LIVE INTERACTIVE YOUR DESKTOP. IPY/NSTA Web Seminar: Arctic and Antarctic Living Systems

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1 LIVE INTERACTIVE YOUR DESKTOP IPY/NSTA Web Seminar: Arctic and Antarctic Living Systems Thursday, January 24, 2007

2 Where have you been in the Arctic or Antarctic? Add Arctic/Antarctic to see where people have been.

3 Today.. 1. Biota living in the polar regions are special. Why is this and why as scientists should we be interested in studying polar biology? 2. Why are arctic terrestrial ecosystems important to global climate change. 3. Some reasons why Antarctic living systems are a unique natural laboratory to study fundamental biological patterns and processes. 4. Tips on how you can be more involved in polar biology.

4 Polar Biota live in Extreme Environments Physical and biological conditions are close to the physiological capacity tolerated by most life forms. e.g. 0 degrees Celsius (freezing point of water), which can invoke drought responses. Low and high light levels. Severe physical disturbance ~ snow, sea ice, glaciers limiting light and food availability and or gauging and dislodging biota from substrate. The combination of the above in a highly dynamic system.

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6 Polar Biota are Adapted to Extreme Environments Many biota exhibit amazing adaptations to polar environments. e.g. Long periods of fasting ~ Emperor penguins. Migration ~ various birds and marine mammals Physiology ~ Antifreeze in plants and fish. Feeding adaptations ~ teeth of leopard seals. Reproductive behaviour: Plants reproduce asexually or self fertilize. Male southern elephant seals fight (sometimes to death) for the right to mate. Early behavioural development in the southern elephant seal.

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8 How much do you think we weigh? A)100kg and 10kg B) 250kg and 25kg C) 500kg and 45kg D) 650kg and 80kg

9 Birth ~ 500 kg ~ 45 kg Weaning (~23 days later) Mother s milk: 45% fat & 10% protein (vs. cow 4% & 2%) ~ 300 kg ~ 120 kg

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13 Southern elephant seal Largest living seal species Adult males: 6 meters; > 3000 kg; harems of up to 500 females

14 Sexual dimorphism: Breeding males > 10 times heavier than females

15 Polar Biota live in Extreme Environments Why are scientists interested in polar biota? Small changes in environmental conditions cause non-linear responses in biota. Polar biotic systems are generally simpler than those at lower latitudes. The organisms that inhabit the polar regions are fascinating. The polar regions are changing dramatically.

16 Let s pause for two questions from the audience

17 The Polar Regions are warming faster than anywhere else on Earth

18 Foundations of the Arctic Observing Network

19 Where did you grow up? Where do you live now? Temperature Trends

20 How are arctic terrestrial ecosystems being impacted by climate change? Climate is warming and drying. Evapotranspiration is increasing. The hydrological cycle has been altered. Lakes and ponds are drying up. The snow free period is lengthening. Species and ecosystems are changing.. e.g. Shrubs more common, treeline moving north. Migration for some species earlier/later. and there are many more examples.

21 Why are arctic terrestrial ecosystems important to global climate change? 1. Human wellbeing and subsistence. 2. The albedo (reflective properties) of arctic terrestrial ecosystems is changing, altering the amount of sunlight reflected back to space. 3. There is a large carbon reservoir locked in the permafrost of arctic soils, which if mobilized to the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas could enhance greenhouse warming... Most change documented to date appears to positively enhance greenhouse warming in the arctic.

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24 Global relevance of tundra land area, plant carbon, Net Primary Production, and soil carbon Land Area = 9 % Net Primary Production = 2 % Plant Carbon = 1 % Soil Carbon = 28 % Tundra Deserts Grasslands Boreal Forest Temperate Forest Tropical Forest Lakes and Wetlands Croplands Ice (Adapted from WB GU, 1998)

25 C CO 2 Photosynthesis

26 C CO 2 Photosynthesis Soil Microbial Respiration Aerobic CO 2 Anerobic CH 4

27 C CO 2 CO 2 CH 4 = 23 x CO 2 Photosynthesis Soil Microbial Respiration Aerobic CO 2 Anerobic CH 4

28 C CO 2 Atmospheric GHGs CO 2 CH 4 = 23 x CO 2 Photosynthesis Soil Microbial Respiration Aerobic CO 2 Anerobic CH 4

29 C CO 2 Atmospheric GHGs CO 2 CH 4 = 23 x CO 2 Photosynthesis Albedo Soil Microbial Respiration Aerobic CO 2 Anerobic CH 4

