Ecosystems-Tundra Flashcards
Why is climate change bad for species in the tundra.
-The relatively few species of plants and animals that live in the harsh conditions of the tundra are essentially clinging to life.
-They are highly vulnerable to environmental stresses like reduced snow cover and warmer temperatures brought on by global warming.
Explain an animal that is suffering the consequences of climate change in the tundra
-The red fox, are moving north onto the tundra. This means the red fox is now competing with the Arctic fox for food and territory
-the temperature in the Arctic has risen between past 50 years, making the region more hospitable to the red fox
Tell me about permafrost
-Is a layer of frozen soil and dead plants that extends 450 metres below the surface.
-In much of the Arctic, it is frozen year-round.
-In the southern regions of the Arctic, the surface layer above the permafrost melts during the summer, and this forms bogs and shallow lakes that invite an explosion of animal life.
-Insects swarm around the bogs, and millions of migrating birds come to feed on them
Why is permafrost melting bad?
-With global warming, the fall freeze comes later—in some places recently, not at all—and more of the permafrost is melting in the southern Arctic.
- Shrubs and spruce that previously couldn’t take root on the permafrost now dot the landscape, altering the habitat of the native animals.
Why is permafrost contributing to global warming?
-The frozen ground contains about one and a half times the amount of carbon already in the atmosphere today, as well as large amounts of methane.
-Until recently, the tundra acted as a carbon sink and captured huge amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as part of photosynthesis.
- That process helped keep the amount of this greenhouse gas from accumulating in the atmosphere.
Why is the tundra remotes an issue?
•The Arctic is prone to severe and changing weather conditions that complicate travel and endanger seafarers.
-The high latitude also disrupts maritime navigational and communication systems.
-Should an oil spill, a crash or a machinery malfunction occur, the region’s remoteness makes an efficient emergency response nearly impossible.
Why is arctic tourism a threat?
- Diminishing sea ice and more temperate weather have made travelling through the Arctic Circle a vacation rather than an exploration. -Sea ice breaks apart as the Finnish icebreaker MSV Nordica traverses the Northwest Passage through the Victoria Strait in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
•Nordic countries and Greenland have led the Arctic tourism charge.
Tell me about the increase in tourism
•In 1990, only 7,952 cruise passengers passed through Iceland. By 2016, a quarter of a million were visiting the country yearly. The Russian Arctic also saw a 20 percent rise in visitors last year.
Tell me about reaserch and tourism
•The vast majority of Arctic voyages have involved minimalist research
Why has there been a rise in tourism?
• thinning sea ice has opened up Arctic waters to tourists- hints that there is a time limit on such travel.
•The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has already warned the region is heating at twice the rate as the rest of the globe.
- As a result, last time tourism has emerged-which describes the desire for tourists to witness the landscapes and species before they are gone for good.
• Tourists may further endanger the Arctic’s environment, but their experience may also result in them taking action to protect it after returning home.
What does the polar code do?
•The International Maritime Organization introduced a Polar Code in 2016 aimed at ensuring that tour operators were prepared for the remoteness and extreme weather of the Arctic. It also prohibits vessels from discarding food waste and sewage.
How does the polar code help limit the damages of arctic tourism?
- the increased presence of ships in remote polar regions will inevitably take a toll on environments that have witnessed only low levels of shipping activity in the past.
-By prescribing ship designs to prevent accidents and putting limits on the discharge of oil, chemicals, sewage, and garbage, the Code seeks to do its part in minimizing the ecological footprint of polar shipping.
How can the polar code improve?
Perhaps the most glaring omission comes with regard to heavy fuel oil (HFO), a highly toxic and viscous fuel used primarily by large ships such as bulk carriers, cargo vessels, and cruise ships. In case of an oil spill, the leakage of HFO can have catastrophic consequences for marine life in the Arctic. Compared to other fuels, HFO is more toxic and takes a longer time to break down in cold water, thus complicating clean-up operations that already pose a logistical challenge in a remote and inhospitable region
Tell me about Sea ice reflectivity
> Sea ice reflectivity helps regulate the amount of sunlight that enters the Arctic region—and in turn, the area’s temperatures.
-As more sea ice disappears, the underlying ocean surface is exposed. This much darker ocean surface absorbs sunlight instead of reflecting it, allowing much more heat to enter the Arctic system.
- It is a vicious circle: less sea ice means more open ocean, more heat absorption and more climate change, not just within the region but globally
Why is shipping in the arctic on the rise?
> Shipping in the Arctic is on the rise as sea ice recedes and the pressure to access Arctic resources intensifies.
- More vessels mean increased risks to Arctic ecosystems and wildlife, from heavy fuel oil spills to air and underwater noise pollution and the break-up of the remaining ice. -Consequences include food shortages and risks to people’s livelihoods, cultures and health.
