Arctic Tundra

1. Arctic Tundra Rolling Treeless Plain Polar Grassland Cold Desert Wet/ Dry Tundra By: Claire, Joe, Kathleen

2. 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.”

3. 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.

4. 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:

5. 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

6. Snowy Owl • Adaptations: • White feathers to camouflage • Large, but hidden ears • Can move head 270 degrees in both directions • Silent: easier to catch prey

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. Cause of endangerment • Excessive hunting for priceless hide, tendons, meat, fat, and flesh. • Global warming: ice is melting

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.