Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 08/26/2013 - 16:33
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Arctic Sunlight and Microbial Interactions

Hi Mr. Taterka!

When reading your journal entries, I was quite intrigued by your encounters with the animals living in Alaska. Because of this, I am curious about how the wildlife has changed due to the increasing temperature. How have the animals adapted to the ever-changing climate? Also, has this caused any of the animals to relocate, much like birds migrating due to a change in the weather?

Thanks so much! Linnae Medeiros

Tue, 08/27/2013 - 05:39

Anonymous

Linnae -
Good questions! Some scientists have documented shifts in habitat due to climate change. For example, as climate warms in the Arctic the boundary between the tundra and the forest is moving north (trees can now live farther north where it was too inhospitable for them before). The same goes for animals - the range for some animals is moving north as climate warms. Also, seasonal patterns of plants and animals have changed slightly in some places. Some plants might sprout earlier in the year, or eggs might hatch earlier. But remember - these changes are very subtle and hard to observe - the total increase in global temperature over the past 100 years is only about 1 degree F (although it's higher in the Arctic). We'll talk about this more in Envi Sci class this year.
- Mr. T