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 Life Linked to Ponds Leader’s Manual Borgir, Nordurslod 600 Akureyri, Iceland +354-­‐462-­‐3350 www.caff.is www.arcticbiodiversity.is [email protected] @CAFFSecretariat facebook.com/CAFFS Writing, research and design by: Eamer Science & Policy (Claire Eamer, Megan Osmond-­‐Jones, Kelly Badger) www.eamerscience.com Artwork by: Sherrie York www.sherrieyork.com Funding and support provided by CAFF Secretariat and Alcoa Foundation.
Contents 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1 2 Arctic Ponds .............................................................................................................................................. 2 3 Equipment for Exploring Ponds ................................................................................................................. 5 4 Activities for Individuals and Small Groups ............................................................................................... 6 4.1 HOW TO MAKE AN UNDERWATER VIEWER ....................................................................................... 6 4.2 BUILDING A FOOD WEB ...................................................................................................................... 7 4.3 WHAT’S IN THE WATER? .................................................................................................................... 8 4.4 WHAT’S IN THE MUCK? .................................................................................................................... 10 4.5 KEEP A POND JOURNAL .................................................................................................................... 11 5 Activities for Larger Groups and Classes ................................................................................................. 12 5.1 EXPLORE TRADITIONAL AND LOCAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE ..................................................... 12 5.2 BIOBLITZ YOUR POND! ..................................................................................................................... 13 5.3 TRANSECT STUDY ............................................................................................................................. 16 5.3.1 CALCULATING THE BIODIVERSITY INDEX ....................................................................................... 17 Appendix A: Species Information ............................................................................................................... 19 Common mare's tail ............................................................................................................................... 19 Fairy shrimp ............................................................................................................................................ 20 Caddisfly larvae ...................................................................................................................................... 21 Mosquito larvae ..................................................................................................................................... 22 Predaceous diving beetles ..................................................................................................................... 24 Arctic cottongrass .................................................................................................................................. 25 King eider ............................................................................................................................................... 26 Snow goose ............................................................................................................................................ 27 Arctic fox ................................................................................................................................................ 29 Peregrine Falcon .................................................................................................................................... 30 Further Information ............................................................................................................................... 31 Appendix B: Data Sheets .............................................................................................................................. 1 BioBlitz Your Pond Field Trip datasheets ................................................................................................. 1 Transect Study Field Trip Datasheets ....................................................................................................... 8 GLOSSARY ecosystem A community of all the living things in an area, and the ways they interact with each other and with their environment.
thermokarst ponds Ponds formed when water pools in depressions that occur due to permafrost melt. A melting permafrost layer results in uneven ground surface, with pits, valleys and hummocks.
primary producers An organism that makes it's own food, from light energy (the sun) or chemical energy . Plants, algae and lichens are primary producers. Primary producers are the base of every food web.
detritus Detritus is made up of things that used to be alive. This could be fragments of decaying plants and animals, bits of organic soil, or bird and animal droppings.
pond productivity The amount of living organisms (by volume), and the variety of species present in a pond.
bioblitz A biodiversity blitz, or bioblitz, is a tool used to assess the biodiversity of an area and get an idea of what species are present.
citizen science Scientific study and data collection conducted by laypeople, rather than scientists.
ecotone Zone of transition between two ecosystems. Because of overlapping habitats, they are often dense areas of biodiversity.
ephemeral ponds A temporary pond that dries up every year. In the Arctic these are typically meltwater ponds.
biodiversity The variability among living organisms. This includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.
