The tundra is a natural zone that does not caress the eyes with lush vegetation. Only organisms adapted to harsh conditions can develop and live here. In recent years, environmental problems in the tundra zone have intensified; the face of the territory is unrecognizably changing. Extractive industries, transport and processing industries are developing. Environmental organizations and environmentalists are concerned about the ongoing changes, the complication of the situation beyond the Arctic Circle.
Features of the tundra as a natural zone
The northern treeless region with a predominance of mosses and lichens extends on the shores and partially on the islands of the seas of the Arctic Ocean. The main distinguishing features of this natural zone are the harsh climate and the lack of forest. Pillow plants with a shallow root system grow in the tundra. In summer, the thin surface layer thaws on humus-poor soil thaws, and permafrost extends below.
The relief in the tundra is diverse: vast lowlands alternate with hills. The nature of the surface may be peaty, rocky or marshy. On the peaks of the Northern Urals and further east, mountain tundras are common.
Harsh tundra climate
Frosts in this natural zone last from 6 to 8 months a year. In spring, with plenty of sunlight and in the conditions of a polar day, there is little heat. Summer ends quickly, in August the weather begins, rains and snow. Almost simultaneously with winter, the polar night begins, its duration is up to six months. The sun does not appear above the horizon, but during the day there is a period resembling twilight, when a reddish streak of dawn is visible in the sky. Environmental problems in the tundra zone are associated not so much with the severity of the climate as with the vulnerability of nature. A thin soil layer is easily destroyed by caterpillars of all-terrain vehicles, wheels and runners of other modes of transport. Violation of the root system leads to the death of plants.
Features of vegetation
Most of the flora in the tundra are pillow or creeping forms - they are pressed to the soil with stems and leaves. It is easier to keep vegetative organs under thin snow cover and in strong winds. Many environmental problems in the tundra zone are associated with the fact that only 2 months of short summers are suitable for the development, formation of fruits and seeds. Flowering plants are forced to adapt. Some switched to vegetative propagation, while others retain fruits and seeds under the snow until next summer. The first option significantly increases the evolutionary chances of survival of the species. With vegetative propagation, there are no problems due to the impossibility of pollination of flowers by insects or other animals.
There are trees and shrubs in the tundra, they also spread. Most often, small forests of polar willow, dwarf birch grow along the banks of rivers, where the soil thaws better. In the tundra there are many types of berry shrubs (cranberries, blueberries, cloudberries, lingonberries).
Tundra problems
A significant part of the tundra zone lies on the seashores, but plants constantly lack moisture. Precipitation in this area is an average of 200 ml / year, mainly in the form of summer rains. Cold water is poorly absorbed by the roots of plants, in addition, it does not leak into the soil due to permafrost. At low temperatures and low rainfall, excessive moisture is observed, which exacerbates environmental problems in the tundra zone.
Waterlogging occurs everywhere, worsening the oxygen supply to the underground organs of plants. Tundra glue soils are formed - a special type of substrate with a low humus content and a large amount of moisture. With soil destruction, the vegetation becomes poorer. Animals are forced to roam long distances or die from a nest.
Preserving links in the tundra ecosystem
Here is a concrete example illustrating the relationship between natural components in the tundra. One of the groups of organisms in this zone received the general name "deer moss." This is mainly reindeer moss, which belongs to the lichens of the genus Cladonia. Some environmental problems in the tundra zone are associated with a decrease in the area occupied by it. Deer feed on reindeer moss, the reduction of its range negatively affects the state of the population of different animals. Deer moss plantations are disturbed by mining, building roads, housing estates and industrial enterprises. We list the main problems that arise in the ecosystem of the tundra with human intervention:
- violation of the soil cover;
- biodiversity reduction ;
- nature pollution resulting from the extraction of raw materials;
- accumulation of household and industrial waste;
- overgrazing on deer pastures;
- poorer fauna as a result of poaching.
To preserve the tundra, restrictions are placed on grazing deer, ecologists make sure that the herds are driven to other sites on time. During the construction of oil and gas pipelines, measures are being taken to increase the number of typical plants and animals. The fight against poachers is being conducted, in which employees of tundra reserves and reserves actively joined. The rare and endangered representatives of flora and fauna were taken under protection.