30 C CO 2 Atmospheric GHGs CO 2 CH 4 = 23 x CO 2 Photosynthesis Albedo Soil Microbial Respiration Aerobic CO 2 Anerobic CH 4

31 C CO 2 Atmospheric GHGs CO 2 CH 4 = 23 x CO 2 Photosynthesis Albedo Soil Microbial Respiration Aerobic CO 2 PERMAFROST Anerobic CH 4

32 Arctic Carbon Rich Soils Seasonal Active Layer Carbon Store Current atmosphere: 750 Gigatonnes C Vulnerable arctic soils: GT C Human C emissions: 5.4 GT C per year 1% loss arctic soil C = annual human C emissions. Could equate to a global warming capacity of 4-8 C. C.E. Tweedie

33 Which examples of change could positively enhance warming in the arctic? 1. Which factors could negatively enhance warming in the arctic? 2.

34 Observed Snow Cover Change Barrow, Alaska

35 Observed Snow Cover Change Barrow, Alaska What is the effect on Albedo (surface reflectivity)? A) Decrease B) Increase C) Not Sure

36 Shrub expansion Alaska (Sturm et al. 2001)

37 How is this likely to change CO 2 uptake? A) Increase B) Decrease C) Not Sure Shrub expansion Alaska (Sturm et al. 2001)

38 Let s pause for two questions from the audience

39 How are Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems being impacted by climate change? The climate of the Antarctic Peninsula and the subantarctic islands are also warming. Most Antarctic penguin species are increasingly breeding further south than they used to. The extent of the Antarctic Hair Grass is also expanding. Populations of marine mammals such as many whale species, fur seals and southern elephant seals are still recovering from over hunting for the fur and oil trade.

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43 Human pressures on Antarctica are also changing.. Antarctic tourism is booming. How many tourists are forecast to visit Antarctica during the current austral summer? 0 4,999 5,000 9,999 10,000 19,999 20,000 30,000 Use your clip art to respond

44 Changes in climate and human pressures are likely to continue to effect Antarctic biota: Introduction and colonization by new species is likely. The long term effects of climate change and UV is being closely studied by many countries. The above represents a unique opportunity for biologists to advance theory as well as fundamental understanding. Many novel discoveries related to the unique adaptations of Antarctic biota are likely.

45 Photo: Mike Fedak Research

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47 Ideas on how you can extend your interest in Polar Biology: Stay familiar with discoveries related to the International Polar Year. (US) (International) See if there will be a science conference near you at Check out and two programs that take teachers to the poles and are developing teaching materials. Add your ideas to the chat.

48 17 Undergraduate and 7 Graduate Students plus 5 Teachers. Selected from a nation-wide search 1. UT Telecampus online course on Antarctic System Science, Fall Field trip to Washington DC 3. Three-week Expedition to Antarctica 4. Evaluation of the educational impact of field-based hands on research experience. 5. Outreach. 6. Extension to the Ecological Society of America annual meeting 2008, SACNAS meeting

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50 Check out and register for upcoming events!

51 Ideas on how you can extend your interest in Polar Biology: Contact a researcher near you to come in to your classroom and/or interact with your students from their field site. Search the directory of arctic researchers Search one of the ARMAP applications that map where researchers are working in the arctic, what they are researching and how to get in touch with them ~

52 Information portals for web-based mapping and a lot more!!!

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57 Was that you?.the water got warm all of a sudden.

58 Thanks for Watching

59 Thanks to our presenter, Dr. Craig Tweedie, and to NSF, NASA, & NOAA

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62 National Science Teachers Association Gerry Wheeler, Executive Director Frank Owens, Associate Executive Director Conferences and Programs Al Byers, Assistant Executive Director e-learning NSTA Web Seminars Flavio Mendez, Director Danielle Troiano, Project Coordinator Jeff Layman, Technical Coordinator LIVE INTERACTIVE YOUR DESKTOP