biodiversity index A simple mathematical measure that takes into account the number of species, and the number of individuals of each species in an area. It provides a general idea of the level of biodiversity present . 1 Introduction Background to the Project In May 2013, the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council, released the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA). The ABA contains the best available science—informed by traditional ecological knowledge—on the status and trends of Arctic biodiversity during a time of rapid social, economic and environmental change. While much of the report is aimed at Arctic policy makers, the information it contains is important to all Arctic residents and to many people outside the Arctic. In order to make that information more easily available, particularly to young people, CAFF is developing a set of educational kits about Arctic ecosystems and Arctic biodiversity. Each kit includes a pocket field guide that can be used on its own or together with additional material available on the CAFF website (www.caff.is). Accompanying each pocket field guide is a Leader's Manual to help teachers, youth groups and community leaders make use of the field guides in their educational programming. For a complete list of available pocket field guides and manuals, and for downloadable and printable versions, go to the CAFF website at www.caff.is. Life Linked to Ponds: Pocket Guide and Leader’s Manual This Leader’s Manual and its related pocket field guide look at some of the organisms and processes closely associated with ponds. The pocket field guide focuses on a set of plants and animals that are associated with ponds—with brief information about how they fit into an ecosystem. The Leader’s Manual provides background information about freshwater ponds, the nature of ecosystems and some of the changes and threats that could affect Arctic ecosystems and biodiversity. Appendix A provides more detailed information about the organisms in the pocket field guide. Appendix B provides printable worksheets for the activities designed to get young people—either individually or in groups—out on the land and actively investigating the natural world around them.
1 2 Arctic Ponds The northern landscape is dotted with ponds and wetlands. In fact, more than half of the world’s wetlands are located in the Arctic and sub-­‐Arctic. In some areas, lakes, ponds and wetlands can cover almost 90% of the land. Just like an oasis in the desert, an Arctic pond is a center of life. Each pond supports a whole ecosystem. Microscopic organisms bloom and flourish and chase each other through the water. Plants grow in the ponds and around them. Animals come to drink and browse. Insects hatch and grow in the water and flit through the air above it. Birds come to eat the insects and vegetation or to nest in the shelter of the surrounding plants. Predators follow the birds and their vulnerable eggs and chicks. For the short weeks or months of a pond’s active period, it’s a busy place. An ecosystem is all the living things in an area and the ways they interact with each other and with the non-­‐living world. So Many Ponds In the Arctic, the abundance of ponds is partly due to the abundance of permafrost, the permanently frozen ground that lies just below the ground surface through much of the region. In summer, the top layer of soil melts, leaving some shallow sunken areas. Meltwater from the winter’s snow and ice flows into these depressions, and ponds are formed. The water can’t drain away into the soil below, because that soil is still frozen, forming a barrier. Some ponds dry up through evaporation after a few weeks, but others remain until freeze up. Other ponds form as a result of deteriorating permafrost. If the temperature of the ground rises—even just a degree or two—the upper, warmest layer of permafrost can melt and slump, creating a new depression that fills with water. Even very cold water is above freezing, so the heat from the pond water can melt even more permafrost. The result is a pond that might, if conditions are right, grow slowly over the years. That kind of pond is called a thermokarst pond. Not all northern ponds owe their existence to permafrost, especially in areas south of the line of continuous permafrost. Many ponds are relics of the last ice age, when glaciers scraped and gouged their way across the land. The glaciers retreated, and meltwater flowed into those scrapes and gouges, trapped on the surface by the underlying rock. Meltwater still flows into them each spring, creating ponds that, like the permafrost-­‐dependent ponds, might dry up after a few weeks or might last a full season. 