What threatens a tundra biome?

Answer 1

There aren't a lot of people running out to build houses on the tundra. Development is not a major problem, nor is there much pressure from human populations (although pollution problems near human settlements can be severe; it is a great technical challenge to effect efficient sewage treatment in a cold environment, for instance). The biggest threats come from airborne pollutants, which have brought measurable levels of pollutants such as DDT and PCB's to even remote areas The biggest threat, however, is from oil and gas development and the resulting global warming. The Arctic National Wildlife refuge mentioned earlier has the misfortune of sitting on about a 6 month supply of oil. Despite the great difficulty in extracting this oil, corporate interests and their pet politicians just can't seem to let the idea of drilling here go. Instead of promoting fuel conservation, which could easily make up for the oil not retrieved from this arctic paradise, they continue to push the Propaganda on the American people that drilling here will somehow offset high oil prices. An more sever threat comes from global warming, however. As the planet warms (a result of burning all that fossil fuel from elsewhere), the permafrost melts and tundra ecosystems collapse. Further, the permafrost contains a significant amount of dead plant material (grown in earlier and warmer times); as the permafrost warms this material begins to decay, releasing even more CO2 into the atmosphere and accelerating global warming good luck!!!!!!!!!

Answer 2

The biggest threat is Human Interference!!!:

Between the taking of Natural Resources such as oil, coal, and minerals- oil spills, the oil lines, and radioactive pollution have occurred. Oil spills are still being looked into for long term effects, but the oil gets on the animals and plants, and is frozen in the the ice where it can sit for years, which won't come off easily or be dissolved at all due to the cold conditions. Where the pipe lines have been built, the caribou natural migrating paths have been interrupted. Even though with humans around the wolves have decreased around the area, protecting the caribou somewhat, but if there is a surge in caribou that could easily damage the population numbers of plants in the area. Also, from nuclear testing and reactor accidents there has been radioactive pollution. The pollution has been trapped in glaciers which have been melting, and running off onto plants and possible food sources for the entire biome. This could cause food poisoning for everything up there. It would also take the vegetation years, if not decades, to recover from such a blow.

Answer 3

People have found oil and are now oil mining.