Cold environments geography Flashcards
(18 cards)
Why do animals need to be well adapted for the polar environment
Cold climate and harsh conditions
Which plants can be found in polar areas?
Mosses and lichen where ground is exposed
What type of plants does the tundra have?
Low growing and flowering
Why do more animals live in the tundra than in the polar?
More food options and less extreme climate eg arctic hare
What are the winter temps in polar?
-50 degrees celcius
What is the precipitation like in polar?
Very low
What is the average monthly temperature in polar?
Below freezing
What are the soils permanently covered in in polar?
Ice
What is the winter temperature like in the tundra?
-30 degrees Celsius
How warm are the brief summers?
5 degrees Celsius
T -What is the main source of precipitation?
Snow - can be high in coastal areas
T -What are the suns patterns like?
24hrs a day of sun in the summer whereas full darkness in the winter
T- what may grow in warmer areas?
Low bushes and small trees
T- why is the soil infertile?
The water moving through the soil removes nutrients
T- why do the soils become waterlogged?
The water is trapped by ice
What are adaptations of the arctic ground squirrel?
- shakes while sleeping to stay warm and prevent freezing
- body temperature drops below -2 degrees Celsius
- metabolism goes and it barely needs any food or water to survive
- 7/8 months in hybernation
What are adaptations of the woolly bear caterpillar?
-spends most of life sleeping
- produces glycerol ( anti freeze)
- becomes completely frozen with no breathing or heart rate in winter and thaws and unfreezes in summer
What are adaptations of the bear berry?
-low growing (5-15cm) to survive strong winds
- ever green leaves so it starts photosynthesising when temperatures reach above freezing
- stems have thick bark for stability in the wind
- small waxy leaves to reduce transpiration & retain water
- bright red berries eaten by birds to help distribute seeds