2 Pond Guck and Pond Scum Many of the most important occupants of ponds are almost invisible except in very large numbers. They make up the guck at the bottom of the pond and the scum that floats in and on the water, often turning it green. Pond guck and pond scum contain the primary producers of the pond—the tiny life forms on which all others depend—and the food source many of them depend on, detritus. Detritus is fragments of decaying plants and animals, mixed with bits of organic soil, bird and animal droppings, and all the life-­‐based stuff that settles into the pond from the air or gets washed in with the meltwater. Bacteria and other single-­‐celled organisms work away at it, breaking it down. Other microscopic organisms eat the bacteria, and those organisms are eaten in turn by tiny hunters called zooplankton. Other zooplankton feed on algae, the microscopic plant-­‐like organisms that convert the sun’s energy into food. When you see a slimy green mass draped over underwater rocks and plants or a green scum on the water’s surface, you’re looking at algae in the millions. Pond guck and pond scum are important—possibly the most important components of the pond ecosystem. If you have access to a microscope, you can watch some of the organisms in the guck and the scum living their lives in a drop or two of pond water or a bit of muck from the pond bottom. But even without seeing them, it’s important to remember that they are there and that the other organisms described in Life Linked to Ponds depend on them. 3 Change Comes to the Ponds Several major factors control Arctic ponds’ productivity—the amount and kind of life they support. And all those factors are linked to climate. Ice Ponds that freeze to the bottom in winter generally have no fish. Therefore they have plenty of the smaller organisms that fish would prey on in larger bodies of water. Ice limits the amount of light that reaches the pond water, and algae—a vital food source—
need light. Until the ice thins and disappears and the light reaches down into the water, the pond doesn’t fully come to life. The freshwater ice regime is changing in the Arctic. Over the last 150 years, the ice season has decreased by almost two weeks, on average. Less ice means more plant and algae productivity over a longer period of time, which is already leading to changes in the mix of species of algae and invertebrates in many ponds. Air temperature Increased air temperatures lead to a longer ice-­‐free season and higher evaporation rates. Some ponds are disappearing entirely. Over the past 30 years, high-­‐Arctic ponds that have existed for thousands of years have started to dry up. Changes in water chemistry also occur as the water evaporates faster, leaving higher concentrations of salts and dissolved solids. This chemical change can affect the entire pond ecosystem, reducing the diversity of organisms to those that are able to survive in the changing waters. Water temperature As the air temperature increases and the open-­‐water season lengthens, the water temperature in many ponds is likely to increase. That too will change the level of productivity in ponds and the nature of the ponds’ microscopic life, with consequences for the larger organisms associated with the ponds. Permafrost degradation With warming temperatures, permafrost is becoming more fragile and some is melting. Since so many ponds are dependent on permafrost, changes to the permafrost regime could lead to widespread changes in ponds, including the draining of ponds that have existed for hundreds or thousands of years. Other changes Freshwater ponds and the organisms that depend on them could also be affected by: •
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Pollution deposited from the air, in water runoff from the land, or human activity; Landscape changes due to human activity, such as mining or oil and gas development or road construction; and Invasive species moving north due to climate change or human activity (on vehicles, boots, or boats). 4 3 Equipment for Exploring Ponds If you want to make the most of a field trip to a pond, here’s a general list of useful equipment. Any special equipment needed for the activities in the next section of this manual is listed with the activity. Basic gear • Notebook and pen or pencil: Things to record on a field trip include: date, time of day, weather conditions, and location. The notebook can be used to record details of a specific project or activity, but it can also be used to make notes and sketches of things you observe. If you want to identify a plant or animal later, a few notes about its features and a quick sketch will make that a lot easier. • Short ruler: When photographing a small thing, such as a caddisfly larva case, place it beside a small ruler with clearly visible markings. That way you will know exactly how big it is. • Magnifying lens: Any kind of magnifying glass will make it easier to see the details of plants and small pond animals. • Small plastic bags, bottles, or jars for samples: Taking pond water, pond scum, pond guck, or little pond creatures home to study can be messy. You’ll need something to hold the mess. • Water: For thirsty explorers. Optional • Binoculars: Can be heavy and expensive, but they make it much easier to observe and identify birds and animals without disturbing them. That’s especially important during nesting season around ponds. On a field trip, several people can share one set of binoculars. • Meter stick: To measure pond depth. Make sure it’s one that can survive getting wet and muddy. • Thermometer: To measure water and air temperature. • String and 4 tent pegs or short sticks: Helpful to mark out a plot areas to examine in detail. • Compass: Direction is often an important factor in where and how vegetation grows or where birds arrive from, so it’s useful to be able to tell directions, even on an overcast day. It also helps you avoid getting lost! • Field guide (a book or a person): A portable collection of expert information. Usually we think of a field guide as a book, but it could just as easily be a person who knows about pond life (a scientist, an elder, someone who works on the