•The melting of the permafrost as a result of global warming could radically change the landscape and what species are able to live there.
•Air pollution can cause smog clouds that contaminate lichen, a significant food source for many animals.
•Oil spills can kill wildlife and significantly damage tundra ecosystems.
•Buildings and roads put heat and pressure on the permafrost, causing it to melt.
•Air pollution can cause smog clouds that contaminate lichen, a significant food source for many animals.
•Oil spills can kill wildlife and significantly damage tundra ecosystems.
•Buildings and roads put heat and pressure on the permafrost, causing it to melt.
The Arctic fox is primarily a carnivore that lives inland, away from the
coasts. They are dependent on the presence of smaller animals to survive. Arctic foxes also hunt for sea birds, fish,
and other marine life. Smaller rodent populations waver between times
of abundance and scarcity, which leaves the Arctic fox vulnerable when
these creatures are low in numbers.
The possibility of widespread climate change due to global warming has created one of the biggest threats to the tundra wildlife. The melting of snow in the tundra region will decrease the hunting efficacy of Polar bears, and will severely threaten the habitat of Caribou and other arctic animals.
Climate change is causing the Arctic to warm more quickly than the rest of the world, causing a dramatic loss of Arctic sea ice. For at least 800,000 years, the Arctic Ocean has had at least some sea ice throughout the year. Today, sea ice loss is occurring even more rapidly than models predicted just a few years ago. As warming seas cause its ecosystem to restructure, the Arctic is becoming a different place.