High resilience in the Yamal-Nenets social–ecological system, West Siberian Arctic, Russia

摘要: Tundra ecosystems are vulnerable to hydrocarbon development, in part because small-scale, low-intensity disturbances can affect vegetation, permafrost soils, and wildlife out of proportion their spatial extent. Scaling up include human residents, tightly integrated arctic social-ecological systems (SESs) believed similarly susceptible industrial impacts climate change. In contrast northern Alaska Canada, most terrestrial aquatic components West Siberian oil gas fields seasonally exploited by migratory herders, hunters, fishers, domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.). Despite anthropogenic fragmentation transformation a large the environment, recent socioeconomic upheaval, pronounced warming, we find Yamal-Nenets SES highly resilient according few key measures. We detail remarkable extent which system has successfully reorganized response shocks evaluate limits system's capacity respond. Our analytical approach combines quantitative methods with participant observation understand overall effects rapid land use change at level entire Yamal system, detect thresholds crossed using surrogates, identify potential traps. Institutional constraints drivers were as important documented ecological changes. Particularly crucial success is unfettered movement people animals space time, allows them alternately avoid or exploit wide range natural habitats. However, expansion infrastructure, concomitant freshwater ecosystem degradation, change, massive influx workers underway present looming threat future resilience.