Transcript CO 2 - NSTA Learning Center - National Science Teachers

LIVE INTERACTIVE LEARNING @ YOUR DESKTOP
IPY/NSTA Web Seminar:
Arctic and Antarctic Living Systems
Thursday, January 24, 2007
Where have you been in
the Arctic or Antarctic?
• Add Arctic/Antarctic to see where people
have been….
Today…..
1. Biota living in the polar regions are special. Why is
this and why as scientists should we be interested in
studying polar biology?
2. Why are arctic terrestrial ecosystems important to
global climate change.
3. Some reasons why Antarctic living systems are a
unique natural laboratory to study fundamental
biological patterns and processes.
4. Tips on how you can be more involved in polar
biology.
Polar Biota live in Extreme
Environments
•
Physical and biological conditions are close to
the physiological capacity tolerated by most life
forms…. e.g.
•
0 degrees Celsius (freezing point of water), which
can invoke drought responses.
•
Low and high light levels.
•
Severe physical disturbance ~ snow, sea ice,
glaciers limiting light and food availability and or
gauging and dislodging biota from substrate.
•
…The combination of the above in a highly
dynamic system.
Polar Biota are Adapted
to Extreme Environments
•
Many biota exhibit amazing adaptations to polar
environments…. e.g.
• Long periods of fasting ~ Emperor penguins.
• Migration ~ various birds and marine mammals
• Physiology ~ Antifreeze in plants and fish.
• Feeding adaptations ~ teeth of leopard seals.
• Reproductive behaviour:
• Plants reproduce asexually or self fertilize.
• Male southern elephant seals fight (sometimes
to death) for the right to mate.
• Early behavioural development in the southern
elephant seal.
How much do you think we weigh?
A)100kg and 10kg
B) 250kg and 25kg
C) 500kg and 45kg
D) 650kg and 80kg
Birth
~ 500 kg
~ 45 kg
Weaning (~23 days later)
Mother’s milk:
45% fat & 10% protein
(vs. cow 4% & 2%)
~ 300 kg
~ 120 kg
Southern elephant seal
Largest living seal species
Adult males:
6 meters; > 3000 kg; harems of
up to 500 females
Sexual dimorphism:
Breeding males > 10 times heavier than females
Polar Biota live in Extreme Environments
•
Why are scientists interested in polar biota?
•
Small changes in environmental conditions
cause non-linear responses in biota.
•
Polar biotic systems are generally simpler than
those at lower latitudes.
•
The organisms that inhabit the polar regions are
fascinating.
•
The polar regions are changing dramatically.
Let’s pause for
two questions
from the
audience
The Polar Regions are warming
faster than anywhere else on Earth
Foundations of the Arctic Observing Network
Temperature Trends
•Where did you grow up?
•Where do you live now?
How are arctic terrestrial ecosystems
being impacted by climate change?
•
Climate is warming and drying.
• Evapotranspiration is increasing.
• The hydrological cycle has been altered.
• Lakes and ponds are drying up.
•
The snow free period is lengthening.
•
Species and ecosystems are changing….. e.g.
• Shrubs more common, treeline moving north.
• Migration for some species earlier/later.
•
…and there are many more examples.
Why are arctic terrestrial ecosystems
important to global climate change?
1. Human wellbeing and subsistence.
2. The albedo (reflective properties) of arctic terrestrial
ecosystems is changing, altering the amount of
sunlight reflected back to space.
3. There is a large carbon reservoir ‘locked’ in the
permafrost of arctic soils, which if mobilized to the
atmosphere as a greenhouse gas could enhance
greenhouse warming.
….. Most change documented to date appears to
positively enhance greenhouse warming in the
arctic.
Global relevance of tundra land area, plant
carbon, Net Primary Production, and soil carbon
% Area
Land Area
=9%
% Plant Carbon
Tundra
Plant Carbon
=1%
Deserts
Grasslands
Boreal Forest
Net Primary
Production
=2%
% Soil Carbon
% Net Primary Production
Soil Carbon
= 28 %
Temperate Forest
Tropical Forest
Lakes and Wetlands
Croplands
Ice
(Adapted from WB GU, 1998)
C
CO2
Photosynthesis
C
CO2
Photosynthesis
Soil
Aerobic
Microbial
Anerobic
Respiration
CO2
CH4
C
CO2
CO2 CH4 = 23 x CO2
Photosynthesis
Soil
Aerobic
Microbial
Anerobic
Respiration
CO2
CH4
Atmospheric GHGs
C
CO2
CO2 CH4 = 23 x CO2
Photosynthesis
Soil
Aerobic
Microbial
Anerobic
Respiration
CO2
CH4
Atmospheric GHGs
C
CO2
CO2 CH4 = 23 x CO2
Albedo
Photosynthesis
Soil
Aerobic
Microbial
Anerobic
Respiration
CO2
CH4
Atmospheric GHGs
C
CO2
CO2 CH4 = 23 x CO2
Albedo
Photosynthesis
Soil
Aerobic
Microbial
Anerobic
Respiration
CO2
CH4
Atmospheric GHGs
C
CO2
CO2 CH4 = 23 x CO2
Photosynthesis
Soil
Aerobic CO2
MicrobialPERMAFROST
CH4
Anerobic
Respiration
Albedo
Arctic Carbon Rich Soils
Seasonal Active Layer
Carbon Store
•Current atmosphere:
750 Gigatonnes C
•Vulnerable arctic soils:
350-900 GT C
•Human C emissions:
5.4 GT C per year
•1% loss arctic soil C =
annual human C
emissions.
