1. Polar Ice Biome by Megan D'Avella and Teddy Raymond

2. Location Location Location Regions covered in ice almost year round Includes much of the Arctic and Antarctic Located in the North and South Poles High and low-altitude areas Pack ice and ice sheets are created when water freezes due to a lack of energy from the sun.

3. The Circle of Life Consumers: Polar bears, Wolves, Foxes, Wolverines, Lemmings, Ermines, Hare, Musk Oxen, Caribou, Snowy Owls, Harp Seal, and gyr Falcons Producers: Algae, Wildflowers, Poppies, Azaleas, Lupine, Mosses, Grasses, Lichens, and small shrubs Algae--> Capelin --> Harp Seal --> Polar Bear Autotroph Primary SecondaryTertiary

4. Natural Resources Fresh Water can be discovered beneath the ice. Fish are abundant in this region, and can be caught and sold for profit by fishermen. Nutrients

5. Environmental Concerns Air pollution - DDT and PCB ends up there. Oil and Gas Development - which turns into global warming. Global Warming not only effects plant and animals, but native people also. Entire ecosystems are being wiped out due to the melting ice caps. Animals have to change their eating or migration patterns. People are uprooted from their homes due to flooding. http://arcticportal.org/images/stories/oh-no-global-warming.jpg

6. Endangered Species Polar Bears depend on ice in order to catch their prey. “Summer ice loss in the Arctic now equals an area the size of Alaska, Texas, and the state of Washington combined.” - Polar Bears International Lichens are a mixture of fungi and algae living in a symbiotic relationship. The fungi photosynthesizes, creating food for the algae. In return, the algae gives the fungi protection http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/3636 3 http://www.plantpath.iastate.edu/pdc/files/Image/lichen%20on%20red%20cedar%20copy.jpg

7. Sources:: The World Wide Biome Project: http://www2.kpr.edu.on.ca/cdciw/biomes/antarctica/biotic_research.htm Marietta College Department of Biology and Environmental Science's Biomes of the World: http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/ice.htm Biomes of the World: http://rrms-biomes.tripod.com/id1.html The Wild Classroom: http://www.thewildclassroom.com/biomes/icecaps.html Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/doc/21389160/The-Polar-Ice-Biome Polar Bears International: http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/polar-bears/bear-essentials-polar- style/conservation/current-status Natural Resources Defense Council http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/qthinice.asp