Cold environments

• Permafrost


  Area of permanently frozen ground
• Tundra


  Polar environment with cold temperatures resulting in permafrost and limited vegetation
• Boreal


  Biome covered with ice sheets
• Subarctic


  The warmer months in the tundra where temperatures are enough for plants to grow
• Arctic Circle


  Latitude of 66°34' North
• Arctic fox


  • A fox found in tundra environments, that can camouflage itself
• Bearberry


  • Small, red berry plants found in the tundra
• Adaptation


  The process of being able to survive in an environment due to special characteristics
• Albedo effect


  The process of snow and ice reflecting the sun's energy back to space, cooling the area
• Cold environments can be divided into polar and tundra regions
• Polar environments are found at extreme latitudes, in the north and south poles
• Tundra environments can be found around the Arctic Circle, at 60 degrees North
• For example, northern Russia, Alaska and Antarctica
• Mitigation


  The process of protecting an area while still using it for human activity
• Arctic Lichen


  • Small, low growing to avoid extreme wind and small leaves to conserve energy for growth
  • Red berries to attract predators to spread seeds far, hairy leaves to trap heat and create warmer air for growth
  • Low growing to conserve energy and protect from wind
• Arctic Hare


  • Large ears to hear predators from far away, changes colour to camouflage into snow and tundra to hide from predators
• Polar Bear


  • Large paws to prevent sinking into snow, changes colour to camouflage into snow and tundra in order to sneak on prey
  • Black skin to absorb heat from weak sun, hollow hair to trap air, large size to prevent heat loss
• Tundra environments take a long time to grow, meaning that it is very difficult to recover from human activity damage
• Paths can damage ecosystems as wildflowers, lichen and mosses get trampled
• Trees grow slowly and can be damaged by oil spills, which recovery time is even longer
• Permafrost


  Permanently frozen ground
• Damage to permafrost will have a multiplier effect, melting other areas of permafrost
• Influence from other goods can erode into culture, meaning traditional ways are lost
• Wilderness areas are important for preserving biodiversity and gene pools
• The albedo effect regulates Earth's natural systems by keeping areas cool
• Environments can take years to recover from damage, so it is important we do not cause damage in the first place
• The Arctic Council is made up of 8 Arctic countries - Canada, US, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Russia, and Denmark (Greenland)
• The Arctic Council sets policies to protect the Arctic Ocean, peoples and wildlife
• Countries around the world agreed to cut carbon emissions and increase to within 1.5-2°C range to limit ice caps melting and sea level rise
• NGOs like Greenpeace work to protect the Arctic from damage from climate change and try to reduce emissions
• Technology like the internet can connect communities that are isolated in cold environments, bringing them education and healthcare, while also preserving their culture