25-08-2017, 09:32 PM
The Tundra Bio me
Tundra_000.ppt (Size: 1.54 MB / Downloads: 31)
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
What’s Growing?(Continued)
Arctic WillowCommon Name(s): Rock WillowGenus: SalixSpecies: arctica
BearberryCommon name: Bearberry, Foxberry, and KinnikinicGenus: ArctostaphylosSpecies: uva-ursi
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
Snowy Owl – small; hunt in daytime and nighttime.
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
Musk Oxen –
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.
Insects –
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 -
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
Symbiotic Relationship
Symbiotic Relationship –
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
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
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