Tundra ecosystems – their characteristics, problems

The main feature of the ecosystems of the tundra – twenty-five — thirty-degree (i.e., small) sizes in the vertical plane. On top of growing moss, and the projective cover of which is equal to less than one hundred percent, and also from time to time there are bushes. On the rocks "is" lichen. Small willow bushes growing near streams and in saparinah. All these plants hanging on a small layer of soil in warm periods do not allow to melt the permafrost below.





Here in the cold "rage" for the past ten months. Only forty days in the tundra for the summer, during which is held the three — seligradsky temperature, and which is accompanied by wind and rain. The thermometer for ten to fourteen days in the middle of summer can rise to plus twenty, and sometimes up to plus thirty degrees. Despite the fact that the vegetative period is very small, the local ecosystem is still completed during this time, the nutrient cycle, giving a certain amount of primary bioproduction. 3-6-degree "tundra" of temperature do not allow to quickly decompose plant residues, because they are processed for a long time.

The circulation of substances in environmental systems of these places would have been impossible without such animals as reindeer. Referring to the class of mammals, they have a 39-degree body temperature and 2-chambered stomachs, which are a kind of warm reactors, reprocessing of the local plants, facilitated by various microorganisms suitable for such "working conditions". The tundra works great automatic adjustment of the number of these animals and the primary bioproduction. If plant becomes crowded, and the growing number of mammals. The reverse situation – the lack of organic production – animals are looking for other places suitable for habitation, and if there is no such place, the deer population is declining.

Speaking of deer searching places, rich in food. Here there is the TRANS-Alaska pipeline that animals somehow refused to cross, despite the fact that it doesn't have to work – they can slide under a pipe or jump over it. However, the animals died, not wanting to get on to pastures new. After scientists from the USA studied the issue, on their initiative, the design of the pipeline was changed in places where wandering animals, it was equipped with passages of great height and width. Plants, recycled reindeer in the tundra very much – reindeer droppings are found everywhere, being situated on the chess cells at a distance of five feet. Such a large number due to the fact that animals eat all the moss, the reason for this also lies in the severe low temperature conditions in which manure is stored, in the fridge for a very long time.

The lack of interference of civilization a positive effect on this perfect, but fragile system.

The local "indigenous peoples", once driven here from Central Asia, it adapted to the conditions of the tundra, living in harmony with nature and not interfering with the cycle of the local ecosystems. Which, unfortunately, can not say about the modern "civilized man" who came here to mine minerals. Since the depth of the soil, protecting the permafrost is only thirty centimeters, it is easily pressed by heavy equipment, and thereby disrupted the natural insulation, which leads to thawing permafrost in the summer. The trace of the tractor to the North is overgrown for decades, because it is a very big problem.

Traces from machines and tractors that cover the entire tundra, you can see from here to Kamchatka, Chukotka through the plane. This is quite strange, but among the traces of a large number of circular.

If the parameters of speed violation cover will exceed the speed of recovery (despite the fact that in some places differently and can not be), the depth of the destruction of frozen soils, which in some cases seventy percent composed of ice, will continue to increase until it reaches sea level. So, work in the oil and gas deposits on Peninsula Yamal, can lead to the fact that this education, which is mostly sand pump, will be the archipelago, composed of the island – rock, which is located in the Central part of Yamal Peninsula.

Edit: their foolish actions can anestimate North of the harm that would lead to such dire consequences? Unfortunately, the answer to this question is Yes. As example is the transformation of the Aral sea. published

P. S. And remember, only by changing their consumption — together we change the world! ©

Source: zeleneet.com/tundrovye-ekosistemy-ix-osobennosti-problemy/33220/