Antarctica
Location and Description of Ecosystem
The ecosystem of Antarctica is located in the South Pole. The Antarctic is Earth’s southernmost continent, and is situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Antarctica is a unique and large continent with many animals that have adapted to live in the harsh, cold climate. Exploration in the South Pole began in the 1800s, and has become an important place of research. About 98% of Antarctica is covered in ice. On average, Antarctica is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and has the highest average elevation of all continents. At one point the temperature in Antarctica reached -89°C.
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Emperor Penguins have short stiff tails which helps with balance, a highly specialized bird skeleton and powerful claws. There chicks have soft down for added insulation. Behavioural adaptations involve huddling together in winter to conserve heat, and unlike other species they are not aggressively territorial. They breed during the depths of the Antarctic winter, but no nest in made, the eggs sit on the parents’ feet. When a female Emperor Penguin lays her egg, the male carries it on his feet. Physiological adaptations a complex heat exchange system allows heat to be recaptured from breath. They dive to about 1,800 feet and can hold their breath for up to 22 minutes. The male Emperor Penguins can fast for up to 100 …show more content…
Most of these species have contributed to shaping the impressive rock formations of the McMurdo Dry Valleys and other various surrounding mountain ridges. The simple morphology, differentiated structures and enzymes are still active at such low temperatures. Reduced life cycles shown by the fungi make them particularly suited to harsh environments. Some of the fungi are also apparently widespread to Antarctica. Endemic Antarctic fungi have evolved to respond to the double challenge of extreme cold while growing on muck, and the need to survive passage through the gut of warm-blooded animals.
Plants
The climate of Antarctica does not allow extensive vegetation to form. A combination of freezing temperatures, poor soil quality, lack of moisture, and lack of sunlight inhibit plant growth. As a result, the diverse quality of plant life is very low and limited in distribution. The flora of the continent largely consists of bryophytes (land plants). There are somewhat 100 different species of mosses and 25 species of liverworts, but only two species of flowering plants, both of which are found in the Antarctic Peninsula. The growth of plant life is restricted to mainly summer months.
Plant and Fungi
Swimming to Antarctica, by Lynne Cox, is about Lynne’s adventure to become a great long distance swimmer. Lynne started as a slow swimmer. During practice, she never rested for each instruction the coach gives. She later found out that she wanted to be a long distance swimmer. Her coach told her to join a race on a lake. She went and she loved to swim in the open waters. She then went to a different program that trained her to swim in the open waters.
The protozoan commonly known as the “water bear” is an extremophile that has engaged many in the scientific community. The Tardigrade is an invertebrate that has eight legs and comes in many shapes and sizes. This group has many adaptations such as cryptobiosis that allows it to survive in extreme environments. The Tardigrade can be found from land, to water, to sulfur springs, and to over 25 species found in the frozen tundra of Antarctica (Miller et al, 2001). To understand these creatures this paper will summarize the taxonomy, reproduction, food, and protective genetics, of the Tardigrades. The first section to this paper will examine is how these creatures are divided taxonomically.
North Alaska is part of a continental fragment called the Arctic Alaska microplate. Upon this microplate, the North Slope and its continental shelves reside. During the Paleozoic and early Mesozoic time periods this plate was a passive continental margin. Later on during the Jurassic and Cretaceous time periods, rifting along this margin separated the plates. The Canada basin and Beaufort passive margin were created due to drift and rotation. At the same time the Arctic Alaska plate collided with an oceanic island ac which then created the Brooks Range orogeny and the North Slope foreland basin. The Southern portion of the North Slope basin is a fold and thrust belt which contains extended anticlinal folds diminish toward the
As a result of these factors, the flora has adapted to these conditions in a variety of ways including their shape, leaf type, root system, and color. One of the most prominent adapt...
