Polar RegionPolar RegionPOLAR link

PPt. by, Robin D. Seamon

Arctic: Arctic: (N Pole)(N Pole)

Antarctica: Antarctica: (South Pole) COLDER (South Pole) COLDER than N. Pole; ground is always than N. Pole; ground is always frozen, covered in snow & icefrozen, covered in snow & ice

•At the poles (N. Pole is magnetic!)At the poles (N. Pole is magnetic!)

•Months of daylight in summer; Months of daylight in summer; months of night in the winter due to months of night in the winter due to the earth’s tilt the earth’s tilt

•Polar ice capsPolar ice caps high frozen, latitude high frozen, latitude regionregion

•Glaciers: Glaciers: rivers of frozen waterrivers of frozen water

•Icebergs:Icebergs: frozen chunks of fresh frozen chunks of fresh water in the ocean; much deeper water in the ocean; much deeper under the waterunder the water

•Permafrost: Permafrost: permanently frozen permanently frozen groundground

•Global warming is melting the ice!Global warming is melting the ice!

http://express.howstuffworks.com/gif/wq-iceberg-http://express.howstuffworks.com/gif/wq-iceberg-underwater.jpgunderwater.jpg

Where are the Where are the POLAR POLAR

REGIONS?REGIONS?

NO PLANTS IN NO PLANTS IN THE POLAR THE POLAR

REGIONSREGIONS

ANIMALS in the Polar Regions:ANIMALS in the Polar Regions:

•Polar bears, Polar bears, walrus, seal: walrus, seal: ArcticArctic

•Penguins, seal: Penguins, seal: AntarcticaAntarctica

Polar RegionPolar Region

TESTING THE SNOW video (Man vs. Wild)

Building an IGLOO (Man vs. Wild)

TUNDRATUNDRA

Tundra:Tundra: vast, treeless land in the vast, treeless land in the Arctic Region at North Pole; Arctic Region at North Pole;

•A COLD desert!A COLD desert!

•average temperature is -70average temperature is -70°F; °F; very windy very windy

•Ground is frozen 10 inches to 3 Ground is frozen 10 inches to 3 feetfeet

•Months of night time in the Months of night time in the Winter, months of daylight in the Winter, months of daylight in the summersummer

WHERE are TUNDRAS?WHERE are TUNDRAS?

N. American Tundra, N. American Tundra, Scandinavian Tundra, Scandinavian Tundra, Russian Tundra (Siberia)Russian Tundra (Siberia)

PLANTS in the TUNDRA: PLANTS in the TUNDRA: the growing season is only 50-60 the growing season is only 50-60 days long!days long!

•ShrubsShrubs

•SedgesSedges

•MossesMosses

•LichensLichens

•GrassesGrasses

ANIMALS in the TUNDRA:ANIMALS in the TUNDRA:

•Caribou, musk oxen, wolverines, Caribou, musk oxen, wolverines, polar bears, snowshoe rabbits, polar bears, snowshoe rabbits,

•Migratory birds: pipers, plovers, Migratory birds: pipers, plovers, harlequin ducksharlequin ducks

•FACT: tundra mosquitos replace FACT: tundra mosquitos replace water in bodies with glycerol so water in bodies with glycerol so as not to freeze!as not to freeze!

http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/006/cache/musk-ox_640_600x450.jpg000/006/cache/musk-ox_640_600x450.jpg

http://www.stapelknives.com/http://www.stapelknives.com/reveurl_story.htmlreveurl_story.html

http://www.hauserbears.com/http://www.hauserbears.com/uploads/news/id86/polar-bear-uploads/news/id86/polar-bear-family.jpgfamily.jpg

ENVIRONMENTAL NOTES:ENVIRONMENTAL NOTES: FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM!!!FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM!!!

•Biomass sinksBiomass sinks: takes in more carbon : takes in more carbon dioxide than it puts outdioxide than it puts out

•Plants freeze & can’t decompose, Plants freeze & can’t decompose, therefore millions of years old plant therefore millions of years old plant material is frozen in the material is frozen in the permafrost.permafrost.

•PROBLEM: PROBLEM: Global WarmingGlobal Warming is is melting the permafrost, releasing the melting the permafrost, releasing the carbon dioxide! … carbon dioxide! … greenhouse gasgreenhouse gas!!

•People are going there to mine & drill People are going there to mine & drill for oilfor oil

•Alaskan pipeline runs across a Alaskan pipeline runs across a caribou migration routecaribou migration route

•Roads/ towns built for miners & Roads/ towns built for miners & drillersdrillers

•Animals’ feeding patterns are Animals’ feeding patterns are disrupted; many polar bears (top of disrupted; many polar bears (top of food chain predator) starvefood chain predator) starve

•Pesticides are sprayed for insects but Pesticides are sprayed for insects but also harm the migratory birdsalso harm the migratory birds

•Pollution from the mines is harming Pollution from the mines is harming the air, land & water in the fragile the air, land & water in the fragile tundra environmenttundra environment

•Man… erosionMan… erosion

SURVIVAL in the Snow

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TAIGATAIGA: Russian word for “forest”: Russian word for “forest”

•needle-leaf forest in the North needle-leaf forest in the North ((boreal forestboreal forest))

• -65-65°° F (winter) to 70 F (winter) to 70°° F (summer) F (summer)

•Coldness & food shortagesColdness & food shortages

•Cold, snowy wintersCold, snowy winters

•Warm, humid summersWarm, humid summers

Where is the TAIGA?Where is the TAIGA?

N. America, Europe, AsiaN. America, Europe, Asia

ANIMALS in the Taiga:ANIMALS in the Taiga:

•Many hibernate during the winterMany hibernate during the winter

•Some migrate south in winterSome migrate south in winter

•Millions of insects in the summerMillions of insects in the summer

•Birds migrate there for insects in the Birds migrate there for insects in the summer summer

•Lynx, wolverine, bobcat, snowshoe Lynx, wolverine, bobcat, snowshoe rabbit, squirrel, red deer, moose, elkrabbit, squirrel, red deer, moose, elk

Surviving the Rapids: Man vs. Wild

PLANTS in the TAIGA:PLANTS in the TAIGA:

•Evergreen trees (conifers)Evergreen trees (conifers)

•Wildfires: thick tree barkWildfires: thick tree bark

POLAR

REGION

TUNDRA:

Vegetation: lichens, mosses, sedges, perennial forbs, and dwarfed shrubs, (often heaths, but also birches and willows).

Herbivores: musk oxen, pikas, arctic hares, caribou, lemming,

Primary carnivore: arctic fox, bear

Secondary carnivore: arctic wolves, snowy owls,

Polar RegionPolar Region

Polar RegionPolar Region