Introduction

Tundra’s are among Earth's coldest, harshest biomes. Tundra ecosystems are treeless regions found in the Arctic and on the tops of mountains, where the climate is cold and windy and rainfall is scant. Tundra lands are snow-covered for much of the year, until summer brings a burst of wildflowers. Tundra habitat occurs in regions of the world that are both very cold and very dry. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Arctic lies between the North Pole and the boreal forest. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Antarctic tundra occurs on the Antarctic Peninsula and on the remote islands that lie off the coast of Antarctica.



Photo Taken By Leila Zehtabchian

Importance of Biodiversity in the Tundra

Biodiversity is the variety of life within an ecosystem. We need a variety of habitats for all the different species because each species is adapted to a certain set of environmental conditions. All species depend on each other to survive, so if one becomes extinct another species that relies on it could go extinct as well. Individual traits can allow some species to adapt to environmental changes, but many species cannot adapt if their habitat and food chains are greatly altered.  The Tundra plays a large role in the temperature regulation of the planet. As warm air rises from the tropical zone it is cooled in the Tundra causing it to sink back down to the equator. This causes weather and air currents.  Without this system climate as we know it would change drastically around the world. Areas that once could support life may not anymore. It is also a winter home for many species of birds. If they were to disappear from the food chain it would cause devastating changes to other species dependent on the. the

Many species of plants and animals live in polar regions -- from minute algae and lichen on bare rocks and ice to spectacular polar bears and falcons. In addition, the Arctic regions provide food and shelter for many migrating bird species from other parts of the world for important parts of their life cycles. Some Arctic and sub-Arctic areas are rich in oil and minerals. Extracting these natural resources without proper concern for the ecology, conservationists fear, could pose more of a threat to current forms of Arctic life than the cold, snow, and ice.

Impact of Climate Change on Tundra

Climate Change has a big effect on the tundra habitat. Higher temperatures will lessen snow cover. That, in turn, will decrease the sunlight reflected back into the atmosphere and increase warming. About half the areas will see vegetation change, and areas currently populated by shrubs may find woody trees taking their place. Past research suggested that warming has already brought later winters and earlier springs to the Arctic. Human activity has seen a dramatic change in the arctic due to climate change.  This is, by far the worse impact human activity has had on the globe, but in particular, the Arctic is fragile.  Other human influences are the vast and untapped oil reserves in the Arctic have made it a target for oil companies.  Oil and gas pipelines are a huge human influence in the Arctic.  Garbage and other waste not to mention the impact of the oil and gas industry have left some parts of the Arctic polluted. For example, climate change is impacting the polar bears. Polar bears have evolved for a life on the sea ice which they rely on for reaching their seal prey. But the arctic sea ice is rapidly diminishing due to a warming earth, affecting the entire arctic ecosystem, from copepods to seals to walruses. Arctic ecosystems are particularly threatened by a group of chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). POPs are very stable pesticides, industrial chemicals, and byproducts that can be transported over long distances from sources in temperate regions to the Arctic, where they are more likely to deposit because of colder temperatures. POPs are particularly dangerous because they can accumulate to toxic levels in humans and animals. Some of these chemicals are known or are suspected to cause cancer, perturb development, and reduce fertility in Arctic wildlife. A new global treaty on POPs is expected to reduce their future impact.
For polar bears, sea ice losses mean:

• Reduced access to food

• 

  Photo Taken By Leila Zehtabchian

  Drop in body condition

• Lower cub survival rates

• Increase in drowning

• Increase in cannibalism

• Loss of access to denning areas

Scientists predict that as the Arctic continues to warm, two-thirds of the world's polar bears could disappear within this century.

Photo Taken By Leila Zehtabchian

 

Lesser Snow Goose

Photo Taken By Leila Zehtabchian

The Lesser Snow Goose spend the colder seasons in southern coastal marshes, bays, wet grasslands, and fields. Their diet is entirely vegetarian, consisting of grasses and grains, grazed from damp soils or even shallow water. At winter's end, snow geese fly north to their breeding grounds on the Arctic tundra.Generally coastal lagoons, marshes, tidal flats and estuaries; lately agricultural fields. In the display the geese were in an open grassy area with rocks. The area at the zoo  was generally flat but lacked a body of water. This was suitable for the gueese.

Photo Taken By Leila Zehtabchian

 

 

Snowy Owl

Photo Taken By Leila Zehtabchian

The snow owls in the breeding season they are typically found in areas of tundra across the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, they nest north of the tree line in the high Arctic from Alaska to Labrador. The Canadian summer breeding range includes the islands of the Arctic Archipelago, from Ellesmere Island in the north, to Baffin Island in the east, to Banks Island in the west, and along the northern coast of the continent from the Yukon Territory to Labrador. Some snowy owls over winter in the same areas where they nest, while others migrate south. Migratory snowy owls spend the winter in areas of North America similar to their summer habitat. These include prairies, marshes, open fields, or shorelines; all resembling the treeless tundra. In the display at the zoo the owl was in a relatively open treeless grassy area resembling the empty tundra. This environment was quit appropriate.
 

Photo Taken By Leila Zehtabchian

Arctic Wolves

Photo Taken By Leila Zehtabchian

The land in the Arctic is covered with snow and ice for most of the year except for brief periods during the summer months. Due to scarcity of grazing plants and resulting low density of prey species, wolves roam over large areas hunting for food. The display area was not that big with the fact that wolves “roam over large areas”. Improvements could be made by giving more space for the wolves.

Photo Taken By Leila Zehtabchian

Polar Bears Habitat



Photo Taken By Leila Zehtabchian

They prefer areas of annual ice, which they use as a hunting platform and protective cover. This includes snow-drifted pressure ridges, refrozen cracks and areas of open water surrounded by ice. In areas where the pack ice melts by mid to late summer they come inland and live in coniferous forest areas. Here they remain until the ice re-freezes. Areas of solidly frozen sea ice and the open seas are avoided. Generally they are most common along coastal areas. Some do enter the permanent ice pack. The display area for the polar bears at the zoo included a grassy area and huge rocks which could act as ice. There was a small pond of water. Improvements could be made by making the pond bigger for the huge polar bears.

Photo Taken By Leila Zehtabchian