15 February 2025 : Daily Answer Writing

Q1) What are the potential consequences of Arctic ice melt on biodiversity and ecosystems? How might these changes impact global ecological balance? (10 marks, 150 words)

ANSWER

• Arctic ice is the sea ice that covers the Arctic Ocean and the surrounding area. It’s a key part of the Arctic’s climate and ecosystems, and has a significant impact on polar as well as global environment. 
• According to NASA Climate, Summer Arctic sea ice extent is shrinking by 12.2% per decade due to warmer temperatures. This phenomenon can have far-reaching consequences on biodiversity and ecosystems.

POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF ARCTIC ICE MELT ON BIODIVERSITY AND

ECOSYSTEMS

Arctic ice melt has a significant impact on biodiversity. The melting ice caps lead to imbalanced ecosystems, rising sea levels, and fluctuating seawater temperatures, resulting in unpredictable disasters and threats to habitats and species.

1. Loss of Habitat: The melting of sea ice reduces the habitat available for ice-dependent species such as polar bears, seals, and walruses. These animals rely on sea ice for hunting, breeding, and resting. Permafrost  thawing affects land-based ecosystems, impacting species like the Arctic fox and caribou, which depend on stable, frozen ground for their habitat.
2. Disruption of Food Chains: Sea ice supports the growth of algae, which forms the base of the Arctic marine food web. The reduction in sea ice diminishes the algae population, affecting the entire food chain from zooplankton to larger predators like fish, birds, and marine mammals.
3. Predator-Prey Relationships: The shifting distribution and abundance of prey species force predators to adapt their hunting strategies, often leading to increased competition and stress on these populations.
4. Species Migration / Tropicalization: As the Arctic warms, species from lower latitudes migrate northward, leading to changes in species composition and interactions. This can disrupt existing ecological relationships and create new ones.
5. Invasive Species: Warmer temperatures and increased human activity facilitate the introduction of non-native species, which can outcompete and displace indigenous Arctic species, further destabilizing the ecosystem.
6. Ocean Acidification: Increased CO2 absorption by the ocean leads to acidification, which affects the calcification process of marine organisms like shellfish and coral, essential components of the marine ecosystem.
7. Algal Blooms: Melting ice can lead to nutrient runoff from the land, promoting harmful algal blooms that deplete oxygen levels in the water and create dead zones, adversely impacting marine life.
8. Birds Migration: Many bird species rely on the Arctic for breeding and feeding. Melting ice and changing vegetation patterns can disrupt their nesting sites and food availability, leading to population declines. This has been highlighted by the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

IMPACT ON GLOBAL ECOLOGICAL BALANCE

1. Carbon Sequestration: The Arctic acts as a significant carbon sink. Melting permafrost releases stored carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, exacerbating global warming and creating a feedback loop that accelerates climate change.
2. Albedo Effect: Ice and snow have high reflectivity (albedo), which helps cool the planet by reflecting solar radiation. As the ice melts, darker ocean and land surfaces are exposed, absorbing more heat and further accelerating warming.
3. Coastal Ecosystems: Rising sea levels, driven by melting Arctic ice, threaten coastal habitats worldwide, including mangroves, salt marshes, and coral reefs, leading to loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
4. Thermohaline Circulation: The melting of Arctic ice affects the salinity

and temperature of the ocean, disrupting the thermohaline circulation, also

known as the “global conveyor belt.” This circulation is crucial for

regulating global climate patterns.

5. Weather Extremes: Changes in Arctic ice can alter atmospheric circulation, leading to more extreme weather events such as hurricanes, heatwaves, and severe winters in different parts of the world.
6. Arctic Amplification: The phenomenon, known as Arctic amplification, occurs when the sea ice, which is white, thins or disappears, allowing dark ocean or land surfaces to absorb more heat from the sun and release that energy back into the atmosphere.
7. Climatic Changes: The melting of Arctic sea ice leads to polar vortexes, increased heat waves, and unpredictability of weather.
8. Methane Release: The retreat of Arctic sea ice and resulting warming will result in massive methane release entrapped under Permafrost leading to impact on the global greenhouse potential.
9. Increased Water Vapour: Warmer air holds more water vapours which often leads to more trapping of outgoing long-wave radiations from Earth, creating warming effects.

• The melting of Arctic ice has profound implications for biodiversity and ecosystems both within the Arctic region and globally. The melting of the Arctic ice requires humanity’s collective commitment to recognizing it as a critical global issue and taking appropriate action. 

• Strict implementation of climate change mitigation policies is essential. By significantly reducing CO2 emissions in the next decade, there is still a chance to preserve the remaining glaciers. 
• More targeted and specific measures are necessary to address the unique challenges posed by the melting ice in these regions.

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