Human Impact on the Tundra

What is our interest in the tundra?

- The tundra is bountiful in minerals, oil and exploration of those resources is greatly damaging the tundra. The ever expanding population of people have lead to the development of roads and even homes in tundra areas, putting even more prressure on the permafrost, causing it to melt even faster.

                                                              Melting permafrost

                  http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/melting-permafrost-1962-pictures.htm





Global Human Impacts

Global warming is melting permafrost at an alarming rate and as a result, the gases locked inside Siberia's (and other tundra biomes) frozen soil and under its lakes has been seeping out since the last ice age. The toxic gases that are being released into the atmosphere are carbon dioxide and methane, two of the most prominent greenhouse gases warming our planet. This cycle is causing the permafrost to melt even faster, even as humans continue to pollute the air with higher levels of the same toxins.
         
Also in Siberia, many animals are being hunted into extinction for their thick fur coats and also for sport. The loss of habitat and hunting has diminished the populations of many of Siberia's magnificent species.

                        Thawing permafrost leads totoxins being released into the air.

http://www.research.gov/research-portal/appmanager/base/desktop;jsessionid=2LylPv6Sybj1VNwrmC4Q1qTPst77f7vpnnspWdZssFSKTPQp4ZSj!-745913081!634758419?_nfpb=true&_windowLabel=awards_1&_urlType=action&awards_1_action=selectAwardDetail&awards_1_id=%2FresearchGov%2FAwardHighlight%2FPublicAffairs%2F18069_TheImpactofMeltingPermafrostontheGlobalCarbonCycle.html