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.