We stand at
the threshold of a major change in our approach to environmental issues Antarctica, the
coldest and the windiest place in the world is now a source of endless concern and
controversy. It is unique in every sphere and is a common heritage of all the human kind.
Politically, it belongs to every country in the world. Biologically, it is the largest
wildlife sanctuary on the earth. Ninety percent of the planets freshwater resource
is located here. The continent is a critical component in the worlds weather system
and an invaluable open-air laboratory for monitoring global atmosphere pollution.
Antarctica is the only continent, which is virtually unspoiled by any anthropogenic
action. Scientifically, Antarctica can be look as a unique open system of the earth, where
all the life, geology, climate and water interact to each other over the millions of
years, converge to produce a occurring pattern of changes that has profound effects on the
regional and global environment. It is also a part of the planetary energy system,
receiving from the Sun, undergoing changes, affecting life, oceans, atmosphere, climate,
and sediments. In this energy system Antarctica plays as a heat sink. Energy flows
continuously from the source (the Sun) to the Earth and to the sink (the Antarctica).
Applying the laws of thermodynamics, all the energy received on Antarctica is conserve in
the form of glacial ice. Therefore, 78 percent of the worlds glacial ice are locked
here.
In biological ways, it can also be
seen as a vast single ecosystem, where the dynamic complex of all the endemic
organisms and its local non-living environment interacts as a single functional unit.
Hence, it is a unique system.
"Biogeochemical cycle" or
the movement or cycling of a chemical element or elements through the earths
atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere plays a significant part in determining
the bio-diversity of an area. In this cycles the biota plays a key role for exchanges of
vital nutrients from one phase to another. Some of the micro-nutrients (carbon, hydrogen,
oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulphur, calcium, potassium, iron and magnesium) that form
the major building blocks of the organic compounds and which are required in large amounts
by most forms of life are continually circulated by the organisms. In the case of
Antarctica as there is very less diversity of flora and fauna this cycles are not so
profound.
Although, other related cycles
which are performed by he non-living environment such as the sedimentary
cycle, the tectonic cycle, the hydrologic cycle, the
rock cycle etc. are more or less pronounce in this continent. The weathering and
erosion of nutrient rich rock from the Antarctic continent by the glacier and the wind
activities makes Antarctic ocean to be the most nutrient rich ocean in the world. This
makes the southern ocean to be the most biologically productive ocean in the world.
Although, Antarctica has the
harshest environment due to extremely low temperature (average 45o C) and high wind
speed (average 100 km), the continent has been continually exploited by humans after the
events of modern industrialization. During the early 19th century most of the
biological resource and the tranquility of the continent has been disturbed by human
beings either for commercial or scientific purposes. International interests on Antarctica
began with commercial whaling and sealing expeditions through the 18th and the
19th centuries. Now Antarctica is no more isolated continent but a vast natural
laboratory for humans. The fate of Antarctica is day by day at the mercy of human beings.
Although industrialization has brought many benefits to human kind, the impact on the
environment is never a positive one.
As the worlds human
population increases exponentially and the resources become scarcer everyday, the
governments and businesses are looking to Antarctica for new supplies of food, freshwater
and mineral wealth. The worldwide problems of malnutrition and protein deficiency further
look forward to the exploitation of protein rich "krills" population in the
Antarctica Ocean, which will further disturb the intricate Antarctic Ocean ecosystem.
Impact of green house effect and global warming with the resulting affect of sea level
rise due to melting of Antarctic ice are becoming more and more serious environmental
issues today. The environmental health problems due to ozone depletion and the effect of
harmful UV radiation are also a major concern now. Therefore, Antarctica has become a
central consideration of human environment and is becoming one of the greatest
environmental issues of the world |