land) and is willing to join the field trip. • Camera: Useful for recording species to identify later. • Snack: For hungry explorers 5 4 Activities for Individuals and Small Groups 4.1 HOW TO MAKE AN UNDERWATER VIEWER Note: The instructions for making an underwater viewer are included in the Life Linked to Ponds pocket field guide. Goal: A lot of the interesting things in a pond are under the water. You can sneak a peek into that world with this easy-­‐to-­‐make underwater viewer. Location: Classroom and field Equipment: • A piece of wide plastic tube or a cylinder-­‐shaped container (coffee can, ice cream bucket, or something of the sort) • Transparent plastic or plastic wrap from the kitchen • A strong rubber band • Duct tape or other waterproof tape Instructions: 1. Cut off any remaining end on the container to make a cylinder open at both ends. 2. Cover one end of the cylinder with plastic wrap and use the rubber band to hold it in place. 3. Wrap tape around the plastic so that it’s firm and watertight. You can remove the rubber band or leave it in place if you’ve taped over it. 4. If there are sharp edges on the other end of the cylinder, cover them with tape so you don’t cut yourself. How to use the Viewer: Put the plastic-­‐covered end of the viewer a couple of centimeters into the water and look through the open end. Be careful not to cast a shadow over the area you want to see; it will scare the little water creatures away. 6 4.2 BUILDING A FOOD WEB Goal: Explore ecosystem functions through food webs Location: Classroom What to do: Start by using this food web illustration (also on page ii of the Life Linked to Ponds booklet) as a guide to talking about food webs and the links between organisms, from the microscopic right up to humans. Each student, or group of students, chooses an animal that lives in or around ponds. They can choose from the Life Linked to Ponds guide or pick a local animal of their choice. In small groups or individually, have students research the animals further, consulting field notes, guide books and the internet. Have students create a visual poster using their answers to the questions below. Placing the focus animal in the middle, have students draw connections between it and other living things in its environment. The students can also note non-­‐living factors that the animal affects, such as filtering water or adding nutrients to the soil. The result should look like a mini food web, highlighting the associations of this particular animal. Together, discuss what other connections can be added to make the food web bigger. Can they make a connection right down to the level of microscopic organisms? Can they make an ecosystem link to humans? Think about possible environmental changes that 7 could affect the animal and what impact those changes might have on the broader ecosystem. Questions to consider: • What are the animals’ basic needs for survival? (They are food, water, air and shelter.) • What organisms in or around the pond would this animal rely on in order to meet these needs? • What might happen if some of these organisms were to disappear from the ecosystem? • What organisms rely on this animal for survival? • How does this animal interact with the non-­‐living things in its environment, like the water and the soil? (Consider nutrient inputs, water quality, air quality, microclimate – all things that the animal or the organisms associated with this animal might affect.) • What might happen to a freshwater ecosystem if this animal were to become extinct? (Consider as many linkages as possible here.) 4.3 WHAT’S IN THE WATER? Goal: Explore life living within the water column. Location: Field Background information: With a little bit of detective work a whole lot of life can be found in your local pond! Gather the supplies suggested and your group of children and go exploring. By collecting water samples and examining them, you might find plants, animals, insects and algae. Each drop of water is full of life. Much of it is too small to see with the naked eye, but with the help of a magnifying lens you can reveal some of the life that feeds your pond and all the organisms within it. If you’re lucky enough to have access to a microscope, you’ll see even more. Equipment: • Clean glass jar with lid • Bucket • Magnifying glass • Light coloured plastic tray or basin • Eye dropper • Net • Life Linked to Ponds Field Guide • Activity sheets in Appendix B 8 What to do: Using clean jars and buckets, collect a few samples of water from around the pond. Pond life exists in a series of levels, just like in a forest. There will be different organisms living near the bottom, within the water column and near the surface. Some critters will be found at the pond edge and some farther out. Take samples from a few different locations and see if you find a difference in what is living within them. Once your samples are collected, the real fun begins. Have students use an eye dropper or just pour a small amount of water into the jar lid or a small plastic container. What do you see? Are there pieces of plants, or any insects? If you find swimming insects, do you think they are larvae or full grown bugs? Larvae often have long, segmented bodies, with hard heads and forelegs. Creatures like this are usually beetle larvae or fly larvae. On the surface, there may be water striders, or water boatmen, that live on the surface film of the pond. Have students sketch