February 3rd, 2025


The Arctic Ecosystem

Although widely debated, most scientists agree that the Arctic includes the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Circle is composed of the Arctic ocean basin, U.S. state of Alaska, Russia, Canada, Greenland, and the northern portion of Scandinavia (National Geographic, n.d.). The Arctic ecosystem is home to a wide range of species, a few examples being the Arctic fox, caribou, reindeer, and the iconic polar bear.


How is the Arctic’s Biodiversity in Danger?

The Arctic’s native species’ have certain biological adaptations that allow them to thrive in the ecosystem’s harsh climate. The Arctic fox, for example, has adapted to the environment through having white fur which allows it to blend in with the white-colored surroundings and avoid their predators before switching to a brownish color to match the tundra surroundings in the Summer season. The Grizzly bear has adapted to the harsh Winter season by performing hibernation, relying on the fat they store within their bodies during the Summer season. Although these are only a few examples, many species within the Arctic have certain characteristics that they have adopted in order to survive the Arctic’s current conditions. However, with worsening climate change, the Arctic is experiencing higher-than-normal temperatures, causing the loss of a large degree of sea ice. Sea ice has a surface called “albedo”, that allows it to reflect most of the sunlight it receives. However, liquid ocean has a dark surface that absorbs most of the sunlight it receives. As major loss of sea ice occurs, the percentage of Earth’s liquid ocean increases, thus accelerating overall ocean warming. This also greatly affects the Arctic ecosystem, as the native species that have adapted to its current climate are now being forced into a different set of conditions that they may not be able to adapt quickly enough to. For most of these species, negative impacts will be aplenty as the changing climate may result in decreased species populations and less habitat space suitable for the individual species, drastically altering existing food webs.


Why is the Arctic’s Biodiversity Important to the World?

Since the Arctic has such a drastically different climate compared to other parts of the world, the area has become home to unique ecosystems and wildlife that are not found elsewhere. As it stands, the Arctic harbors over 21,000 known cold-adapted species (Arctic Council, n.d.). As the Arctic climate changes, these species may be lost as conditions may change faster than they are able to biologically adapt. As species begin experiencing population loss or even extinction, the ecosystems within the Arctic will drastically change even further. Thus, the world must make increased efforts to preserve the Arctic’s wildlife, whether it means helping species adapt to the changing climate or to address the root cause of the issue: human-influenced climate change.


Resources:

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/arctic/
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/
The Elements of Biodiversity
https://arctic-council.org/explore/topics/biodiversity/
https://www.mmc.gov/priority-topics/arctic/climate-change/
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/arctic/wildlife.htm
https://www.nps.gov/bela/learn/kidsyouth/alaskan-animal-adaptations.htm