75 11.3 Arctic Ecosystems
Featured above is a map of the Arctic Region created by State Department geographers of the U.S. Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. (Wikipedia)
Introduction to the Arctic
Farther north than any other ocean, average temperatures in the Arctic region range from -40˚C to 10˚C and can drop as low as -50˚C (-58˚F) in the coldest winters. The Arctic Ocean acts as the main body of water in the Arctic Circle. The fact that the Arctic ocean is largely covered in ice and relatively isolated from most of the other oceans makes this ocean incredibly unique.
Organisms in the Arctic must cope with Earth’s harshest conditions, in terms of light and temperature. The Arctic has no shortage of daunting icebergs and snowcaps, freezing blizzards and winds, and sheer darkness during cold winters. Nonetheless, this ocean is teeming with life and is home to one of the most inaccessible, beautiful environments on Earth.
Featured above is a polar bear, a hyper carnivorous bear referred to by the Inuit as nanuq. (Wikipedia)
One of the top predators in the Arctic is the well known polar bear, which roams the Arctic ice and swims the Arctic seas. These predators feed on a variety of different organisms, including fish, birds, seals, walruses, and even certain types of whales. Other animals would include the Bowhead Whale, Beluga whales, walruses, narwhals, harp seals, bearded seals, lion mane jellies, few species of fish, and krill. The main sources of primary productivity in the Arctic ocean are phytoplankton, algae, and diatoms.
Plant Life in the Arctic
When imagining the Arctic, most picture miles of icy and snow-covered land with little life around. However, this frozen environment is home to over a thousand plant species. Since the Arctic soil is mainly permafrost, the only plants that can grow here are small, short-rooted species. Permafrost is characterized as a thin, permanently frozen layer of soil containing decomposed matter. These conditions only allow plants that are low to the ground and adapted to the harsh, freezing conditions to grow and reproduce. It is a miracle that plant life has survived and thrived in the arctic, including species such as the Arctic willow and the Arctic poppy. The Arctic poppy is a fascinating plant because it has developed an adaptation in order to survive in the Arctic environment by having the head of its flower always turned towards the sun (Fries-Gaither 2009). Most of the other species of plants residing in the Arctic tundra are low-growing shrubs, grasses, and some flowering plants. With warming ocean temperatures and the extreme melting of polar ice caps occurring in the Arctic, these plant species will be at risk, as habitat availability is getting scarcer and the climate continues to rapidly change.
Arctic Poppies in bloom on Bathurst Island, which is part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (Wikipedia).
The Arctic and Climate Change
However magnificent this ecosystem may be, global warming is cons