anything they find of interest. Using the magnifying lens, examine the water sample up close. Are there green strands of algae within it? Many types of algae are single-­‐celled organisms that form colonies big enough for us to see. These are the very first building blocks of life in a pond. Tiny and microscopic plants and algae feed tiny and microscopic animals. These little life forms then feed insect larvae, insects and fish in the pond, which in turn feed larger organisms like birds. So having a variety of life forms at the smaller level is a sign of a healthy pond ecosystem all the way through the food web. When students are done examining their water samples, have them take turns using a net. Fill the basin with a few inches of pond water. Students should sweep the water in the pond at different levels and gently turn the nets inside out into the basin. Swish the nets around to loosen anything that might be caught. Make sure students try this at different levels of the pond and in different spots. In the nets you might find insect larvae, aquatic worms, pond weeds or beetles. What is in your pond? Questions to consider: • What do the creatures you found eat? What eats these creatures? • How do you think they are affected by light? Temperature? • What happens if the water gets warmer? What if the air gets warmer? 9 4.4 WHAT’S IN THE MUCK? Goal: Explore life living at the bottom of the pond. Location: Field Background information: With the same detective skils used in the previous activity, “What’s in the Water”, a whole lot of life can be found at the bottom your local pond. Gather the supplies suggested and your group of children and go exploring. Equipment: • Plastic basin • Magnifying lens • Small bucket and/or shovel • Plastic spoon • Field journal • Life Linked to Ponds Field Guide • Activity sheets in Appendix B What to do: Take only one or two small samples from the pond bottom to avoid damaging the sensitive habitat. Scoop a bit of the pond bottom up with your shovel and put it in your basin. Using fingers or the spoon, spread the muck around and investigate the contents. Add a little pond water using your bucket to loosen the mud. Are there worms, plants or insect larvae in there? Put a little mud in the spoon and examine it with a magnifying lens. Have students draw and take notes about anything neat they find. Questions to consider: • Why are they in the muck and not the water? 10 4.5 KEEP A POND JOURNAL Goal: To track changes in the pond over the season. Location: Classroom and field Background information: Ponds change over the months of spring, summer and fall. Tracking those changes on a regular basis will tell you a lot about the health of your pond and the biodiversity of its neighborhood. Equipment: • Notebook • Pencil • Binoculars (optional) • Magnifying glass (optional) What to do: Visit your pond at regular intervals, at least once a week—if possible, from the time the snow and ice begin to thaw until the pond dries up or ices over. Keep a journal of what you see and what changes you observe, making sure to note the date for each entry. Draw pictures of what you see as well as describing things in words. At the end of the season, you’ll be able to look back through your notes and see the whole cycle of life associated with your pond. Questions to consider: • When is the water fully open? • When can you see the plants around the pond begin to turn green? • Which plants green first? • When do the first flowers appear, and what are they? • When do you see insects moving around or in the pond, and where? • When do you see the first flying insects? • When do the birds arrive, and which arrive first? And when do they leave? • What other signs of life and change do you observe? 11 5 Activities for Larger Groups and Classes 5.1 EXPLORE TRADITIONAL AND LOCAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE Note: This activity can be done with smaller groups too. Goal: Deepen understanding of the historical and present use and importance of ponds and wetlands in your area. Location: Classroom and field Background information: Ponds can be important features on the landscape for humans as well as animals. They can be rich sources of food plants, excellent hunting spots and good places for recreational activities. Not so long ago, humans relied much more on local ecosystems, such as ponds, for their food, clothing and shelter. This has changed in much of the world. Today, many or most of these items are shipped to our communities, often from far away. However, many Arctic communities have maintained much of their traditional lifestyle and the knowledge associated with it. What to do: Go out into the community and look for answers to discover how ponds were used in the past, how they are used today, and how usage has changed over time. You might ask parents or grandparents or other family members, community elders or teachers. Record the answers and information in a notebook. If the people you interview permit it, you could make a sound recording or video recording of the interviews. Always make sure to get permission from the people you interview before you use their information, voices or images. You might also ask if people have old photographs of the ponds and people using them. Comparing old photographs with current ones can show any changes very clearly. With the information from the interviews, you might create a booklet, information sheet or poster describing how your community uses local ponds, how they were used in the past and any changes described. If you have audio or video of the interviews, you might want to create a podcast or program about the community’s relationship with ponds. The local school or library might be interested in hosting a special presentation about the information you have collected. Questions to consider: • Who else in the community might provide information? People who work on the land? Fishermen, scientists or even kids who use the freshwater places regularly? Who else can you think of? • Were any of the local ponds or wetlands important for finding food plants, berries or fiber plants? What time of year did this use occur? 12 •
