Rudolph’s nose could soon stop shining! Even he is not spared by climate change’s terrible disruptions. In fact, arctic wildlife is experiencing increasing stress from abnormal weather.
As global warming has accelerated the heating of the polar region, hazards for wildlife are multiplying. For instance, rain-on-snow events, occurring when rain falls onto an existing layer of snowpack, and freezes, creating a sheet of ice, are becoming more frequent and severe.
Though rain-on-snow events themselves typically last only a few days, their secondary effects can be felt for months, even years. Their detrimental impact can be felt by entire ecosystems with extreme landslides, floods and glacier melting.
However, one of the largest victims of rain-on-snow is the reindeer population within the region. Reindeer rely on their adapted hooves to scrape through snow and access preserved lichen and moss underneath as a source of food during harsh winters.A frozen layer of ice makes winter grazing impossible. This is accentuated by the fact that hard-packed snow and ice often also cause plants to die, removing the primary food source of many species.
Without food, the reindeer populations risk mass starvation and reduced reproductive success. For example, in the winter of 2021, about 80,000 reindeer starved in northern Russia when a thick layer of ice coated the Yamal tundra.
As a direct knock-on effect of vulnerable reindeer populations, many communities and indigenous populations also face a threat to their livelihood as their lifestyles are deeply symbiotic with such animals.
For example, livestock is a vital part of life for the Sami of Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Russia. Herders from different parts of the Arctic region harness the reindeer, some for milk and as a means of travel, others for daily necessities such as clothes and tools. In 2013, herders in the same Yamal Peninsula were stranded on the tundra due to a lack of reindeer to transport their camps.
Santa’s job may soon become impossible…
Illustration by Lauren Tooze for The Student