Some of these landforms include the following: hummocks, or knolls, frost boils, and earth stripes. Another common area to the alpine tundra is a “bare rock covered ground” also known as fell fields, in which not only support but helps the growth of lichens. The many “microhabitats” given by these landforms provide a variety to the tundra’s landscape. As you already know, the amount of different plant species in the tundra is very small. Also, their growth level is low, “with most of the biomass concentrated in the roots”.
some lower areas of the Tundra will defrost at which point most of the flora and
These penguins lived after the Castastrophic event “Cretaceuous” that demolished the dinosaurs and many other species. Based on the DNA analyses and avaiable evidence of modern birds, we think the modern bird- lineages, including penguins, some how managed to survive through the Cretaceuous. Also it’s not shocking these fossils were found in New Zeland. The South Pacific and Southern oceans were free of predatory mammals, had abundant food, and had space for Penguins to breed. But the Southern Pacific is not the only area where Penguins inhabit. Many of modern penguins “Aptrenodytes” are located in the Antarctic. Recenelty it was discovered that there was a over looked feature on the surface of the fossil penguins flipper bone. These grooves were easily missed because the look was similar to tendons and muscles in the same area. It was discovered that these grooves were blood vessels that make up a counter current heat exchanger called “humeral arterial plexus” which allows penguins to limit the heat loss through the flippers. Also it helped Penguins maintain their core body temperature in cold water allowing them to survive long journeys in the cold waters. Although Penguins have luckily been able develop these traits to survive the dramatic shifts in climate, the world population can not mistake their success as resilience towards global warming.
The relatively small surface area in comparison to its volume results in excellent heat conservation. Many penguins, in addition have a think insulating layer of fat under the skin. Their closely aligned veinlarteries enable them to recycle their own body temperature. The emperor penguins, weight about 27-32 kg are the best equipped of all.
The expedition, named after its supply ship, was a private venture, financed by public contributions augmented by a government grant. It had further backing from the Admiralty, which released experienced seamen to the expedition, and from the Royal Geographical Society. The expedition's team of scientists carried out a comprehensive scientific programme, while other parties explored Victoria Land and the Western Mountains. An attempted landing and exploration of King Edward VII Land was unsuccessful. A journey to Cape Crozier in June and July 1911 was the first extended sledging journey in the depths of the Antarctic winter. The Terra Nova Expedition, officially the British Antarctic Expedition, was an expedition to Antarctica which took place
Isolation, loneliness, desertion-these synonymous attributes describe the scene of Antarctica. White blankets of ice and snow laid as far as the eye can see, with nothing else in sight. “Antarctica was a desert...Much of it was was still unexplored. There were no cities.” (pg 301). Although the term desert completely contradicts Antarctica, Laura Van Den
Various glaciers in Alaska and other parts of the United States have shrunk dramatically. If temperatures continue to rise, the ice will continue to melt, and some glaciers could disappear completely, which causes sea levels to rise. There are many animals, birds, and seafood that depend solely on glaciers for survival. With an increase in sea water temperature, and increasing sea levels, sea-plants that these fish thrive on will be lost, lowering the number of seafood, which in-turn will make survival of many species difficult. The arctic is source region for cold ocean currents and with no ice it will have no density and temperature distinctions, which pushes the ocean currents. If the ocean current heat transfer mechanism powers down,
The tundra is known for its’ cold temperatures, but also its’ limited plant species. The growth of the vegetation is primarily low to the ground and the biomass of plants is concentrated in the roots. Here the plants reproduce more likely by division and building than by flower pollination. Some of that growthforms that you will find in the tundra include tussock, mats or cushion plants, rosettes, and dwarf shru...
Most scientists agree that there are seventeen species of penguins, with a select few recognizing eighteen instead. (del Hoyo, 1992). See Chart A The largest penguin is the Emperor Penguin, standing four feet tall and one hundred pounds. The smallest is the aptly named Litt... ...
Arctic tundra is located in the northern hemisphere, encircling the North Pole and extending south to the Coniferous forests of the Taiga. The arctic is known for its cold, desert-like conditions. The growing season ranges from 50 to 60 days. The average winter temperature is -34° C (-30° F), but the average summer temperature is 3-12° C (37-54° F), which enables this biome to sustain life. Rainfall may vary in different regions of the arctic. Yearly precipitation, including mel...
Penguins are found almost entirely in the Southern Hemisphere. Penguins are commonly linked with Antarctica, penguins are found in an assortment of environments in the Southern Hemisphere. Eighteen different penguin species populate areas from Antarctica to the Equator. Four penguin species are raise in Antarctica and the Antarctic islands. Most penguin species breed on islands in the Antarctic waters of the Antarctic Ocean, the South Atlantic Ocean,...