1. Introduction Recall the 3 climate zones of the earth (Polar, Temperate, & Tropical) Draw a picture of the earth and its 3 climate zones Think of at least one animal that is native to each zone Write the name of this animal next to the zone

2. Bare Necessities of Life All life needs water. How much water is in most cells? Most cells are around 70% water All life needs energy (food). All life needs air (plants need CO2 & animals need O2) All life needs habitat (space)

3. Caribou The Northern Migration – Gypsies of the North

4. Climate Effects on Caribou Greenhouse gasses are having their most drastic effect near the poles Global warming trends have been observed at the polar regions of the planet, including the arctic

5. Overview It has been hypothesized that increased levels of greenhouse gasses are causing climate changes in the arctic regions of North America. As a result of these global warming trends, the arctic summers have been becoming warmer and the winters colder.

6. What are caribou? Caribou are related to deer Caribou are ungulates (hoofed animals)

7. What are caribou? Caribou and Reindeer are the same species Rangifer tarandus Reindeer were domesticated thousands of years ago by humans and are used to pull sleds

9. Where do caribou live? Caribou live in the Arctic circle Canada, Alaska, & Scandinavia (reindeer) have caribou populations Idaho, Montana, and the Great Lake states once had caribou herds

10. Where do caribou live? Caribou are, in most cases, constantly migrating in search of food Due to their constant migration, they require vast amounts of suitable habitat

13. What do caribou eat? Caribou eat plants (herbivore) What type of organism eats other organisms (plants/animals)? Answer: Consumer

14. What do caribou eat? During the warm months, such as summer, caribou eat grasses During the winter months when snow covers the ground, caribou eat lichens growing under the snow

15. How is habitat/global change affecting caribou? Climatologists (scientists that study climate/weather) predict increased levels of greenhouse gasses causes global warming in arctic circle Warmer summers result in an increase in mosquito populations Colder winters resulting in more snowfall and harder packed snow

17. Warmer Summers Warmer summers are having a drastic effect on caribou survival Warmer summers allow for greater insect populations such as mosquitoes Mosquitoes harass the caribou herds during the summer

18. Warmer Summers During the summer the caribou fur is less dense since it has shed most of its winter coat The less dense fur makes it easier for the mosquitoes to feed

19. Warmer Summers Caribou spend less time feeding and more time warding off insects Less time feeding + more energy warding off insects = less energy caribou gain during short summer

21. Colder Winters Colder winters exhibit more snow fall The snow is also more heavily packed by the colder temperatures and arctic winds More snow and harder packed snow makes it more difficult for caribou to feed on the lichens buried beneath the snow

22. Colder Winters The caribou are spending more time and more energy than usual feeding during the winter More energy spent to get to food results in higher mortality rates during the winter

23. Colder Winters The ice packs that some herds use to migrate are also freezing later due to the warmer summers Changes in ice pack freezing times results in caribou migrating onto partially frozen ice and falling through to their deaths

24. Colder Winters Colder winters also delay the thawing of the caribou’s spring and summer feeding and calving grounds This results in a loss of energy waiting for them to thaw

25. What does this mean? Any energy used in pursuits other than feeding and breeding can result in Higher morality (death) rates Lower birth rates

26. Further Investigation & Assessment Look at the following web page to view examples of the effects of mosquitoes and colder winters on caribou http://www.taiga.net/caribou/models/climat e/intro.html http://www.taiga.net/caribou/models/climat e/intro.html

27. Further Investigation & Assessment Use the models to discuss how insects and snow levels affect caribou populations: low, medium, & highlowmediumhigh View the Discovery Channel Video: Biomes-Wild Arctic

28. References/Sites of Interest Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. US Fish and Wildlife Service. Internet. http :// arctic.fws.gov/caribou.htm http :// arctic.fws.gov/caribou.htm Taiga Net. Project Caribou. Internet. http://www.taiga.net/caribou/models/climat e/intro.html http://www.taiga.net/caribou/models/climat e/intro.html

29. What Next? Class Activity How does climate change affect the health of caribou? The effects of colder winters and warmer summers on caribou feeding demonstrated by bean counting activity.

30. Caribou Feeding Lab 1. Stay at your table. One person will “feed” at a time then pass the spoon/fork to the next person. 2. Feed at a pace of “one one thousand”. 3. Take one scoop and pass it on to the next person. 4. Stop when whistle sounds. Start when whistle sounds again. (Summer w/ mosquitoes)

31. Caribou Feeding Lab 5. When asked to stop, the last person in your group to feed will bring your result bowl to take a mass. 6. All members of group record masses. 7. Winter feeding will be with fork and will follow same rules as summer. Stop when whistle sounds. Last person to take mass.