T4- Polar Enviroments

Question 1

What is the climate like in the Arctic?

Answer 1

Winter below -30 degrees C

Summer can reach -2 degrees C

Warmer than Antarctica as it receives warm air and the warm ocean currents.

Question 2

What is land like in the Arctic?

Answer 2

Greenland is an ice sheet on land.

Countries with Arctic territory like Canada have tundra (permanently frozen soil - until a few cm melt in summer to allow grass)

Question 3

What is the sea like in the arctic?

Answer 3

The north pole is sea ice.

Question 4

What are the flora in the Arctic?

Answer 4

Large conifer trees in the southernmost parts, but then turns to tundra where only shrubs and grass can grow.

Plants adapt to this by growing close to the ground to avoid the winds.

Grasses can lay dormant in the winter and wake up when the soil throws in the summer.

Question 5

What are the fauna in the Arctic?

Answer 5

Land mammals such as polar bears.

Sea mammals such as walruses and whales.

Question 6

What is the climate like in Antarctica?

Answer 6

Winter = below 30 degrees c
Summer = generally below 0 degrees c

Colder that the Arctic as it is higher in altitude (1 degree drop every 100 m higher) and it has its own winds which keep all the cold around the continent.

Question 7

What is the land in Antarctica like?

Answer 7

99% ice
1% bars rock

Divided into the east and west by the trans-Antarctic mountains.
Has active volcanoes such as Mount Erebus

Question 8

What is the sea like in Antarctica?

Answer 8

Around the coasts, I’ve shelves extend into the se (Ross ice shelf).

Antarctic peninsula extends out to as and is warmer, with more wildlife.

Question 9

What are the fauna in Antarctica?

Answer 9

Mammals such as whales and seals.

Seas in both are very productive with phytoplankton and lots of marine life.

Question 10

What is interdependence?

Answer 10

the dependence of two or more people or things on each other.

Question 11

How is the fauna/flora in Antarctica interdependent?

Answer 11

Phytoplankton is the base of the ecosystem as it can convert sunlight into energy.
Krill feed on this
Fish, squid, whales and penguins consume the krill
These are prey for larger mammals such as seals and killer whales.

Question 12

How does the increase and decrease of phytoplankton affect the ecosystem of Antarctica?

Answer 12

It will have obvious affects. Krill is harvested by humans and can reduce the amount available to the rest of the fauna.

Question 13

Whaling… (HOW AND WHY?) ((ANTARCTICA))

Answer 13

Was banned on 1986 after thousands of whales were being hunted annually.

Japan allows its ships to do “scientific” whaling although internationally this is wrong.

Japan hunts 300 minke whales a year.

Question 14

What are the impacts of whaling of the food web specifically? ((ANTARCTICA))

Answer 14

Whales eat lots of krill, so with less whales this means exaggerated changes and lots more Krill for other fauna.

Question 15

What are some of the impacts of whaling? ((ANTARCTICA))

Answer 15

Whale faeces is important for the growth of phytoplankton, the base of the food web.

Dead whales that sink and decompose are important for the ecosystem on the seafloor.

Question 16

Tourism… (HOW AND WHY?) ((ANTARCTICA))

Answer 16

Growing rapidly and up to 30, 000 per year visit.

Wealthy tourists seek a unique, extreme and remote holiday.

Question 17

What are the impacts of tourism? ((ANTARCTICA))

Answer 17

Pollution from cruise ships engines and waste.

Some tourists can get too close to penguins da d may affect breeding patterns

Question 18

Scientific research… (HOW AND WHY?) ((ANTARCTICA))

Answer 18

40 research stations, investigating climate change, marine biology, space etc

Question 19

What are the Impacts of scientific research? ((ANTARCTICA))

Answer 19

Invasive species have been brought into Antarctica, such as flies and spiders which affect ecosystems.

Communication and energy equipment may disrupt the magnetic field and cause health problems to humans and animals.