Difference between revisions of "Ross Ice Shelf Conservation Area"

Ross Ice Shelf Conservation Zone's roughly 7,090,000 acres (31,359 square kilometers) is protected under category Ia (strict nature reserve) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. These protections mean that Westarctica does all it can to limit activity within its boundaries to scientific and conservation-related use. These efforts are primarily aimed at minimizing the human impact of the glacial melt of the ice shelf. Glacial formations are only a semi-permanent aspect of a landscape. While easily considered permanent within the scope of a human lifespan, they are fleeting on a geologic scale. Despite this, limiting the effects of climate change on these formations is crucial to the concern of rising sea levels and biosphere preservation. Although not the primary concern, efforts are also made to protect biodiversity found within its boundaries. It is the nation's largest protected area, slightly larger than the nation of Belgium.