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Issues in the Tundras

The Alpine and the Arctic are the two tundra areas found in the world. The Arctic tundra is located around the North Pole. Alpine tundra is located at the tops of very tall mountains. A tundra is characterized by having permafrost in the ground that can be up to 2,000 feet thick. Permafrost is a layer of frozen ground. There are several health issues that can occur when visiting or traveling on the tundra and dangers to the fragile tundra environment.

Hypothermia
- The temperatures at the tundra are intensely cold, with a range of temperatures from -34 to 3 degrees Celsius. For travelers who are not properly attired, hypothermia can occur. There are two different forms of hypothermia: chronic and acute. Chronic hypothermia happens when the body's core temperature slowly decreases from its normal temperature. This type of hypothermia is most common in the tundra. Acute hypothermia happens when the body's core temperature drops rapidly, such as when a person is suddenly immersed in cold water. If the body's temperature drops below 90 degrees Fahrenheit then severe hypothermia has occurred.
Frostbite
- Frostbite is another issue than can occur in very cold temperatures. Frostbite occurs when a piece of the body is exposed to extremely cold temperatures. This normally occurs with high winds as the wind quickly removes heat from the exposed skin. The wind constantly blows on the tundra with wind chills that make the air tempertaure feel as much as 20 degrees colder than the actual air tempertaure. When the body part cools off the blood vessels constrict and the blood supply to that area decreases greatly. With decreased blood flow, the tissues in the body part will die.
Garbage
- Underneath the tundra, specifically the Arctic tundra, are deposits of oil and natural gas. This has brought mining to the area. The debris and garbage that has accumulated due to drilling threaten the environment in the Arctic tundra. Oil pollution kills off lichen, which reduces the food source for reindeer. Spilled oil is a danger to birds and mammals in the spring months and oil fires spread dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere. The cold temperature in the tundra means that chemicals and other pollution take longer to break down, which results in lasting damage to plants and animals.
Global Warming
- As the atmosphere temperatures increase, even slightly, the tundra environment is threatened. Even a small increase in temperature will cause the tundra to shrink, decreasing land available to animals and plants that live on the tundra. This in turn will threaten extinction to many animals as well as increase the volume of the ocean, as the ice and the permafrost in the tundra melt and the water runs off into the ocean.

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