Polygon Tundra in the Lena Delta, Russia
Description
The Lena delta is one of the largest still pristine river deltas in the world. Its many naturally meandering arms form a magnificent tree-like shape. And ice wedges in the fine sediments of the treeless tundra form regular polygons with small ponds. The internationally important wetland is protected, the Ust-Lensky Zapovednik (nature reserve) is one of different types of protected areas of the delta. The whole of the Lena Delta area has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Sakha Republic (Yakutia) implemented an ambitious protected area plan in the 1990s, which WWF has honoured as "Gift to the Earth".