Arctic Tundra melting in late June, "Taymyrsky Zapovednik", Central Taymyr, Russia 1989
Zapovednik (nature reserve) Taymyrsky was the first destination of the first German-Soviet expedition in 1989 to the Taymyr peninsula in Northern Siberia. The nature reserve in the north of Krasnoyarsky Krai was established in 1979. Except the main area the Zapovednik includes also three isolated sites Ary-Mas, Lukunsky, Balakhinsky. The total area is 1781,9 thousand ha. The Taymyr peninsula is covered by the most extensive and northernmost tundra habitats in Siberia. These enormous wetlands are used during the short Arctic summer (the picture is taken in early July) by millions of waterbirds, which winter in Southern Europe, Southern Asia and Africa. The biodiversity of the Taymyr peninsula is with 20% well covered with different kinds of protected areas. However, there may be need to connect the by South-North corridors to secure adaptation of biodiversity moving North with climate change. With increased warming and thawing of tundra massive release of methane stored in the ground could trigger further climate change.
Year: 2013
From album: Great Arctic Reserve, Taymyrski Zapovednik and German-Russian Expeditions 1989-1991 to Taymyr
Photographer: Peter Prokosch