The Value Of Glacial And Periglacial Landscapes

Question 1

What is the Yamal peninsula?

Answer 1

A harsh Periglacial environment in northwest Siberia

Question 2

How cold to winter temperatures get in the yamal?

Answer 2

-50 degrees

Question 3

How deep is the permafrost penetration in the yamal?

Answer 3

300 metres

Question 4

What are the native people of the yamal called?

Answer 4

The Nenets

Question 5

What is biodiversity like in the tundra?

Answer 5

low

Question 6

How does the tundra have a role in the worldwide food web?

Answer 6

Provides a home for many migratory species (birds)

Question 7

Why does the permafrost have a global value?

Answer 7

Acts as a large-scale carbon sink storing an immense amount of carbon and methane
2 x as much as atmosphere

Question 8

What will happen to permafrost if the climate warms

Answer 8

Expected to melt releasing the trapped green house gases meaning more warming (positive feedback loop)

Question 9

What services do reindeer provide for the nenets?

Answer 9

Transport
Clothing
Hides for tents
Meat
Income

Question 10

What do the Nenets do to avoid the extreme cold?

Answer 10

Migrate seasonally also done to prevent over grazing

Question 11

How many nomads rely on reindeer herding?

Answer 11

10,000

Question 12

How many domesticated reindeer are herded? (Nenets)

Answer 12

Over 300,000

Question 13

How much of the peninsula is privately owned by the herders? (Nenets)

Answer 13

80%

Question 14

How much does the yamal hold of known gas reserves?

Answer 14

1/4

Question 15

How many gas fields have been found?

Answer 15

11

Question 16

How many oil gas and condensate fields have been discovered (yamal)

Answer 16

15

Question 17

How much explored and provisionally evaluated gas reserves are there? (Yamal)

Answer 17

16 trillion cubic meter

Question 18

Why does climate change poses a significant threat to the tundra and the Nenets?

Answer 18

Earlier spring melts and delays to autumn freeze affects the herders and reindeers ability to cross the tundra threatening their survival

Question 19

What happened when infrastructure was built to exploit a gas field in the yamal? (Negative examples)

Answer 19

Pasture was destroyed leading to forced overgrazing and disruption to migration causing a conflict with the Nenets.

Question 20

What is the yamal mega project?

Answer 20

Developed by state owned Gasprom aims to exploit and bring to to the market the vast natural gas reserves in the peninsula

Question 21

What is the problem with the yamal mega project?

Answer 21

Environmental and cultural concerns