arctic tundra
DESCRIPTION
Arctic Tundra. Rolling Treeless Plain Polar Grassland Cold Desert Wet/ Dry Tundra By: Claire, Joe, Kathleen. Location of Arctic Tundra. From Greenland to parts of Alaska, Canada and northern Russia. Latitudinal range: 75 degrees north to 60 degrees north - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Arctic Tundra Rolling Treeless Plain
Polar GrasslandCold Desert
Wet/ Dry Tundra
By: Claire, Joe, Kathleen
Location of Arctic Tundra• From Greenland to parts of Alaska, Canada
and northern Russia. • Latitudinal range: 75 degrees north to 60
degrees north• Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.• Tundra means “north of the timber line.”
Climate• Average Temperature: -34° C
– average summer temperature is 3-12° C (37-54° F) – Average winter temperature ranging from -30oC to -40oC . Extreme
cold climate. • Factors influencing temp: permafrost (a layer of permanently frozen
subsoil in the ground.)• Precipitation: less than 250 ml (about 10 inches per year)
– eastern & western reaches of North America and Eurasia have doubled this amount due to the influence of the ocean.
Plant Adaptation• Adaptations:
– Short, clumped together and ground hugging to protect themselves from cold temperatures and strong winds.
– Fuzzy coverings on stems, leaves and buds also provide protection from wind and hold in heat. Dark red leaves take in heat from sun better than green leaves do.
– Flowers are cupped shaped and dark colored so they can absorb more heat. Small leaves retain moisture.
– Plants are mostly shallow rooted and they often possess xerophytic adaptations
Cotton Grass:
Sedge: Dwarf Heath:
Arctic Fox• Adaptations: – Fur on paws to keep warm– Thick, dense coat of fur around body: brown in summer
and white in winter for camouflage– Short, round ears minimize heat loss through extremities– Small body– Large and bushy tail to curl around body to keep warm– Solitary – Eats both plants and animals to ensure food availability
Snowy Owl
• Adaptations:– White feathers to camouflage – Large, but hidden ears– Can move head 270 degrees in both directions– Silent: easier to catch prey
Ermine• Adaptations: – Make dens in old roots of trees or in the crevice of
rocks– In spring and summer, coat is chocolate brown; in
winter, coat is completely white (camouflage)– Flexible spine so they can stand up on their hind
legs: allows them to see farther distances– Sharp teeth allows them to catch animals larger
than themselves– Sharp claws enable them to dig– Front feet are smaller than the back, helping them
to fit into small, tight places and avoid predators
Soil & Chemical Cycling• High content of organic matter at the surface• Drains water poorly because of permafrost• Acidic 30-60 cm deep• Low in nutrients and minerals: only nutrients
come from animal waste.• Overall poor soil quality due to dry conditions• Soil type: Permafrost• Water quality: minor oil spills reduce water
quality.
Economic value
• Oil!• Houses majority of heavily furred animals –
fur used to make coats and other products. • The tundra is one of Earth's three major
carbon dioxide sinks. – takes in more carbon dioxide than it releases. – the tundra traps the carbon dioxide and removes
it from the atmosphere
Human Disturbance
• Humans alter the arctic tundra through resources exploitation, fire management, and altering grazing regimes because of the constantly changing patterns of reindeer husbandry.
• Humans pollute tundra with chemicals, gases, and oils
Polar Bears• Scientific name: ursus maritinus• Located in arctic circle; arctic tundra (Russia, Canada,
Northern Europe, Greenland)• Marine mammal: spends many months at sea• Hunts for seals: seals make up majority of diet.• During summer, they migrate further north where the ice
remains frozen year round.• Niche: eats walruses, fish, and seals. Takes care of babies for
2 years. • Survival: Need frozen ice caps/glaciers, low temperature sea
water (prey source), permanent ice, fresh water source. – Are able to swim up to 100 miles out from land or ice to catch prey.
Cause of endangerment• Excessive hunting for priceless hide, tendons,
meat, fat, and flesh. • Global warming: ice is melting
Level of Endangerment• Vulnerable to extinction (lowest, most
dangerous level of extinction)• Polar Bears Left: between 20,000 and 25,000.– Polar Bears could become extinct by 2050.
Conclusion– Prognosis: Oil drilling and climate change directly
affect the numbers of Polar Bears left. In addition, so do pollution, hunting and self-defense killing, tourism.
Endangered Animal Laws• Polar Bears listed as Threatened under Endangered
Species Act: designates critical habitats for species– In U.S there are laws against hunting and other activities
related to polar bears. – Canada has no government plan to protect their rapidly
decreasing Polar Bear population.– Environmental group is suing the federal government to
stop approving pesticides that end up in food eaten by Polar Bears.
Laws cont.• Polar Bears are protected by the Marine Mammal
Protection Act of 1972- amendment 1994 – Main provisions: Protect marine mammals– Enforced by park rangers, marine police, residents in arctic
areas where Polar Bears live– Proposed Changes: Polar Bear Protection act amends the
Marine Mammal Protection Act by removing part allowing Americans to import polar bear trophies from Canada • proposal of protocol that will prohibit import of polar bear
entirely. Laws apply to endangered species because without
protection Polar Bears will become extinct. Also, the arctic tundra is a very delicate and fragile
biome: its recovery rate from human destruction is very very slow, so it needs regulations and limitations.