Recently, there have been incredibly strong winds in the northern hemisphere, more specifically, in Greenland. These powerful winds are blowing over the ice sheets in Greenland, and are eroding the soil in the nearby Tundra. These winds are exacerbating the problem of Soil Erosion in the Tundra; causing a loss of productive and fertile land for animals to graze on or live on. Fertile soil that supports animals in the northern hemisphere is already scarce, the soil erosion taking place is only making the problem worse.
The above Article carefully points out that soil erosion is not just a problem faced by farmers, it is also a serious problem for the animals that habitat these lands. Animals and plants/vegetation are losing land to inhabit, effectively reducing the carrying capacity for organisms in these regions. Global warming and climate change is most likely at the heart of these problems, if humans take more steps to limit their carbon footprint, there most likely be a reduction in the amount of soil Erosion.
Greenland ice sheet’s winds driving tundra soil erosion, study finds. (2015, August 12).
Retrieved August 23, 2015, from
http://phys.org/news/2015-08-greenland-ice-sheet-tundra-soil.html
This is interesting– humans have a tendency to be relatively self-centered when they are suffering, and sometimes the plants and animals also suffering take a back seat. Do you think that this soil erosion in the Tundra will be enough to lead to the extinction of species or at least extirpation? What would that mean? What kind of action should be taken to prevent this from happening?
Molly, thanks for the interesting questions! It truly is tough to tell what the full effects will be. It is certain that if these winds and consequently, the expedited soil erosion, lots of animals will lose their habitat and means of sustinence. The only way to slow this process is to reduce our carbon footprint, and to hope for the best; there isn’t a whole lot that can be done to completely eradicate this problem.
It’s hard to foresee the effects of natural complications – such as winds. Is global warming really to blame, or a mere contribution to something inevitable?
That’s an interesting question Hannah; I would venture to guess that it is a mix of both. The winds, despite global warming would erode the soil, but the increase in human activity and emissions is surely expediting the process. Humans are definitely contributing to the problem, and the rate at which it is speed up is what is making this situation particularly worrisome. It will be interesting to see what happens in the near future.