Arctic Tundra Research Paper

Words: 481
Pages: 2

Human activities have impacted many natural processes that occur in our environment. They have caused a disruption to the food chain and the carbon cycle in the Arctic Tundra.

Human activities have increased greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. For example, when oil exploration occurs, the drilling equipment used impacts on the amount of gasses being emitted. Consequently, climate change has caused a disruption in the food chain in the Arctic Tundra.
The plants and animals that live in the harsh conditions of The Arctic Tundra are essentially clasping onto life. They are extremely vulnerable to environmental stresses like reduced snow cover, melting permafrost and warmer temperatures caused by global warming.
Animals that are generally found further south, like the Red Fox, are moving onto the Arctic Tundra because of the slowly increasing heat. The larger and more aggressive Red Fox has intruded Arctic Fox territory in some areas. The Arctic Fox has to compete for not only territory but food. This is an indirect threat to the Arctic Fox as a result of climate change. As The Red Fox is positioned as a top consumer, it would eventually affect all of the animals and plants within the food chain of the Arctic Tundra.

Through oil exploration, oil spills can happen very frequently. An oil
…show more content…
This resulting in polar bears being directly exposed to oil. Polar bears exposed to oil will absorb large quantities of oil in their fur. As polar bears groom themselves, there is a high possibility they can digest oil. This can result in digestive system disorder, kidney failure, and brain damage that can ultimately result in death. Since polar bears are tertiary consumers, they are at the top of the food chain. This makes them a keystone specie. Keystone species help keep the food chain in balance, without polar bears the entire Arctic ecosystem would