Living world - cold environments

• Arctic tundra has very low temperatures, short growing season, permafrost, frozen soil, no trees or shrubs, few plants, poor nutrient levels, high winds, snow cover most of year.
• The Arctic is the northernmost part of Earth, where the sun never sets during summer
• Svalbard is located just above Russia
• they have 2700 people living there . They live there because of the following opportunities: coal mining , fishing , tourism , energy
• 70,000 people visited Svalbard , 30000 of those being cruise passengers
• energy is often coal which powers their only power station on Longyearben
• They have one of the richest fishing grounds in the world there ( Barents sea ).
• coal mining is the main economic activity for Svalbard
• They are two types of cold environments tundra and polar.
• Polar environments are found inland away from warming influence of sea e.g. Greenland , Siberia and antarctica . There average temp is below freezing
• Tundras are found near coastlines where warm water flows into colder air e.g. Arctic Canada , Alaska and Scandinavia . They have an average temperature above freezing but still very low temperatures
• Permafrost is soil or rock that remains at or below zero degrees Celsius for more than two years . It covers about 25% of northern hemisphere land surface .
• polar bears are adapted to cold environments with their large paws , thick fur to retain heat , white fur for camouflage , insulating layer of fat to retain heat , black nose and paw pads to absorb heat
• Arctic foxes are adapted to cold environments by having small ears , short legs , thick fur , brown coat which turns white during winter , good sense of smell and hearing , ability to store food under snow , round compact bodies to minimise surface area that is exposed to the cold
• bearberry's are adapted to the cold with there waxy leaves to conserve water , low growing plant so protect from cold winds , fine silky hairs to keep the plant warm , bright red berries eaten by birds help to spread the plants seeds
• cotton grass is adapted to the cold with their very narrow leaves to help reduce transpiration , seeds scatter in the wind aid its reproduction , dark leaves so it can absorb energy from the sun , low lying so the snow cover it in the winter and helps to insulate it.
• we protect cold environments because they are many indigenous people , outdoor laboratories for scientific research , adventure activities attracts tourists , forestry and fishing , many birds animals and plants
• arguments for protecting the cold environments : wilderness area are fragile and are easily damaged , untouched natural environments form important outdoor labs and scientific research , rare plants and animals will be protected
• arguments against protecting cold environments - rich in resources , such as soil , precious minerals , fish and timber , over 4 million people already live in the arctic in balance with the environment ,technology now allows cold environments to be exploited with less impact
• strategies to maintain cold environments include : conservation groups such as WWF , international agreements , action by governments , technology .
• trans-alaskan pipeline is a 1,179 mile long oil pipeline that runs from the north slope of alaska to the port of Valdez .
• problems with the trans-Alaskan pipeline : crosses river and mountains , very hot 49'C which could melt the permafrost , cracks caused by earthquakes , large herds of animals pass through it .
• solutions to the problems with the trans-Alaskan pipeline: pumping stations keep the oil moving through the pipe , raised and insulted to prevent melting of permafrost , supported and can slide if earthquakes happen , pipeline is raised to allow herds of animals to pass under it