofluorocarbons used for decades as aerosol propellants and refrigerants, has allowed sunlight to heat up permafrost, which stores massive quantities of carbon dioxide. As this "greenhouse gas" is released into the atmosphere, ground temperatures rise further, prompting deeper melting of permafrost and speeding up the warming process. The Pew Center on Global Climate Change warns that as a consequence of rising land temperatures, a meltdown of polar ice masses could contribute to a rise in sea levels and cause widespread flooding of coastal areas around the world. Other experts, such as Professor Greg Henry of the University of British Columbia, predict that this could happen within the next few decades.
Impact of Oil and Mineral Extraction
The tundra is rich in oil, gas and mineral reserves that can't be extracted without disturbances to the ecosystem. The infrastructure needed for such industrial development includes networks of roads for vehicular transportation, pipelines and factory complexes, all of which add to the strain on the land. As the tiny, delicate plant life indigenous to the tundra is destroyed, the food chain is disrupted because when herbivores starve or migrate elsewhere for food, carnivores starve too.
Pollution and Accumulations of Toxins
According to the Canadian Arctic Resources Committee, chemicals generated by heavy industry in eastern Europe are a major source of polar pollution but heavy metals and toxins from as far away as southeast Asia have been found in the tissues of terrestrial, aquatic and marine animals. Ocean currents and atmospheric circulation carry the pollutants from the lower latitudes and because of the region's extreme cold and reduced sunlight, they don't break down, remaining poisonous much longer than they would in other climatic conditions. Radioactive fallout from the testing of nuclear weapons in the 1960s and early 1970s is also still detectable throughout the Arctic.
Impact of Tourism
Every year, thousands of tourists aboard luxury cruise ships depart from ports in North America and Europe to experience the austere beauty of the Arctic, creating more pressure on the ecosystem. The tourism industry, including sport fishing and hunting, has also increased the volume of noisy airplane and helicopter traffic, raising levels of air pollution and sparking panic leading to egg loss in bird colonies. Plant life trampled underfoot won't regenerate for decades and no disposal facilities exist for garbage left behind on the permafrost by human visitors.
Tags: Arctic tundra, animal life, delicate plant, delicate plant life, life Arctic