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 Despite its cold climate, the Arctic is home to a wide range of plants and animals specially adapted to the extreme conditions. They include the Arctic fox, musk ox and polar bear, and slow-growing shrubs, grasses and mosses. The sea - much of which is ice-covered - is rich in microscopic phytoplankton, sustaining fish and their predators such as seals and killer whales. This same rich biodiversity supports indigenous people such as the Inuit, Sami, Chukchi and Yupik, who maintain traditional practices like reindeer herding, hunting and fishing, whilst also embracing modern technologies. There are also many non-indigenous peoples living in the region.
The Arctic is one of the world’s last wildernesses, but it is not pristine. Prevailing sea and air currents carry pollutants long distances and deposit them in the Arctic. Recent global warming appears to be reducing the thickness and extent of Arctic sea ice, threatening some species and enabling others to move north. In recent years, sea routes have opened up, increasing territorial claims on the region from nations eager to exploit reserves of oil, water and marine species.
 If the plants, animals and peoples of the Arctic are to have a future, we must reduce pressures on these fragile polar ecosystems. Scientific research can help. By studying the Arctic to better understand the many complex and interacting pressures we can find solutions that can be adopted by Governments and local people. One approach is to quantify and value the natural resources and services provided by the Arctic and to recognize that these are not finite. Some are obvious – fish stocks – for instance, but others are not. For example, the Arctic influences the global climate, and changes in the region may ‘flip’ ecosystems from net absorbers to net emitters of greenhouse gases.
 Extra information
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Average summer temperatures in the Arctic are below 10°C. In winter, temperatures can fall to -40°C.
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In mid-summer the sun does not set in the high Arctic. Conversely, in mid-winter there is no daylight.
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Much of the Arctic is ocean covered by extensive sea ice. Major land masses include Alaska, Northern Canada, Greenland, Northern Europe (Norway, Sweden, Finland) and Northern Russia. Much of the land is tree-less permafrost.
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INTERACT is an EU-funded project to promote better scientific research on environmental change in the arctic. Check out their photo gallery: http://www.eu-interact.org/outreach2/gallery/ , follow them on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/INTERACT66 and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InteractArctic
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INTERACT scientists have listed over 100 Arctic ‘ecosystem services’, i.e. ways in which people benefit from the Arctic’s natural environment. They include provisioning services like wild and farmed meat, regulating services such as natural flood control and cultural services, which include opportunities for outdoor sports and wildlife watching.
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BBC Frozen Planet – clips from the TV series filmed in the Arctic and Antarctic http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/collections/p00kf6hs
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More BBC videos of the Arctic http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/places/Arctic
- Author: Andy Sier, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology [Contact Andy]
Photos copyright A. Sier, copyright CEH
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This article was contributed by members of the EU-funded INTERACT project
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