the artic

Question 1

location

Answer 1

~polar region at the northernmost part of the earth

Question 2

basic info

Answer 2

~net primary product - 140g/m2/year - the second lowest of land biomes
~percentage of inuit children suffer from malnutrition - 30%

Question 3

Why is the Alaskan food system delicate

Answer 3

The extreme conditions support low species diversity, and delicate food webs, making it have a very fragile equilibrium, vulnerable to change. As sea ice, snow fall and permafrost diminish due to climate change, indigenous populations food harvesting techniques come under threat, damaging their food security.

Question 4

Impact of slushy ice on indigenous people

Answer 4

Slushy ice does not give the firm base needed to hunt and retrieve seals and whales, and also makes travel routes longer, more dangerous and more unpredictable

Question 5

Food production method, Barrow, Alaska

Answer 5

Inupiat people rely somewhat on whale hunting , despite the fact they can now visit food shops. They hunt bowhead whales, which pass the coast twice a year. Whale meat is a stable of their diet with most people eating it twice a week on average. Whale oil also contributes to other food sources in their diet. Permafrost is to keep the whale meat cool.

Question 6

Food production method Qaanaaq, northern Greenland

Answer 6

Inuit people traditionslly hunt marine mammals such as Narwhals, providing a rich vitamin C source. In the summer months hunters camp on the edge of sea ice, and travel in kayaks among fragmenting blocks of ice, using hand made harpoons. The skin of the narwhal is abundant in vitamin C

Question 7

What is the food production method in Wakeha Bay, Quebec, Northern Canada

Answer 7

Low coastal tide allows for mussel farming, the tide changes twice a day in spring, so when it goes out, sea levels are low, and ice touches the sea bed. Caves are created when blocks of ice lean together, here mussels are farmed, providing a rich source of vitamins and minerals to the indigenous population.

Question 8

the physical conditions of the evnionrment

Answer 8

a thick subsurface layer of soil that remains below freezing point throughout the year, occurring chiefly in polar regions.Is an extremely fragile ecosystem in a delicate balance. The indigenous people of the artic have adapted to mainly traditional livelihoods which make full use of the environment in which they live.

Difficult conditions - cold and windy weather make it hard to get food as well as survive

Question 9

how is climate change impacting sea ice

Answer 9

• Melting glaciers and ice sheets due to warming are causing sea level rise
• A loss of older ice suggests that the Arctic ice cover is becoming thinner.
• Summer Arctic sea ice extent is shrinking by 12.2% per decade due to warmer temperatures. Arctic sea ice reaches its minimum extent (the area in which satellite sensors show individual pixels to be at least 15% covered in ice) each September.