Cold Enviroments

What temperature do cold environments experience for long periods of time?

At or below zero degrees Celsius

What temperature do polar environments often fall below.

-50 degrees Celcius

What are precipitation levels like in polar environments?

Low precipitation levels

What is soil like in polar environments?

Permanently covered in ice/frozen

What plants are found in polar environments?

Mosses and lichens

How are penguins adapted for the polar environment?

They lay their eggs and bring their young up on land before returning to the ocean.

How are penguins adapted for the polar environment?

They lay their eggs and bring their young up on land before returning to the ocean.

What are temperatures like in tundra environments?

In winter, temps drop to -20 degrees C and in summer, they rise to slightly warm levels.

What are precipitation levels like in tundra environments?

Precipitation levels can be high in coastal areas, mainly snow.

What plants are found in tundra environments? (name 4)

Bearberry, Arctic moss, tufted saxifrage (all low growing) — Low bushes and small trees in warmer regions

What is the soil like in tundra environments?

Soils are frozen (*permafrost*) but in summer the top layer will melt. Soils are also waterlogged because water is trapped by permafrost.

Are soils fertile in tundra environments?

They are generally infertile due to water draining through soils are removing nutrients.

What animals live in the tundra environment?

Arctic fox, Arctic hare

What birds and insects are found in the tundra environments?

Ptarmigans, midges and mosquitos are plentiful during the summer.

How have plants adapted to cold environments?

Short flowering and seed formation time, low-growing and cushion-like, hairy stems, thin and waxy leaves.

What is the purpose of a short flowering and seed formation time.

To ensure that reproduction can take place during the short summers.

What is the purpose of low growing and cushion like plants?

To protect and insulate them from strong dry winds

What is the purpose of hairy stems?

To keep plants warm

What is the purpose of thin waxy leaves?

To reduce water loss.

How is the bearberry plant adapted to cold environments?

5-15cm off the ground, thick bark on stems, small leathery leaves, hairy stems, bright red berries.

How is the bearberry plant adapted to cold environments?

What is the purpose of thick bark?

To maintain stability in windy conditions .

What is the purpose of bright red berries?

To ensure they are easily seen and eaten by birds and owls to help distribute the seeds.

What’s the purpose of small leathery leaves?

To help retain heat and keep the plant safe from low temperatures.

What type of environment is a tundra environment?

Fragile environment

What’s one way of damage in Alaska?

Off-road vehicles leave deep tyre tracks in the soil.

What are cold environments rich in?

They are rich in oil, gas and other precious minerals such as gold.

Why is extracting resources damaging to the environment.

Roads must be constructed, bases must be built, housing must be built for workers. Serious incidents such as oil spills can also occur.

Why must cold environments be protected? (Indigenous people)

Many indigenous people live in these cold environments such as the Inuit in Alaska and Greenland and these groups rely on on the wildlife to survive.

Why must cold environments be protected? (Home to wildlife)

Cold environments are home to many birds, animals and plants and they must be protected.

Why must cold environments be protected? (Research)

I polluted and unspooling regions are essential for laboratories for scientific research on climate change.

Why must cold environments be protected? (Beauty)

These cold environments are full of beauty and have many activities and are key source of tourism for these countries.

Why must cold environments be protected? (Food and vegetation)

Cold environments are useful for fishing and forestry.

How can cold environments be protected? (The use of technology)

Technology has been used to reduce impacts of important infrastructure such as the Trans-Alaskan pipeline. Moves such as insulating the pipe to avoid the permafrost melting and the pipe is raised to allow animals to pass.

How can cold environments be protected? (Action by governments)

Governments can take action to stop or reduce impacts such as the US government in Alaska. The National Environmental Act, ensures that companies involved with the extraction and transportation of oil protect the environment.

How can cold environments be protected? (International agreements)

The Antarctic Treaty of 1959 was signed by countries with territorial claims in Antarctica. It’s aim is to protect the environment and it has been successful in avoiding minerals being extracted from Antarctic.

How can cold environments be protected? (Conservation groups)

The WWF, is a conservation group that helps protect Arctic environments in Canada. The work with communities, support scientific research and works with oil companies.

What is a wilderness?

A wilderness is an area unaffected by human activity such as rainforests or deserts.