Arctic Tundra Ecosystem

What kind of ecosystem is the arctic tundra?

The arctic tundra is a harsh, demanding ecosystem.

What is a challenge in the tundra?

Surviving 10 months of bitter winter and rushing through the short summer is a challenge, even for organisms adapted to the tundra.

What are some predators in the tundra?

Other predators include the snowy owl and wolf spiders.

What do snowy owls eat?

Snowy owls eat arctic fox, rabbits, lemmings, and some sea birds.

What do wolf spiders eat?

Wolf spiders eat arctic beetles and other insects.

What do the mosquitoes do?

In turn, tundra mosquitoes suck the blood of the spiders.

What does every plant and animal do?

Every plant and animal on the tundra plays its role.

Who eats black flies?

Even biting black flies are important: they are eaten by birds that nest on the tundra and some species of fish in tundra pools.

What may effect the arctic tundra?

Climate change may affect the arctic tundra.

What do summers feel like in the tundra?

Summers are a little warmer.

What affects caribou in the winter?

Caribou don't eat as much—and that affects them in the winter.

What causes permafrost to melt?

A small disturbance of the active layer causes permafrost to melt deeply.

What does the melting of the permafrost do?

That in turn causes the ground to collapse and the loss of both pools of water and soil.

Why do automobile tracks last for years?

Automobile tracks last for years cause deep gullies in the active layer.

What may tundra habitat lead to?

Tundra habitat destruction may lead to the extinction of one or more animal or plant species—and that loss may disrupt the entire fragile tundra community of life.

Where does Antarctica tundra occur?

Antarctic tundra occurs on Antarctica and on several island regions off the southern tip of South America, in the very southern part of the Indian Ocean.

What covers most Antarctic Peninsula?

The Marielandia Antarctic tundra covers a large part of the Antarctic Peninsula.

What is the climate of the Antarctic tundra similar to?

The climate of the antarctic tundra is very much like that of the arctic tundra.

What does the plant species consist of?

However, the plant species consists of around a wide variety lichens, mosses, liverworts, and terrestrial and aquatic algae species.

How many species of flowering plants are there?

There are only two species of flowering plants.

What is different about the animals in the Antarctic from the Arctic?

Unlike the arctic tundra, large mammals are completely absent here.

What are animals near the shore?

Some sea mammals and sea birds, including seals and penguins, near the shore.

Why are wolves important to caribou?

Wolves usually take the weakest members of a herd as prey. This leaves the strongest, healthiest, and fastest members to reproduce.

Why are scientists concerned about the melting of the permafrost?

Permafrost stores huge amounts of methane gas. Melting permafrost would release all that methane gas, which might greatly speed up global climate change.

Why might scientists want to monitor changes to areas of antarctic tundra?

Most areas of antarctic tundra are very remote. If they experience climate changes, it might be strong evidence that climate change is widespread.