•Could equate to a
global warming
C.E. Tweedie
capacity of 4-8°C.
• Which examples of change could
positively enhance warming in the arctic?
1.
• Which factors could negatively enhance
warming in the arctic?
2.
Observed Snow Cover Change Barrow, Alaska
Observed Snow Cover Change Barrow, Alaska
What is the effect on Albedo
(surface reflectivity)?
A) Decrease
B) Increase
C) Not Sure
Shrub expansion
Alaska 1949 – 2001
(Sturm et al. 2001)
How is this likely to change
CO2 uptake? …
A) Increase
B) Decrease
C) Not Sure
Shrub expansion
Alaska 1949 – 2001
(Sturm et al. 2001)
Let’s pause for
two questions
from the
audience
How are Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems
being impacted by climate change?
•
The climate of the Antarctic Peninsula and the
subantarctic islands are also warming.
• Most Antarctic penguin species are increasingly
breeding further south than they used to.
• The extent of the Antarctic Hair Grass is also
expanding.
• Populations of marine mammals such as many
whale species, fur seals and southern elephant
seals are still recovering from over hunting for
the fur and oil trade.
Human pressures on Antarctica are
also changing…..
Antarctic tourism is booming…. How many tourists
are forecast to visit Antarctica during the current
austral summer?
0 – 4,999
5,000 – 9,999
10,000 – 19,999
Use your clip art to respond
20,000 – 30,000
Changes in climate and human pressures
are likely to continue to effect Antarctic
biota:
•
•
•
•
Introduction and colonization by new species is
likely.
The long term effects of climate change and UV is
being closely studied by many countries.
The above represents a unique opportunity for
biologists to advance theory as well as fundamental
understanding.
Many novel discoveries related to the unique
adaptations of Antarctic biota are likely.
Photo: Mike Fedak
Research
Ideas on how you can extend your
interest in Polar Biology:
•
Stay familiar with discoveries related to the
International Polar Year.
• www.ipy.gov (US)
• www.ipy.org (International)
•
See if there will be a science conference near you at
http://calendar.arcus.org/
•
Check out www.polartrec.com and www.ipyroam.org,
two programs that take teachers to the poles and are
developing teaching materials.
•
Add your ideas to the chat.
•
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
17 Undergraduate and 7 Graduate Students
plus 5 Teachers.
Selected from a nation-wide search
UT Telecampus online course on Antarctic System Science, Fall
2007.
Field trip to Washington DC
Three-week ‘Expedition’ to Antarctica
Evaluation of the educational impact of field-based hands on
research experience.
Outreach….
Extension to the Ecological Society of
America annual meeting 2008, SACNAS
meeting 2008.
• www.ipyroam.org
Check out and register for upcoming events!
www.polartrec.com
Ideas on how you can extend your
interest in Polar Biology:
•
•
•
Contact a researcher near you to come in to your
classroom and/or interact with your students from
their field site.
Search the directory of arctic researchers
http://www.arcus.org/researcher/index.html
Search one of the ARMAP applications that map
where researchers are working in the arctic, what
they are researching and how to get in touch with
them ~ www.armap.org
Information portals for
web-based mapping and
a lot more!!!
•www.armap.org
•www.baidims.org
•www.ceonims.org
Was that you?
….the water
got warm all
of a sudden….
Thanks for Watching
Thanks
to our presenter, Dr.
Craig Tweedie, and
to NSF, NASA, &
NOAA
http://www.elluminate.com
http://learningcenter.nsta.org
National Science Teachers Association
Gerry Wheeler, Executive Director
Frank Owens, Associate Executive Director
Conferences and Programs
Al Byers, Assistant Executive Director e-Learning
NSTA Web Seminars
Flavio Mendez, Director
Danielle Troiano, Project Coordinator
Jeff Layman, Technical Coordinator
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