To what extent should cold environments to be considered as fragile? How far does this affect their development?

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To what extent should cold environments to be considered as fragile? How far does this affect their development??????????????????????????

A fragile environment is a biome that is under threat from change, damage or unsustainable use. Most impacts will be long-lasting due to the inability of the area to recover easily due to extreme cold because things never decompose nor grow quickly.

There is no denying whether or not cold environments are vulnerable to interference. The slow rate if of plant growth means that any disruption takes 50 years to correct. There is also low productivity because Bacterial activity is low due to cold temperatures and waterlogged conditions, stopping the recycling of nutrients and decomposition. Drainage is poor due to frozen ground, especially in permafrost zones. Although active layer thaws in summer, sub soil remains frozen. Soil contains angular fragments as a result of freeze thaw and frost heave. Plants therefore have to adapt to meet the needs of these challenges.

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The food chain is very short, and species have to also adapt to the harsh conditions, meaning the populations are low. It is very fragile as any interference to a certain species will wipe out many others in the food chain.

However whether they be exploited successfully is the key question. For the reasons above it is crucial that the development of these areas is managed wisely. This is shown by the Trans-Alaskan oil pipeline. In 1968 vast deposits of oil were discovered on the North Slope of Alaska, in an area within Prudhoe Bay. However the extraction of this ...

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