Ninth International Conference on Permafrost ... - IARC Research

Preliminary Analysis of Anthropogenic Landscape Fragmentation:Tazovsky Peninsula, RussiaJesse S. WallaceDepartment of Geography, University of Montana, Missoula, 59812, USAAnna E. KleneDepartment of Geography, University of Montana, Missoula, 59812, USAIntroductionAs part of the IPA 2007 <strong>International</strong> Polar Year activities,Moscow State University offered a “Technogenic andEnvironmental Permafrost Observatories” field course inwest Siberia. During this course, students were grantedaccess to three natural gas fields owned by regionalsubsidiaries of the Russian energy company, Gazprom. Thefieldwork addressed the impact of industrial development inpermafrost regions, with an emphasis on the evolution oftechnologies designed to mitigate the problems associatedwith engineering in arctic environments.The fragmentation analysis performed as a result of thisfield course examines these issues by quantifying the degree towhich recent industrial development has affected the tundra.Anthropogenic impacts on this region have been discussedat length with regard to ecological consequences (Vilchek &Bykova 1992, Kryuchkov 1993). Ramifications of climatechange on both the tundra and an ageing infrastructurehave also been examined (Mazhitova et al. 2004). Thisfragmentation analysis provides additional quantitativeinformation for future environmental assessments of theregion.Study AreaThe Tazovsky Peninsula occupies the central north of theTyumen oblast, surrounded by the Gulf of Ob’ as it enters theKara Sea (Fig. 1). This region lies within the West SiberianBasin, the largest petroleum and natural gas basin in the world(Ulmishek 1998). Underlain by continuous permafrost, thelandscape is primarily peat tundra, characterized by mosses,lichens, grasses, and shrub-level bushes (sphagnum balticum,ledum palustre, carex, betula nana, larix siberica). Treegrowth is restricted to river banks, where increased activelayer depths allow more substantial root systems. Averagetemperatures range from -22°C to -26°C in January, and 4°Cto 15°C in July (Russian Climate Server 2007).History of industrializationThe Yamburg gas-oil condensate field is the largest provenfield in the world, accounting for 15% of Russia’s totalnatural gas and condensate reserves (Yamburggazdobycha2007). Natural gas deposits on the Tazovsky Peninsulawere discovered in 1969. In 1982, construction on thesettlement of Yamburg began in order to house workers forthe developing gas field. Located on the west coast of thepeninsula, Yamburg is currently the only urban area in theregion. Though there are no permanent residents, the townFigure 1. A detail map of the Tazovsky Peninsula shows the townsof Yamburg and Novvy Urengoy. The area to the southeast ofYamburg shows the approximate location of the Yamburg gascondensatefield.is capable of housing up to 10,000 workers. The natural gasfield and related industrial complex spreads to the south andeast of the town, covering an approximate area of 8,500 km².In 2007, the estimated annual output of the Yamburg gasfield was 10 bln m³, with a maximum capacity of 40 bln m³(Yamburggazdobycha 2007).MethodologySatellite imagery of the study area was collected across a23-year period corresponding to the inception and growthof the Yamburg natural gas field. Imagery from 1984, 1987,and 1999 were collected by the LANDSAT MSS, TM, andETM+ sensors respectively. Imagery of 2007 is from theTERRA ASTER sensor.The imagery was classified according to land-cover,with an emphasis on identifying all areas of anthropogenicimpact, including drill pads, processing complexes, roads,337