Environmental problems in the Arctic desert zone. Ecological problems and their causes

The Arctic occupies an area in high latitudes, the boundary of which is the Arctic Circle. On the fragile ecosystem of the region have a negative impact of natural factors and human activities. The proposed article lists specific environmental problems in the Arctic deserts and the entire region, including the Arctic Ocean with seas, coast and islands.

Ecological problems of the Arctic

The natural and geographical features of the region are related to its location in high latitudes and the predominance of the aquatic ecosystem. In 1991, the governments of countries with territories beyond the Arctic Circle adopted the Strategy for the Protection of the Arctic Environment. Five years later, the Declaration was signed in Ottawa and the Arctic Council was established. The main tasks of his work are connected with ensuring the sustainable development of the polar region. The current United Nations environmental program, UNEP in particular, identified major environmental problems:

• Pollution of the Arctic seas with oil products;
• Climate warming, leading to the melting of polar ice;
• Increased fishing and other seafood production;
• Change in the habitat of organisms in the Arctic;
• Reduction of populations of polar animals;
• Intensive shipping.

Changing of the climate

On the map, the zone of arctic deserts now occupies small areas on the coast of Greenland, Eurasia, North America, the archipelagos and islands of the Arctic Ocean. Researchers argue that the average long-term air temperature over the Arctic Circle increases faster than in other regions. This has already led to a reduction in the area of the natural zone, and in the future it may disappear.

The climate is warming, on the map the zone of arctic deserts is everywhere replaced by tundra. This threatens the extinction of many species of flora and fauna, adapted to the existing temperature indexes. The life of the indigenous Arctic peoples is also under threat, since the life of the population for centuries was formed in close interaction with the animal and vegetable world.

Melting Arctic snow and ice

Hydrometeorological Service of Russia over the past 30 years has noted a reduction in the area of ice in the seas in the north. The rate of thaw has increased in the last decade of the 20th century. During the same period of research, the thickness of the ice cover was reduced by a factor of 2. Experts believe that during the 21st century these processes will continue. The ecological problems of the seas will be exacerbated, for example, in summer the Arctic's water areas will almost completely free themselves from ice. Previously, the rivers of the Arctic Ocean will be opened . The changes affect huge areas at a distance of hundreds and thousands of kilometers from the coast.

Air and water pollution

The main environmental problems in the Arctic deserts and tundra are associated with the transfer of air masses from the industrialized regions of north-west Russia, Central and Northern Europe. There is a fallout of so-called acid rain - aqueous solutions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides. Such precipitation adversely affects the entire fragile ecosystem of the Arctic, destroys a thin layer of soil in the tundra, adversely affects the life of aquatic organisms, which are presented in the diagram below.

The main sources of pollution, exacerbating environmental problems in the Arctic desert zone, are the extraction of minerals and transport. The region also has military bases and industrial facilities that process natural raw materials. The ecosystem includes:

• Emissions and effluents of industrial enterprises and municipal services;
• Products of extraction and processing of hydrocarbon raw materials (oil, gas);
• Heavy metals and other wastes of metallurgical production;
• Certain toxic substances (phenol, ammonia and others);
• Numerous pollutants from coastal military bases;
• Waste from vessels operating on nuclear fuel.

Forecasting the ecological situation in the Arctic

Experts believe that in the northern polar region, the surrounding world, the zone of arctic deserts in particular, will continue to be subjected to powerful man-made pollution. The volume of work on the continental shelf will increase, where the extraction and transportation of natural raw materials is already intensively carried out. Tens of thousands of oil rigs pump oil in the Arctic, according to environmental organizations, every second of them are leaking raw materials.

Environmental problems in the Arctic desert zone. Reduction of biodiversity

The animal world of cold icy expanses beyond the Arctic Circle is represented by a small number of mammal species. There are no reptiles and amphibians in this region. The number of bird species is about 4 times higher than that of mammals. This is explained by the high mobility of birds, their seasonal migrations, the ability to roam over long distances in search of food. On the islands and the coast, where there are small areas of arctic deserts, the animal world is represented by mammals and birds. There are walruses, seals, polar bears, arctic foxes, lemmings. The most numerous representatives of waterfowl are ducks, eiders, guillemots and chistiki.

Environmental problems in the Arctic desert zone are associated with "bird bazaars" - unusual colonies of birds. They are vulnerable due to navigation, their protection is required, especially during the nesting period.

Nature protection beyond the Arctic Circle

Experts argue that the hunting of a significant fragile ecosystem of the Arctic is hurting. For example, poachers in the area of water belonging to Russia annually extract about 300 polar bear specimens.

Other environmental threats in this region that require continued attention of environmental organizations:

• Degradation of the environment;
• Growing anthropogenic load;
• Increase in the amount of waste, the problem of their utilization;
• climate change.

Simultaneously with the melting of ice, the zone of distribution of permafrost also decreases, and dangerous hydrometeorological phenomena occur on the rivers belonging to this basin. Indigenous and former populations beyond the Arctic Circle also suffer from pollution of the vulnerable nature of the region. Environmental problems of the Arctic are not only regional but also global. In the Russian Federation, Arctic reserves have been created to preserve the animal world, protect nature from pollution and degradation. The largest of them: Kandalaksha, Big Arctic, Wrangel Island, Taimyr.