Informace o publikaci
A growing anthropogenic impact on the Arctic environment affects the ecology of polar vegetation
| Autoři | |
|---|---|
| Rok publikování | 2025 |
| Druh | Článek v odborném periodiku |
| Časopis / Zdroj | CZECH POLAR REPORTS |
| Fakulta / Pracoviště MU | |
| Citace | |
| www | https://journals.muni.cz/CPR/article/view/42697 |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.5817/CPR2025-S-6 |
| Klíčová slova | Arctic; POPs; pollutants; heavy metals; in-situ burning; oil spills |
| Popis | Recent climatic changes, anthropogenic impacts and new infrastructure development across the Arctic may increase risks for terrestrial ecosystems. A wide range of anthropogenic impact factors are reported for the Arctic, such as air and marine pollution including plastic, black carbon deposition on snow, remnants from oil, gas, and mining operations, increased land use due to expanding industrial activities leading to habitat loss, and, last but not least, waste and pollution from tourism. Recently, satellite data has revealed the expansion of infrastructure and growing anthropogenic impacts throughout the Arctic. Regarding the effect of warming on plant biodiversity, both responses are reported, i.e. decreases and increases in the number of plant species forming communities. Air pollution may affect tundra environments and its vegetation in different ways. Black carbon from diesel engines, fires, and other combustion processes can settle on snow, decreasing its ability to reflect sunlight which causes faster melting and changes in water availability for plants. In areas close to settlements, the direct effects of anthropogenic pollutants on vegetation may play a role. In Svalbard, local anthropogenic sources of emission, such as burning fossil fuels in local coal power plants, vehicle exhaust and mining activities contribute to the pollution of the environment and interact with plants. Moreover, wastewater discharged by Longyearbyen into the fjords delivers heavy metals and other pollutants that represent a potential risk to marine algae. |
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