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Were common hunting grounds associated with the pond? Was fishing ever possible, or is it still possible, in the area? Have the ponds in your area changed over time? In what way? Why do you think that has happened? Has your community’s use of ponds changed as technology has developed and food from outside has become more common? 5.2 BIOBLITZ YOUR POND! Goal: Have students work together in pairs, small groups or individually (if appropriate) to assess the biodiversity of your pond by collecting data in a consistent manner. Location: Classroom and field What is Bioblitz? A biodiversity blitz, or bioblitz, is a tool used to assess the biodiversity of an area and get an idea of the species present. Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms, including the diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. A simple measure of biodiversity is the number of species occupying an area—which is what you’ll be discovering in your Pond BioBlitz. A bioblitz is a form of citizen science. Citizen science is based on the principle that many eyes are better than only a few. So, rather than having one or two employees gather data, it uses a whole community to collect more data, while encouraging citizens to learn about and care for their natural spaces. You can organize your Pond bioblitz as a whole-­‐community event or just with your group. During a bioblitz, participants record every species they encounter and the number of organisms in each species. This data can be used to compare two different ponds or to monitor change in a pond over time. If you have a particularly productive pond, you may choose to blitz just the life found within the pond, or you can survey just birds or just insects, depending on the time available, the number of people involved, and abundance of each group of organisms. A bioblitz is a great way to get people involved and aware of local ecosystems, but it is also serious and valuable science. Governments, environmental managers and conservation organizations often use bioblitz data. When done consistently every couple of years, bioblitzing provides a basis to measure change. If there are any rare or endangered species, it provides a way to keep track of changes in their populations. Background information: A pond or wetland is a special place. It provides homes for aquatic organisms, from microscopic algae and zooplankton up to bigger things like fish and insect larvae. The area around a pond provides habitat for nesting birds, small mammals and water-­‐loving 13 plants. Larger animals are attracted to the ponds to eat plants, insects, fish, eggs, birds and small mammals and to drink the water. The transition zone between the tundra ecosystem and the freshwater ecosystem is called the ecotone. Ecotones are dense areas of biodiversity; there are usually more organisms using these areas than in the adjacent ecosystems. That makes them important areas to preserve and protect in order to maintain healthy landscapes. Whether your pond is ephemeral (dries up every year) or a year-­‐round fixture, it is probably a pretty important place for local plants and animals. The Arctic region is currently undergoing significant and rapid environmental change due to pollution, mining, oil and gas activities, changes in climate, human use of freshwater and invasive introduced species. There is a big gap in knowledge about freshwater ecosystems in many areas of the Arctic. Without knowledge of your local pond or wetland, you won’t know how or when it is changing. An activity like a bioblitz provides that reference. You will learn what lives in and around the pond, what species are present and in what concentrations. This knowledge can be used to monitor change over time and to give you an idea of the health of your pond ecosystem. Equipment: For each working group, approximately four students •
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Large shallow basins Nets Buckets Jars, containers White plastic spoons Binoculars Magnifying glass Life Linked to Ponds Field Guide Activity sheets in Appendix B What to do: Water-­‐blitz Ask students not to walk in the pond, even if they have rubber boots. The pond edge is delicate and might contain a lot of life that does not want to be walked on! Be sure that interesting discoveries are shared with the larger group. Fill basins a quarter full of water from the pond. Using nets, students skim the pond water, dip and scoop to try and collect some critters. They gently invert the nets into the basin when they have something, freeing it into the water. To examine something tiny in greater detail, the organism can be scooped up with a plastic spoon and examined