Transcript Tundra_000 - JBHA-Sci-US-tri1

The Tundra Biome
By Josh Mellits
& Eric Schorr
What is a tundra?
 Vast,
nearly level, treeless plains of
the arctic regions of Europe, Asia,
and North America
 Coldest of all biomes
 A.K.A - Polar grasslands
Where is it found?
The tundra ecosystems can be generally found along the
upper portions of the northern hemisphere
How’s the weather?
As one can see, the general
temperature of the tundra climate
during the year is well below 00C.
During the summer, temperatures
rise up to 5-60C
What’s Growing?
Tufted Saxifrage
Common Name: Saxifrage
Genus: Saxifraga
Species: caespitosa
-Saxifraga comes from the Latin word "rock breaker".
Pasque Flower
Common Name: Pasque Flower
Genus: Anemone
Species: patens
Caribou Moss
Common Name: Caribou Moss, Reindeer Lichen
Genus: Cladonia
Species: rangiferina
What’s Growing?
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Arctic Willow
Common Name(s): Rock Willow
Genus: Salix
Species: arctica
Bearberry
Common name: Bearberry, Foxberry, and Kinnikinic
Genus: Arctostaphylos
Species: uva-ursi
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Leaves of the berry are somtimes added in tobacco or substituted in its
place. Tea from the leaves can treat kidney or bladder issues
What lives here?
 Predators
of the tundra – the
carnivores and secondary consumers
 Prey of the tundra – the herbivores
and omnivores; the primary
consumers
Predators of the Tundra
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Snowy Owl – small; hunt in daytime and nighttime.
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Adaptation to 24 hour daylight of tundra in summer
Change color - brown in summer, white in winter
Prey on lemmings – around 12/day
They nest on ground on highest and driest portions of biome
Arctic Fox -
– Size of a cat
– the warmest fur of any mammal
– Colors change through seasons  brownish in summer and
white in winter.
– Hunt lemmings
– Tough animals; will travel long distances for food
– Arctic foxes  very well adapted to the cold - have fur on the
bottom of feet
Prey of the Tundra
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Musk Oxen –
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Insects –
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Small herds - 10 or 12
Eat small plants and lichens
Very hardy; covered with thick, soft, very warm fur
Common prey of non-tundra wolves
Horns for protection.
When attacked - form a circle with adults facing out and young calves in center.
Arctic fly: only seen on days above freezing and with no wind
Dark in color and hairy to stay warm
Some contain antifreeze agents in bodies to prevent freezing of cells and body fluids
Lemmings –
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small rodents
eat plants
look like hamsters
brownish or dark gray in summer
in winter lemming fur turns white
Burrowers and tunnel makers
Breed rapidly
Food Web
Caribou
Arctic lichens
Saxifrage
Arctic
willow
Soil
• Permafrost - frozen portion of ground (can be up
to 2000ft thick)
• Plants and microorganisms grow within
• Incapable of absorbing surface water
• Earth soil forms slowly – gravel, rocks and dirt
• Build-up of surface water leads to bogs and
ponds – moisture for plantlife
• Landscape formed through freezing process of
soil
Symbiotic Relationship
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Symbiotic Relationship –
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Lichens dominate tundra – primary producer
Covered in ice  3 years but still live
Symbiotic between alga and fungus
Mutualistic relationship  Alga gives food;
fungus gives water
– Alga avoids dehydration and fungus avoids
starvation
– Dual-relationship between alga and fungus
allows lichen to survive in an area where life
naturally struggles
Abiotic Factors
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Abiotic –
– Cold and dry winds
– Land formations:
 Pingos
– hills formed by trapped ponds of water from
permafrost
 Frost boils - widening circles of stones caused by
thawing and freezing of water
 Bumpy ground - variations in ground thawing and
freezing
 Polygons - geometric land forms filled by water
 Stripes – division of rocks by thawing and freezing
– Earthquakes
– Volcanoes
– Gravity
The “human” Factor
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Damage to the Tundra –
– Mines and oil industry cause damage to the land and
soil; loss of fossil fuels and draining of resources
– Development of human civilization interrupts animal
migration and food patterns
– Damage to permafrost by vehicles and rigs
– Pollution affects delicate ecosystem
– Pesticides affect migration of insects which leads to
changes in eating habits of birds in the tundra
– Extreme hunting efforts by humans of musk oxen and
caribou have led to possible extinction of both animals
What can we do?
 Alaska
Wildlife Conservation Center
– Wildlife foundations and reserves
– Federal parks and preservations
 Drilling
for Oil is causing major
damage to wildlife and environment
– Lobbying for better ways of getting
fossil fuel oil
– Beyond petroleum solutions – new
energy sources
Works Cited
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http://www.cedcc.psu.edu/khanjan/best_alaska_pix/best_of_alaska.htm
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tundra
http://www.openlands.org/midewin/sampleclimat.pdf
http://ths.sps.lane.edu/biomes/tundra5/tundra5.html
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/tundra.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/main.php?section=biomes&topic=t
undra&subtopic=soilland
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/tundra_plant_page.htm
http://www.biosbcc.net/ocean/marinesci/04benthon/arclife.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/ult/sciproj5/abfeatures.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/main.php?section=biomes&topic=t
undra&subtopic=soilland
http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/nceas-web/kids/biomes/tundra.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/main.php?section=impact&topic=t
undra&subtopic=environmental&subsubtopic=air_pollution
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/main.php?section=impact&topic=t
undra&subtopic=environmental&subsubtopic=hunted