The Secret Letters From The Past
More than a scientific adventure it is already a traditional part of your family. Your father shared his ideals with you, because what he tries to slow down was not happened in couple of years. How did you join this mission?
I grew up on the research station. My dad was the founder of it, and in 1990 when the governmental funding was cut, he refused to leave the Arctic, and the research station became private. Pleistocene Park is one of the projects (though far the biggest) ran by the research station. When I was in the first year of college, studying math, my dad invited me to come back to join the work. I agreed.
And about the project team!
There isn’t too many people involved. Apart from my dad, my mom and wife, there is also 3-4 full time employees working in the Park. Plus there are occasional people involved in the project – media, volunteers, scientists who do research in the Park etc.
How do you define the permafrost?
Official definition is any ground, which been frozen for more than 2 years. In our region depth of the permafrost is around 650 meters. But what we care about is the top 40 meters, consisting of ice/organic rich sediments, which are defacto frozen soils of the mammoth steppe ecosystem
If you redefine the permafrost, can you say it is a safe place to hide all ancient harms like microbes, viruses etc? What does the permafrost hide we never really want to be faced?
Over the last 12 thousand years, around half of all frozen mammoth steppe soils were processed (thawed, eroded and refroze) by thermokarst lakes. If deadly viruses could really cause big harm, they already would. Overall permafrost is now not the safest way to store anything, since with the climate change it will soon start thawing.
You are observing what is already happening day by day. What are the main natural and anthropogenic reasons of meltdown?
Temperatures in the Arctic are increasing 2.5-3 times faster than in the rest of the globe. In our region temperature rose by 3 degrees in the last 30 years. Same temperature increase is happening with the permafrost as well. In addition there is an increase in precipitation and more snow in the winter additionally making permafrost warmer
There is some forested land over the permafrost. Is it natural or artificial?
Good question. Most people think of it as natural. But before first humans entered the Arctic, there was no forest (or really few) since this place was occupied by the mammoth steppe. It has tens of big herbivore on each square kilometer and at this no forest could be established. Once people arrived they dropped the number of animals, without animal help grasses and herbs lost the competition to mosses, lichen, shrubs and trees.
So we can say the trees are not so innocent in everywhere, especially around the arctic steppe! Can we say, speciesism is one of toxic behavior like a hidden violence of love?
We are not so innocent, or our ancestors. I am not sure term innocent is correct for trees. They just try to grow where they can competing with other plants. Here is the question what benefits can forest in the Arctic bring versus benefits provided by the high productive grazing ecosystem. For humans and animals steppe bring way more profits in the Arctic, comparing with forests.
Can you please tell about the Pleistocene Park in Siberia?
It is the project to restore high productive grazing ecosystems in the Arctic, making nature as rich as in Serengeti and an attempt to mitigate climate change. Since we as humans are lazy and do not want deal with our own mistakes, we try to get animals to do all the job for us.
So, we can call it is an applied ethics simulation, not only sharing the research outputs and advise something to do, but realizing what you promoted.
I am not sure simulation is a correct term. We do practically trying to make it happen, by fencing the land, bringing animals, adapting them, and letting them change the vegetation according to their needs
Are your children going to follow your steps? Do you think they should do or they must choose their own ways of living but the earth in minds?
I hope by the time I am retiring this ecosystem will not need human supervision anymore
