Environmental Problems in the Tundra

Oil Companies

Despite being a frigid area of the world where even the topsoil can freeze at certain points, there is still wildlife that needs to be protected in the tundra regions. These include plants such as algae and lichen, and animals such as the caribou. This wildlife gets threatened, however, by mankind's desire to extract various minerals and oil from the tundra. Oil companies are some of the most dangerous. They require the construction of many buildings and warehouses, which not only spoil the aesthetic beauty of the tundra biome, they also are responsible for some disruption of natural herding and migration routes of animals, namely the caribou. On the tundra coastline, oil spills have been a major problem for underwater life.

Hunting

The vast wilderness associated with the tundra contains certain species of animals that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. This is attractive to hunters, who have been coming to the tundra region for many decades. Over-hunting is a major problem here and has led to a number of species being added to the endangered species list. Moose, wolves and arctic foxes are some examples. To help remedy this problem, there has been a restriction placed on the hunting of many species in the tundra.

Global Warming

As the effects of global warming begin to show themselves more prominently, the tundra becomes a hard-hit area of the world. The delicate ecosystem that exists there largely relies on a fragile environment and set of temperatures. As the area warms, the tundra begins to shrink, taking away land from wildlife that has adapted to live there. Over the long run, many species may be threatened into extinction because of this. The entire biome is also at risk, because it such a fragile ecosystem.