TASS, April 7. The Scientific Center for Arctic Studies (the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region) completed a research, which continued a few years, to estimate a sustainable recreational load on eastern slopes of nature complexes in the Polar Urals - the northernmost part of the Urals Mountains. According to their conclusions, the acceptable load on the region's tundra is not more than 1.3 persons per 1 hectare, press service of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region's government told TASS on Thursday.

The region's social and economic development plan to 2035 outlines as a priority the organization of a new tourism cluster. The cluster will unite cities Salekhard, Labytnangi, village Kharp and the Polar Urals' eastern macro slope.

"The researchers have analyzed actual and permissible recreational loads on the natural complexes of the eastern part of the Polar Urals, and also identified potential tourism attractions to develop the regional sector," the press service said.

Any economic activity, including tourism, anyway affects the environment. The Arctic nature is particularly vulnerable, the scientists stressed. They concerned about the preservation of the tundra soil cover and the permafrost's conditions. "For example, to bring tourists businesses normally use off-road vehicles, which destroy the upper vegetation cover, thus provoking the permafrost's thawing," the press service continued.

Scientific studies

The scientists picked experimental sites to conduct geo-botanical and soil descriptions, trampled on the ground vegetation cover. Later on, the researchers calculated threshold values for different types of recreation - sightseeing tours, planned tourism and mass recreation. "They have found, for example, the one-time permissible load on the spruce, shrub-moss tundra does not exceed 1.3 people per hectare during an average season, and on the sedge-moss-lichen tundra - 0.3 people per 1 hectare. These indicators mean that under such loads these natural complexes can maintain the stability and may function without irreversible changes," the press service added.

Additionally, specialists continue visual monitoring of the conditions at popular tourist attractions to identify one of five stages in recreational regression. They watch paths, find campfires, littered areas, erosion processes (for example, soil collapses on river banks), and analyze how much the vegetation cover has been "trampled."

Following the studies, the scientists have issued recommendations aimed at restoring the identified disturbed areas, at improving tourist recreation areas, as well as at recreational monitoring. These recommendations are also used see whether certain locations could become tourist attractions. Moreover, the scientists have described stages to design tourist and recreational sites and have explained how to mark tourist routes.

Rostislav Loktev, a researcher at the Scientific Center for Arctic Studies, has tested the recommendations in a project, dubbed "Ecological and tourist sites in the Polar Urals (the Zayachiy Island and the Belukha Island)". The project describes how to make comfortable and affordable conditions for the recreation for local residents and guests at popular sites in the Sob River valley. In 2022, this project was implemented partially. The deckings on the Beluha Island was made to place tents on them. A special zone was prepared for fire and cooking and eating, and an installed information stand indicated the distance to the tourist parking lot.

The study results may be used both across the region and beyond it. "The guests are interested to see the entire peninsula, its industrial and natural objects - like, for example, the Arctic Gates terminal, The Novoportovsky permafrost, and a walrus rookery on the Kara Sea shore. However, from the tourism development point of view, that territory is poorly studied. In the future, the Scientific Center for Arctic Studies plans to assess the peninsula's tourist and recreational potential," the press service said.

Tourism for future

During the study, the scientists have identified objects of potential interest for the development of regional tourism. They are mountain and foothill landscapes, flora and fauna of the Polar Urals - the Yangana-Pe mountain range (the world's northernmost reef of the Devonian Sea, with karst caves), the IGAN glacier on the Izya-Khoi ridge on the eastern slope of Mount Harnaurdykeu, Lake Bolshoe Shchuchye (the largest lake of the Polar Urals, which is the second in the Urals in terms of fresh water reserves and 14th among Russia's deepest lakes), etc. The list also features the world's largest musk ox nursery with a total of 110 animals in the Ingilor Nature Park.

While working on the list of tourist attractions, the scientists made a tourist map of the Polar Urals' eastern part, which shows most natural, ethno-cultural and historical-cultural attractions, tourist infrastructures, and main tourist routes. Regional tourist businesses, local residents and guests have appreciated the map.

"All these resources will help us to develop not only active recreation - rafting, mountain tourism and others, but also special directions, like, for example, environmental and popular scientific tourism," the press service added.