Tundra Biome
Heterotrophs in the Tundra
List of Adaptations
- caribou
- ermine
- water birds
- mosquitoes
- polar bears
- arctic fox
- white wolves
- grey falcon
- norway lemmings
- Animals are made to withstand the long winters with extra fat and fur
- Plants have to adapt to sweeping winds and disturbances in the soil, they do this by clumping in groups and growing shorter
By: Jayda, Trey, AJ, and Denish
Interactions
The White Wolf
Scientific Name: Canis lupus arctos
AKA: Arctic wolf, polar wolf, and white wolf
Predation: Arctic wolf hunting a arctic hare
Competition: Arctic wolves vying for same territory
Mutualism: Arctic poppy and Arctic bumblebee
Commenalism: Caribou looks for food and arctic fox follows, caribou digs a hole in the ground to look for food, then fox comes back and digs deeper for its food
Parasitsm: Arctic wolf and liver tape worm, lives in wolf's stomach, eating all the nutrients.
Autotrophs in the Tundra
- bearberry
- arctic moss
- Caribou moss
- Diamonds leaf willow
- Labrador tea
- Pasque flower
- Tufted Saxifrage
Threats
- Rapidly melting permafrost as a result of global warming is radically changing the landscape and the species living there
- Ozone depletion at the poles which causes stronger ultraviolet rays
- Invasive species which push natural vegetation out and reduce plant diversity
Food: musk oxen, lemming, caribou,and arctic hares
Shelter: Caves, Outcrops, and among Trees
List of Conditions
Temperature Range: 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit
Precipitation: 6-10 inches (mainly snow)
Seasons: Mainly winter, also has a short mild season that passes for summer.
Reproduction and Development
Resources
www.torontozoo.com/explorethezoo/AnimalDetails.asp?pg=403
www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/tundra.html
White wolves live in groups of seven to ten individuals. There is a highly complex social order within wolf packs and each pack has a dominant male and female, who bond for life. Breeding season is January through March. There are 2-3 pups born in late May to early June. They are blind and deaf, and have soft, fuzzy dark hair with small, droopy ears and blunt muzzles. After 10 tens their eyes will open, and after 3 weeks they can hear. After a month the pups can eat meat. Each member of the pack will greet each pup affectionately, and after 8-10 weeks, they will leave the den to discover the world outside. At 6 months, the pups are old enough to travel, and will join the other members of the pack learning survival skills. They become sexually mature at 2-3 years of age.
wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/species/profiles/mammals/arcticwolf/
arctictundraecologyinfo.weebly.com
a-z-animals.com/animals/arctic-wolf/
Physical Traits
environment.nationalgeographic/environment/habitats/tundra-profile/
www.worldwildlife.org/species/arctic-wolf
Population Data
Arctic wolves are smaller than grey wolves. They also have smaller ears and shorter muzzles to retain body heat.
Distribution: North America and Greenland
Density: very low
Growth: Increasing slightly
Carrying Capacity: low, about 30, because they are in packs and have territories
www.wolfworlds.com/arctic-wolf/
Length: about 3.2-5.9 ft, including tail
Weight: 70-175 lbs.
Extinction
Thanks to the isolated area where the white wolf lives, it is not threatened by hunting and habitat destruction like its southern relatives. In fact, the arctic wolf is the only sub species of wolf that is not threatened.