Floating on Thin Ice:
description
Transcript of Floating on Thin Ice:
![Page 1: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Floating on Thin Ice:
An exploration of the human impact on the life of the Polar Bear in the
Arctic Tundra Samantha Gompers & Patty Prep
GPA Adv. Biology
May 28, 2010
![Page 2: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Project PurposeWhy are we here to talk to you today? • To educate you• To share with you• To motivate you• To encourage you
![Page 3: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Ursus maritimus: The Polar Bear
Polar Bears belong to:Kingdom Animalia – animalsPhylum Chordata –
vertebratesClass Mammalia – mammalsOrder Carnivora – meat
eatersFamily Ursidae – bearsGenus Ursus –
black/brown/polarSpecies U. maritimus – polar
bear!
![Page 4: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
All About the Polar Bear:• White fur/black
skin• They are 7-9 ft
long. Females weigh 300-550lbs Males weigh 800-1500lbs
• Wide paws• They have 2
layers of fur and a layer of blubber.
![Page 5: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Where do we find the Polar Bear?
• The polar bear lives in the Arctic Tundra and hunts on the nearby sea ice of the Polar Ice Caps.
![Page 6: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
What is the Arctic Tundra?
• The Arctic Tundra is the coldest and northernmost biome. It is home to a small number of extremely hardy species who brave the frozen soil and icy winds.
![Page 7: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Abiotic (Nonliving) Factors in the Tundra
• Extremely cold temperatures yearround
• The soil is permanently frozen from 10-35 inches down
• In the wintertime, days are extremely short -while in the summertime, daylight may last 24 hours.
• The Tundra has lots of strong wind, very little rain, and soil that is not very good for growing.
The average temperature in the winter is about -18°F, dropping as low as -58°F.In the summers temperatures can be around 55°F, but they also drop to 37°F.
![Page 8: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Dominant Plants in the Arctic Tundra
• Plants on the tundra are small and usually stunted.
• They include mosses, lichens (fungus + algae), sedges (small flowering grasslike plants), a few flowers, short grasses, and a few dwarf trees.
• These plants have their roots ripped and crushed by the thawing of the topsoil each summer, so they never grow very big.
![Page 9: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Dominant Animals in the Arctic Tundra
Animals living on the Tundra include:– Polar Bears– Arctic Foxes– Caribou– Musk Oxen – Wolves– Lemmings and other
rodents– A few birds who are
usually migratory.
![Page 10: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Where is the Arctic Tundra?
![Page 11: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Back to the Polar Bear…where does it fit into the Arctic Tundra ecosystem?
• The polar bear is a tertiary consumer,- top of the food chain
![Page 12: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Where does the Polar Bear fit into its food web?
![Page 13: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
• Threat #1: Shrinking sea ice due to global warming
![Page 14: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
• Threat #2: Smaller hunting grounds, less available food
.
![Page 15: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
• Threat #3: Oil Spills and Toxic Chemicals
.
![Page 16: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
• Polar bears are threatenedendangeredEXTINCT
![Page 17: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Solutions for the Polar Bear Step #1: Identify what the world is already doing
• The use of toxic chemicals has decreased over the years as environmental groups have pushed for more eco-friendly methods.
• The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a large portion of Alaska and Canada, is protected to help preserve the species that live there.
![Page 18: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Step #2: Identify why the present solution is not working: What are the barriers?
• Barrier #1: Unfortunately, environmentally safe products are not always the most cost effective or easiest to use
• Barrier #2: Unfortunately, many people still push for drilling for the oil in this precious land.
![Page 19: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Step #3: What is my elegant solution to overcome the barriers? • Solution #1: Educate
and advocate that EVERYONE needs to take a part to make a difference by:
1. Start partnerships with environmentally friendly companies and schools to use more ecofriendly products and supplies for a low cost
• Solution #2: Find ways to use less energy in our daily lives so we can find a sustainable alternative energy source to prevent drilling oil in the tundra by:
• 1. Riding a bike or walking rather than driving when possible
• 2. Making a conscious effort to conserve energy
![Page 20: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
“ No one snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible”
![Page 21: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Works CitedAbel, Dennis. “ Polar Bears Galore.” Time Magazine 16. Dec. 2008: 24-32.
Boly, Luis. Personal Interview. 8 June 2010.
“ Tundra.” Encyclopedia Brittanica. 15th ed. 2009.
Veny, Samuel. Threats of the Polar Bear. Revised 18 January 2010. 18 May 2010. http://www.polarbearthreats.org
Wagnerman, Samantha. Polar Bear History. Revised 20 February 2010. http://www.polarbearhistory.gov.
![Page 22: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
Geometry Model Biome
![Page 23: Floating on Thin Ice:](https://reader035.fdocuments.in/reader035/viewer/2022062315/56816303550346895dd37cde/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME
• We would like to thank the following for making our presentation possible:
• Teachers- for supporting and guiding our education and inspiring us to reach our full potential
• Family – for their love, dedication, and endless support
• Classmates- for their support with our learning