Megaherbivore Rewilding & Permafrost Feedback (2D)

This simulator models the "Pleistocene Park" rewilding hypothesis from directly overhead: a herd of reintroduced megaherbivores roams a tundra grid, trampling the snow wherever they walk. Compacted snow loses most of its insulating power, so the ground beneath a trampled patch is exposed to the full force of winter air temperature and cools faster than untouched, deep-snow ground nearby — while everywhere else, snow slowly re-accumulates and insulation recovers. Set the herd's target population and trampling intensity, dial in a climate-warming offset, drag to pan and scroll to zoom the map, and watch the live soil-temperature grid and frozen-fraction readout show whether grazing pressure can outpace a warming climate and keep the permafrost — and the carbon locked inside it — frozen.