The Environmental Change And Its Involvement In The Diversity Of Species In The Tundra
The changing climate means changing habitats, threatening vulnerable species. They have to adapt to the new changes and face the upcoming challenges or migrate to new places in order to survive. The tundra plays condemning roles. It has little nutrients, simple vegetation structure, is the coldest biome and extremely low temperatures. There are two types the tundra is separated into: arctic tundra and alpine tundra. The arctic tundra is the northern hemisphere of the tundra where it’s cold and windy with limited rainfall. It has long cold winters and short cool summers. The alpine tundra is the mountain regions where it’s cold and dry year long. What global issues are caused by climate change? Over long geological timescales, changes in the shape of the ocean basins and in land/sea distribution affect sea level. During the past few million years' ice age cycles, sea level has varied by more than a hundred meters (NASA). The melting of permafrost leads to the rise in sea levels and erosion and may cause the creation of temporary thaw lakes. Global warming affected both ecosystems. It includes the escalated shrub density, tree migration from the northern forest invading most of the tundra, shrinking ice sheets due to global warming and coastal areas being flooded because of the rise in sea levels.
The water sources are evaporating due to warmer climates (national). Types of biodiversity affected by climate change Animals like the Arctic hares and foxes, polar bears, musky ox and snowy owl have to exceedingly endangered to climate stresses like the reduction of snow and warmer temperatures because of global warming. According to greenhouse, it’s tangible that climate change is affecting the sea level. Ice seals need sea ice to raise young ones and species are becoming endangered. Polar bears are the most threatened animals with chances of survival with the reduction of sea ice. Polar bears and arctic foxes need sea ice to hunt and walruses need sea ice to hunt and to rest on (greenhouse). Migration and hibernation are the major things animals do to survive the long, cold winter months. Importance to the world Without sea ice or with the melting of sea ice, it may cause the buildup of plant fuel and it’s leading to wild events such as large tundra fires. Human impacts Most of the climate changes occurs because of human activities. According to NASA, there is most likely a probability greater than 95 percent because of human activities (NASA). Scientists are advocating a third way to combine an interruption of a large-scale extinction event and prevention of an effortless climate crisis and that may hopefully save species, even ourselves. Its goal is to invalidate 30% of the planet’s lands for numerous degrees of protection from enlargement and demolition by 2030 and may even go up to 20 more years. It can get zero net radiation in the next few decades (INC). Since humans are using up the tundra area for ski resorts and other recreational purposes, the area is becoming more scarce and it’s causing animals to lose their habitats. Hunting, oil drilling, and other activities have contaminated and threatened the tundra ecosystem and environment (britannica).
Works Cited
- “Climate Change Evidence: How Do We Know?” NASA, NASA, 26 Mar. 2019, climate.nasa.gov/evidence/.
- Fund, Data courtesy World Wildlife. “Explore the World's Tundra.” Tundra Facts and Information, 25 Feb. 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/tundra-biome/.
- Greenpeace International. “Climate Change Impacts on Arctic Wildlife.” Greenpeace International, www.greenpeace.org/international/publication/7366/climate-change-impacts-on-arctic-wil dlife/.
- Wyman, Richard L. Global Climate Change and Life on Earth. Routledge, Chapman, and Hall, 1991. 6
