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Biomes
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Arctic Tundra
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Houghton and Skole (1990) and Schlesinger (1997)
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Tundra
• Lowest diversity (# species/area) 3% worlds species
• Lowest net primary production (10-400 g/m2/yr)
• Limited harsh environment
• Growing season: 2-3 months
• Soils—permafrost, inceptisols and entisols
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Tundra regions:
Climate
Mean annual Temp -20 C to -50 C
Mean annual Ppt10-50 cm
Moisture source: summer rain & thaw
• short growing season (6-10 weeks)• 2 months of continuous daylight• long, cold, dark winters
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Climograph
Barrow, AlaskaElevation: 31 feet
Latitude: 71 18N Longitude: 156 47W Ft - Tundra
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Mean annual temp = -20º C to - 50 º C
Mean annual precipitation = 10 to 50 cm (mostly summer & snow melt)
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Mechanical weathering poor soil development
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Entisols/Inceptisolspoorly developed
Inceptisols: “embryonic” soilsEntisols: recent soils
Photo from USDA NRCS
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Perennial, dark colored leaves
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Lichen: symbiotic relation between algae and fungus
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Colorado Rockies
Alpine Tundra•Thin soils •Different climate from Arctic Tundra•Freeze-thaw cycles operate on diurnal & seasonal cycle
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Arctic Animals
Rangifer tarandus Ovibos moschatus
Ursus arctosBranta ruficollis
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Arctic Tundra vs. AlpineHigh latitudes (lowlands & highlands) Mountain Tops mid and low latitudes
Large land area Small land area
Short growing season b/c of day length Short growing season b/c snow pack
Low light intensity High light intensity (especially UV)
Less precipitation Greater precipitation (as snow)
Permafrost Permafrost is rare
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Human impacts in the Arctic• Warmer temperatures cause accelerated thermokarst
erosion = subsidence of terrain caused by thawing of frozen ground
• Little impact prior to 19th century. Native people maintained low population density
• Three periods of human impact in the Arctic:Early mining period (Alaska Gold Rush – 1870 to 1920s)WW II Military bases built throughout Alaska (1930s and 1940s)Oil and Natural Gas exploration (1960’s to present)
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Northern Conifer Forest/Taiga
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Houghton and Skole (1990) and Schlesinger (1997)
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Fort Nelson, British ColumbiaElevation: 1253 feet
Latitude: 58 50N Longitude: 122 35W E - Boreal, Subartic
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Ottawa, OntarioElevation: 374 feet
Latitude: 45 19N Longitude: 075 40W Dcb - Moist Continental
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Saint John, New BrunswickElevation: 358 feet
Latitude: 45 19N Longitude: 065 53W Dcb - Moist Continental
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Climate considered “subarctic”growing season temperatures are coolannual precipitation is low (25-75 cm )
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Precipitation:Continental(dry)Maritime(moist)
Temperature:Tropical (warm)Polar (cold)Arctic (very cold)
Source Regionsfor North AmericanAir Masses
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Boreal Forest/Taiga
• 45 to 70 degrees Latitude• Low diversity (2-4 tree species)• NPP (400-2000 g/m2/yr)• Limited by growing season to north (3-4
months/yr); competition to south• Soil: spodosol (podzolization)
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Podzolization
Moderate Precipitation
Iron rich hard pan layer
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O = organicA = humus/clayE = wash out (eluviation)B = accumulation (illuviation)C = weathered bedrockR = Regolith or bedrock
General Soil horizons
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Common trees of the boreal forest
Vegetation adaptations:evergreen needleafthick cuticle – xeromorphic leaves