Polar Ice Biome

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Polar Ice Biome

• By Jon Joshlin and Alex Bogert

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Location of Polar Ice Biome
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Polar Ice Biome

• This biome refers to the large polar ice cap
  found in the frigid zone environments of the
  Arctic, Greenland and Antarctica. The Polar Ice
  biome is a marine biome that is rich in nutrients
  from the land around them, and contain ice.  This
  makes the perfect environment for plankton, and
  plankton fuel the surrounding ecosystem.

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Climate Comparison
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Climate

• Basically, it's below freezing here year round.
• Summer daytime temperature 5 C
• Summer nighttime temperature  -30 C

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Climate
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Plant Species

• It's ICE, folks!  There are no higher plants in
  some areas algae may grow in the snow and give it
  a pinkish color.
• With no exposed soil, it's hard for plants to
  take root, so there really isn't much of a base
  for a biological community on land (with the
  exception of those algae in the snow and perhaps
  a few insects that feed on them). 

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Animal Species

• Few animals live in the Polar Ice Biome because
  they have to adapted to extreme conditions to
  live here.
• Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas)

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Animal Species

• Killer Whales (Orcinus orca)

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Animal Species

• Penguins

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Animal Species

• Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina)

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Phytoplankton
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Animal SpeciesArctic Fox
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Animal SpeciesArctic Hare
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Animal SpeciesArctic Wolf
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Polar Bear
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Animal Species

• Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)

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Walrus
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Threats

• There aren't a lot of people running out to build
  houses on the polar ice biome.  Development is
  not a major problem, nor is there much pressure
  from human populations (although pollution
  problems near human settlements can be severe it
  is a great technical challenge to effect
  efficient sewage treatment in a cold environment,
  for instance).

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Threats

• The biggest threat, however, is from oil and gas
  development and the resulting global warming.

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Oil Drilling
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Global Warming
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Global Warming
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Global Warming
1979
2003
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Polar Ice Biome

• The End!!