Tundra Group J

Tundra 

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Tundra basics:

Tundra means treeless plain. The tundra is the coldest of all biomes and is known for extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients and short growing seasons due to lack of nutrients and the layer of permafrost (frozen layer of soil) prevents plants from growing deep roots. Two major nutrients found in this biome are nitrogen and phosperus. 

 

Characteristic:

• Extremely cold climate
• Low biotic diversity
• Simple vegitation
• Short seasons of growth and reproduction
• Energy gathered from dead organic material
• Large population oscillations

 

The Tundra is seperated by two specified types Arctic Tundra and the Alpine Tundra.

 

The Arctic Tundra:

This Tundra is located in the northern hemispher and has a cold desert-like enviroment. The growing season ranges from only 50 to 60 days with winter temperature of -30 degrees F and an average summer temperature of 37-54 degrees F. Yearly precipitation, including melting snow, is 15 to 25 cm. Soil forms slowly and contains a frozen subsoil called permafrost, plants have no deep root systems, but are well adapted to the cold climate.

 

The Alpine Tundra:

This Tundra is located on ,ountains through out the world with elevations so high trees can not sustain life. The growing season is about 180 days and unlike the artic tundra the soil is well drained. Nighttime temps. of this tundra are usually below freezing.

 

Click here to view tundra's average monthly temp.

 

Click here to view tundra's average monthly precipitation

 

Enviromental Threats of the Tundra (enviromental profile):

The tundra's biggest threat is from oil and gas development and the resulting global warming. As the planet warms ( a result of burning fossil fuel), permafrost, a frozen layer of soil, begins to melt causing the Tundra's ecosystem to collapse. When the permafrost melts it contains dead plants within the soil (these plants were formed when the enviroment was much warmer and able to sustain plant life); as the permafrost melts the dead plants begin to decay and release CO₂ which accelerates global warming even more so greatly effecting and distroying the tundra's enviroment.  

 

Other Threats:

• The melting of permafrost as a result of global warming could radically change the landscape and what species are able to live there.
• Ozone depletion at the North and South Poles means stronger ultraviolet rays that will harm the tundra.
• Air pollution can cause smog clouds that contaminate lichen, a significant food source for many animals.
• Exploration of oil, gas and minerals and construction of pipelines and roads can cause physical disturbances and habitat fragmentation.
• Oil spills can kill wildlife and significantly damage tundra ecosystems.
• Buildings and roads put pressure on permafrost, causing it to melt.
• Invasive species push aside native vegitation and reduce diversity of plant cover.

 

Efforts to Reduce Enviromental Threats:

• Switch to alternative energy uses to minimize human-made global warming.
• Establish protected areas and park reserves to restrict human influence.
• Limit road construction, mining activities, and building of pipelines in tundra habitat.
• Limit tourism and respect local cultures.

 

Organizations With More Information on these Enviromental Threats:

•  Artctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)

  101 12^th Avenue, Room 236

  Fairbanks, AK 99701

  (800) 362-4546

  Web site: http://arctiv.fws.gov

• Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)

  257 Park Avenue South

  New York, NY 10010

  (800) 684-3322

  Web site: http://www.edf.org

• Environmental Literacy Council

  1625 Street NW, Suite 100

  Washington, DC 20006-3868

  (202) 296-0390

  Web site: http://www.enviroliteracy.org

    

 Symbiotic Relationships:

Mutualism:

• Lichens are an example of a mutualism symbiotic relationship. This is because the lichen combines with an alga and a fungus in order to be able to act as a single plant.

Commensalism:

• The Barren Ground Caribou and the Arctic foc have a commensalism relationship. The fox follows the caribou who removes the snow covering to get at lichens under the soil. The fox then hunts the subnivean mammals that have been unearthed by the caribou.

Parasitism:

• The arctic wolf and it's parasites share a symbiotic relationship because a parasite, such as plastic worm, may feed off the wolf and harm or infect the animal.

 

 

Food web: 

 

 

 

 

Citations:

Books:

• Roza, Greg. Tundra: Life in a Frozen Landscape. Rosen Publishing Group, 2009. Print.
•  Gray, Susan. Tundra. Illustrated. Compass Point Books, 2000. Print.

Web sites:

•  "Tundra Threats." nationalgerographics.com. 6 May 2007. National Geographics. 19 May 2009 <http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/tundra-threats.html>.
•  Lauren, Mitchel. "The Tundra Biome." 8 Oct. 2008. UMCP. 19 May 2009 <http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/tundra.php>.
•  Ilekea, S.. "Tundra Climate." 2000. 19 May 2009 http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/tundra_climate.htm.

