The 25 Largest Un-Fragmented Wilderness Areas in the Arctic

This report identifies and describes the twenty five largest unfragmented wilderness areas within the Arctic region, defined according to ecological boundaries, and evaluates their size, ecological characteristics, conservation status and exposure to human pressure. It compiles spatial analysis of distance from settlements and major infrastructure to determine core unfragmented areas, and focuses on globally threatened, endemic and wide ranging species dependent on large undisturbed territories. The assessment compares the relative scale of these areas globally and documents their biome composition, flora and fauna, and protected coverage. It finds that several areas rank among the largest worldwide but face increasing fragmentation from oil and gas development, mining, transport infrastructure and limited formal protection.