Current Human Impacts on the Arctic Ecosystem

There are at least three human impacts on the Arctic: issues relating to the exploitation of species, management of land and water, and pollution. Many populations of arctic species have been over-exploited over the last few hundred years. People are commercially exploiting the Arctic. Some species went extinct and some are endangered, because people have been slaughtering the Arctic animals for food and furs. The main example is the slaughter of harp seals. Although the harp seals are not listed as endangered, if people keep killing these animals just for furs, they will go extinct, as the Steller's cow did in the 19th centuries. Changes in both land and water use influence ecosystem in the Arctic. Overgrazing on the tundra can be severe. 

Overgrazing reduces the cover of herbs, grasses, shrubs, and lichens. In water, fish farming affects marine life. Deposition of unused food and fish feces from fish farming contaminate water. Pollution is the one of the greatest human impacts on the Arctic. Of the many examples of pollution, oil pollution in the Arctic has locally caused great mortality of wildlife and loss of marine biodiversity.




reference : http://www.eoearth.org/article/Human_impacts_on_the_biodiversity_of_the_Arctic
http://www.arcticsecurity.org/?tag=oil-spills