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Wildlife & Environment

While the Arctic is home to only a small fraction of the planet’s species, all are remarkable in their abilities to survive in conditions that rank among the planet’s harshest. About 130 mammalian species, 280 varieties of birds, 450 types of fishes, and 860 kinds of vertebrates inhabit the region; hundreds of these live only in the Arctic. A considerable proportion of animal life migrates to the Far North during the short spring and summer seasons, with many groups making annual roundtrips of astonishingly long distances. Migratory animals often concentrate in large numbers on breeding grounds and migration corridors, which creates great wildlife spectacles, but also makes these animals and their gathering places particularly vulnerable to disturbance.

 

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  • Hummocks at the Franz Josef Land Nature Reserve.
    Hummocks at Franz Josef Land Nature Reserve
  • Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (second left) to attend the Second International Forum "The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue", September 22, 2011. Right, foreground: Arthur Chilingarov, Vice-President of the Russian Geographical Society, the Russian president's special envoy for international cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic. Left: Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco.
    Second International Arctic Forum
  • The team of polar explorers led by Ivan Papanin and a group of rescuers leaving the North Pole-1 station in the Arctic.
    The team led by Ivan Papanin leaving camp
  • An Arctic fox, of the breed called Northern Lights, at the Pushinsky State Fur Animal Breeding Farm.
    Pushkinsky State Fur Breeding Farm
  • Bringing a cabin to the North Pole-12 station in the Arctic.
    Bringing a cabin to a polar camp
  • A shaman at the opening ceremony of the Arthur Chilingarov Cup national snowmobile racing contest Buran-Dei 2010 in Naryan-Mar.
    Arthur Chilingarov Cup snowmobile race Buran-Day 2010 in Naryan-Mar
  • A Greenland seal.
    Greenland seal
  • The edge of the ice floe.
    Russian polar explorers descend on drifting ice floe
  • Crew of a nuclear-powered ship
    Crew of a nuclear-powered ship
  • The edge of the ice floe.
    Russian polar explorers descend on drifting ice floe
  • A researcher from the Wrangel Island Reserve studying the behavior of a snowy owl.
    Studying behavior of snowy owl
  • The Arktika nuclear icebreaker in the Arctic ice.
    Arktika nuclear icebreaker

Much of the Arctic remains in a natural state. However, human activities have reduced the amount of unspoiled landscape, and environmental threats from sources both inside and outside the region pose risks to humans as well as wildlife. These include contamination by persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and radioactive substances. At the same time, overexploitation of some species and the fragmentation of habitat have affected wildlife populations. Finally, the effects of climate change are altering vegetation, weather, and other natural patterns, challenging animals to adapt quickly. (See also Climate Change section.)

Since 1991, member countries of the Arctic Council have pursued a cooperative strategy for environmental protection. Council working groups, in conjunction with the international community of scientists, actively monitor and assess ecological trends, conduct conservation-related research, and make recommendations on Arctic-wide issues. Individual state governments also have taken action to set up national parks and nature reserves. Approximately 15 percent of the Arctic land mass is now under some form of protection; however, nearly half of the total area is desert or glacier—land types that typically have low biodiversity.