 

Katharine Simpson

Period 3

 

Chelsea Downer

Period 4

Tundra Animals

Polar Bear or Ursus maritimus:

• General description: Polar bears are quite large because the larger the bear,the less heat lost. They have a thick layer of blubber to help keep them warm, as well. The fur of polar bears is creamy white but their actual skin is black. They are the largest carnivores on land.
• Classification: kingdom-animalia, phylum-chordata, class-mammalia, order-carnivora, family-urisdae, genus- ursus, species-ursus martimus
• Diet: Polar bears mostly eat seals and walruses
•   Adaptions for Polar Bears

• thick fur	To keep them warm from the arctic wind.	S
  creamy color	To help blend in with the snow and protect from predators.	S
  layer of blubber	Helps keep the polar bears warm.	S
  blumps on their feet	Helps to keep them from slidding on the ice	S
  walking hibernation	To give birth	B

 

Arctic Fox or Alopex lagopus:

• General description: The fur of the arctic fox changes in the summer and winter. In the summer it is usually dark brown to a bluish brown and in the winter it is creamy white. They have short legs and a short nose. They have thick fur and fur on their paws. Usually about 3 feet long and can weigh up to 15 pounds.
• Classification: kingdom-animalia, pyhlum-chordata, class-mammalia, order-carnivora, family-canidae, genus-alopex, species- Alopex lagopus
• Diet: Arctic foxes eat almost anything. Their diets ranges from smaller mammels to berries and insects.
• Adaptations:

• Fur on paws	To help with friction so they dont slide across the ice	S
  Short legs and nose	Keeps nose and legs warm from cold	S
  Light color in winter	Helps blend in to protect from predators	S
  Nomadic	Moves around to find food easier	B
  Male guards den	So the female can get food for kits	B

 

 

Warble Flies or Hypoderma bovis:

• General description: Large and bee-like. Their life span can be as little as five days. They do not eat during their life because it is so short. Warble flies can be brown, yellow or orange. Thye lay eggs in caribou and cattle.
• Classification: kingdon-animalia, phylum-arthropoda, class-insecta, order-diperta, family-oestridae, genus-hypoderma, species- Hypoderma bovis
• Diet: none
• Adaptations:

• Brown color	Helps to blend in while laying their eggs	S
  Parasitic	Keeps species going	B
  Small body	Can withstand cold temperatures for a long period of time	S
  Lays eggs on cattle and caricou	Eggs are ingested and hatch in the host's body	B
  Cause swelling of the host	To hatch	B

• The warble fly and a cow or caribou is an example of parasitism. This is an example because the warble flies are ingested by the cow or caribou, then they hatch and take over the host.
•  
• Sources:

  Ronald Nowak, S.Parker, R.R.Reeves. “Polar Bear.”Animal Bytes-Polar Bear. Web. 19 May 2009 http://seaworld.org/animalinfo/animalbytes

   

  Arctic Fox Alopex lagopus. “Nature Works.2009.19 May 2009. http://nhptv.org/natureworks/arcticfox.htm

   

  "Warble Fly." Wikipedia. 2 April 2009. 19 May 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoderma_bovis>.

 

Plants in the Tundra 

Classification

 

class-Magnoliosida

 

scientific name- salix arctica

 

common  name- Rock willow

 

Physical description

 

• shrub
• exceeds more than 60 cm in height
• small in size
• grows in clumps          
• leafy          
• thick and dense

 

 

Adaptions and reproduction

 

-forms pesticide to keep insects like the arctic wolly bear away.

 

-adapted to the permafrost by growing a shallow root system.

 

-leaves adapt to cold weather by growing long fuzzy hairs.

 

-this plant reproduces by seeds and vegetively by rooting at the hodes of stems.

 

Native Continent

 

 

This plant is mostly found in North America.

 

 

 

other facts:

 

It relys on animal to disperse seeds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Classification

 

class-plantea

 

scientific name-bearberry

 

common name- fox berry

 

description

 

bearberry plant's stem rises 2-8 feet high. It is oval shaped - 3/8 in. in diameter.It is also low growing, has thick bark, is leathery and has fine silky hairs.

 

Native continent

 

This plant is found in North America. The states its found in are, California, Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Montana, and New Mexico.

 

 

INFO:

 

animals feed on this blant.

 

 

 adaptions and reproduction