Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 May 2013
This article is dedicated to the aggravation of negative natural and anthropogenous changes in Central Siberia in the Yenisei River geo-system. These changes are probably the result of global warming and climate destabilisation combined with intensified destructive processes in the region.
The last decades were characterised by the following:
1. Growth of mean annual temperatures and change of annual climate structure resulting in extreme weather and hydrologic situations;
2. Large-scale degradation of insular permafrost with corresponding decrease of their water-cut;
3. Dry thunderstorms, fires, forest disease outbreaks became more frequent and abundant in the large areas;
4. Forage resources failures and game animals’ depletion in numbers became more frequent;
5. Overgrowing of the Angara and the Yenisei Rivers. Significant drop of spawning sites’ reproductive functions;
6. Northern borders of some wild populations’ habitats started moving further north;
7. Aggravation of boat traffic conditions and traditional use of natural resources;
8. Taiga lost its fire-suppression and chemical-protection functions almost completely;
9. Some issues have emerged regarding protection of people and domestic animals against natural-endemic diseases as well as predators;