Birds are an essential element of ecosystems. Photo: © RIA Novosti / Vera Costamo
Many people imagine the Arctic as a barren area that has no interest or value for people. Regardless of the outcome of modern human attempts to exploit the Arctic, this vast area deserves more attention. Only relatively few species have been able to adapt to the conditions of the Far North, so its ecology has been simplified.
However, Arctic ecosystems often occupy huge areas, and, for example, aquatic ecosystems, sometimes have very small volumes (pond, small lake),
The size of an ecosystem is a space in which it is possible to carry out the processes of self—regulation and self-healing of the totality of the ecosystem’s environment-forming components and elements.
Arctic deserts
Arctic (polar) deserts are terrestrial ecosystems that develop in extreme environmental conditions characterized by heat scarcity, widespread permafrost and terrestrial glaciation, and species poverty of communities. They occupy the islands of Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, the northern part of the Taimyr Peninsula, the Canadian Archipelago, Greenland, etc.
The climate here is very harsh, with low air temperatures combined with strong winds and significant humidity. There is a special mode of solar radiation, which is characterized by prolonged polar night and day, which requires special adaptations of organisms for their vital functions.
For example, on Franz Josef Land, terrestrial glaciation occupies 85% of the island’s area, in Greenland – about 80%, and ice—free land areas are covered with sparse vegetation, represented mainly by lichens and mosses. On Franz Josef Land, the flora of flowering plants has only 50 species, while lichens and mosses have more than 200 species.
Creeping and cushion-like plant life forms predominate in the Arctic deserts. Low vegetation productivity is one of the reasons for the poverty of wildlife (lemmings, arctic foxes, polar bears, musk oxen, reindeer). However, the polar deserts are characterized by so-called bird bazaars, which sometimes adorn this white silence.
Seabirds are diverse: polar gull, thick-billed kiera, little auk, silver tern, polar owl, silly, etc. These ecosystems are very sensitive to anthropogenic influences, so the organization of various natural protected areas has begun here.
The Arctic seas are richer in species diversity of mammals: bowhead whale, beluga whale and narwhal, walrus, ringed seal, sea hare and some other seal species. That’s probably all the permanent inhabitants of the Arctic. Killer whales, minke whales, dolphins and other marine mammals come to visit here in the relatively warm season. There are a lot of krill and fish to feed them. However, marine ecosystems require a separate conversation.
Tundra – grassy ecosystems
Deer are happy to graze in the tundra.
Polar grassy ecosystems or Arctic tundras are located in areas adjacent to Arctic ice deserts. For most of the year, the tundra is exposed to stormy cold winds and is covered with snow and ice. Winters here are very cold and dark. There is little precipitation, and it falls mainly in the form of snow.
The adaptability of marine Arctic ecosystems to new climatic conditions will be complicated by anthropogenic obstacles caused by intensive oil and gas production in offshore zones. In particular, a reduction in the area of sea ice may lead to a decrease in the degree of continentality of the Arctic climate and an increase in precipitation, followed by the growth of glaciers.
However, the ecosystem’s equilibrium is dynamic and will be quantified by the intensity of hydrocarbon extraction and its emissions into the environment. Therefore, security management in the Arctic will be based on research within the framework of synergetics, based on the methodology of analysis and synthesis of complex systems.
On the other hand, tundras are the soil cover and vegetation, the animal world that form the basis of its nature. Their rational use and protection are the basis for the normal functioning of all biological systems in both the Arctic region and the North as a whole.
However, imperfect environmental legislation and poor knowledge of the current state of mammalian and fish populations lead to the fact that the fishing strategy is determined not by biological expediency, but by economic factors. The desire to maximize profits undermines the number of animals and puts some of their populations on the brink of extinction.
Now there is another problem – the migration of radionuclides from nuclear facilities along ecological chains. During the long Arctic winter, gas and aerosol emissions are partially deposited on the snow. During the stormy Arctic spring, all these accumulations turn into a salvo of radioactivity. And this aspect still requires analysis and forecasting.
Drinking water and clean air are also valuable resources
The seal “swims” in clean water.
The biogeocenoses in the Arctic are extremely diverse and saturated with living organisms to varying degrees. Accordingly, the rate of the biotic cycle and, consequently, its productivity vary markedly. In aquatic ecosystems, the cycle is faster than in terrestrial ecosystems, and in Arctic zones its speed and productivity are lower than in warmer regions.
The ways to provide water to the population are direct intake of drinking water in rivers and open reservoirs, which is available exclusively in sparsely populated areas without developed industrial and agro-industrial production; Arctic ice and artesian wells, which are highly expensive and often do not meet environmental standards.
These reasons have led to the fact that drinking water has become a very valuable resource, and in developed countries its cost is approaching the cost of gasoline. Therefore, although there is enough drinking water on a global scale, its supplies are sometimes limited at the local level. In addition, drinking water is extremely unevenly distributed across regions within countries and by seasons.
Increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are leading to global warming. It, in turn, promotes more active mineralization of organic matter in tundra and peat soils, which further increases carbon dioxide losses and accelerates the pace of global climate change.
Until recently, tundra and various swampy soils, as well as peatlands, acted as global repositories of soil carbon; especially after the retreat of the last continental glaciers. The expected carbon losses by tundra and swamp ecosystems during global warming under different climate scenarios were studied in laboratories on soil samples.
We now know that as a result of the melting of the Arctic ice, there will be absolute carbon losses from tundra soils in warmer and wetter conditions. The development of deposits, the intensification of traffic along the Northern Sea Route, and increased military activity are exacerbating the situation. Therefore, the preservation of Arctic ecosystems requires increased attention.
