Kayla Miller, Sam Mattox

Study Guide

1.  Climate:

  1. Characterized by cold winters and cool summers.
  2. Precipitation mostly comes in the form of snow.
  3. The Arctic's annual precipitation is low, with most of the area receiving less than 50 centimeters (20in).
  4. High winds often stir up snow, creating the illusion of continuous snowfall.
  5. Average winter temperatures can be as low as −40 °C (−40°F), and the coldest recorded temperature is approximately −68 °C (−90°F).

2.  Location:

  1. Arctic
  2. Antarctica

3.  Producers:

  1. Arctic vegetation is composed of plants such as dwarf shrubs, graminoids, herbs, lichens and mosses, which all grow relatively close to the ground.
  2. Trees cannot grow in the Arctic, but in its warmest parts, shrubs are common and can reach 2 m (6ft. 7in) in height.
  3. In the coldest parts of the Arctic, much of the ground is bare; non-vascular plants such as lichens and mosses predominate, along with a few scattered grasses and forbs.
  4. Sedges, mosses and lichens can form thick layers.

4.  Three Producers:

  1. Arctic Mosses
  2. Arctic Lichens
  3. Sedges

5.  Consumers:

  1. Herbivores on the tundra include the Arctic hare, lemming, muskox, and caribou.
  2. The polar bear is also a predator, though it prefers to hunt for marine life from the ice.
  3. There are also many birds and marine species endemic to the colder regions.
  4. Other land animals include wolverines, ermines, and Arctic ground squirrels.
  5. Marine mammals include seals, walrus, and several species of cetacean—baleen whales and also narwhals, killer whales and belugas.

6.  Four Consumers:

  1. Seaweed (producer)
  2. Krill (primary consumer)
  3. Penguin (secondary consumer)
  4. Leopard Seal (top consumer)

7.  Qualities:

- ice can get up to 3-4 meters thick over large areas, with ridges getting up to 20 meters thick.

-Antarctica’s ice sheet covers 14.6 million km2

-There are two different biomes and they are on opposite sides of the world.

-The yearly temperature ranges from 7o Fahrenheit to -27o Fahrenheit.

8. Human Effects:

-Airborne Pollutants

-Oil and gas development- Instead of promoting fuel conservation (which could easily make up for the oil not retrieved from the arctic paradise) they continue to push the propaganda on the American people that drilling here will somehow offset high oil prices.

-Global Warming- As permafrost warms, it decays and releases CO2 into the atmosphere.