INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT ON THE TUNDRA SOIL AND VEGETATION AT OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTHEASTOF THE BOLSHEZEMELSKAYA TUNDRA
Oil and gas development of the Arctic tundra is accompanied by negative impacts on the soil and vegetation cover (SVC), leading to various negative slope processes which may in the future undermine the sustainability of oil and gas complexes. The paper describes key factors, both abiotic and anthropogenic, that have a negative impact on the SVC of the south-eastern part of the Bolshezemelskaya tundra. Classification of these factors formed the basis for the integrated impact assessment methodology for the area of Arctic tundra under study. Zoning helped single out areas with different degrees of environmental resistance to external natural and anthropogenic factors. This allows one to work out recommendations for oil and gas fields’ development in terms of reclaiming the SVC, regulating the economic activity and choosing the best options for further development of natural resources in the Arctic tundra.