under a magnifying glass. Tell students not to worry too much about identifying each critter, but record what type of organism they have found and how many are in their sample. Take this opportunity to remind them to take pictures or draw. Empty the basins back into the pond when this is done. 14 Next, students can take a small sample of the pond bottom using a small bucket or jar. Make sure to scoop just one tiny area to avoid damaging your pond ecosystem. Students can empty the sample into the basin, spreading out the muck. Have them record any plants, insects or wriggly critters found in the mud. Samples of pond water can be collected in clean jars and brought home or back to class for further analysis. This is especially useful if students have access to a microscope. The water is undoubtedly full of tiny organisms that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Useful website: Pond Life Identification Kit: A simple guide to small and microscopic pond life at www.microscopy-­‐uk.org.uk/pond. This website will help you identify the types of small organisms you find in the pond, whether with the naked eye, a magnifying glass or a microscope. If you don’t have access to microscope, it is still interesting to look through this site and see what tiny creatures are living in your pond. Land-­‐blitz Life around the pond may be even more diverse than within it. Because some ponds dry up over the summer, they might not house a lot of plants or animals. But even ephemeral ponds provide some good habitat around them. For this activity set your students a time limit—perhaps from 45 to 90 minutes, depending on your pond size and age of the group. A time limit makes this an exciting challenge: to find as many species as possible in the allotted time. Ask students to scour the area around the pond for every living thing they can find and record the information on their data sheets. If they start with one small section of land, they can try to find as many different kinds of plants as possible in their chosen area before moving on. Using binoculars if necessary, students record all the birds seen and heard. Even signs of small animals, such as tracks or droppings, can be recorded. Make sure to stress that notes and drawings should be made if a student doesn’t know what a plant, animal or animal sign is. They can be checked later and possibly identified. Have guidebooks and/or experts on hand to answer questions and help in identification. At the end of the time limit, gather all of the data sheets for later discussion. Using the data: If you can enter the data into a computer program or spreadsheet, it will be easier to see patterns and it will help classes in future years to see if changes are happening. But no matter how you look at the results of the bioblitz, the records will reveal a lot about your local pond area. Students may be surprised to learn just how many different organisms are in their local area. You can lead a discussion with your group about what they found, what they were surprised to find and what they expected. Students can also try to predict what changes might take place in the future. 15 5.3 TRANSECT STUDY Goal: Students will learn to measure changes in a landscape through the use of a transect line. Location: Classroom and field Background Information A transect study is a method scientists use to study changes in habitats. A transect is simply a rope stretched out across a landscape. Researchers do a detailed study of organisms at points evenly spaced across the transect line. This activity will help students measure changes in plant diversity around the pond. Materials: • Long rope, approximately 10 m • Roll of string • Measuring tape • Rulers (one per group) • Tent pegs (two per group) • Life Linked to Ponds Field Guide • Activity sheets in Appendix B What to do: Explain to the group that one way scientists measure changes in habitat and changes in biodiversity is by using a transect. Have the students give their definitions of habitat and identify some different habitat types they might find around the pond. Two important concepts for this activity are biodiversity and ecotone: •
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Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms. This includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. A simple measure of biodiversity is the number of species occupying an area. Ecotone is a transition area between two biological communities, where the two communities meet and integrate. Ecotones are often areas of high biodiversity and are very important features on a landscape. Divide students into small groups. Choose a study site around the pond that has variable terrain, but looks typical of the area. Extend your rope out from the waters edge directly away from the pond. With a large group you may choose to use more than one transect line. Once your rope is in place extending from the edge of the pond, have students calculate how many points will be needed so that each group can sample at least two points. For example, if you have a 5 groups of students, you will need 10 points along the transect line. On a 10 m transect, you would need to sample every 1 m. Measure the distance between points and mark them using tent pegs. 16 To collect data, students will use a ruler and piece of string to mark a circle with a 30 cm radius around the tent peg. They can do this by extending a ruler out from the peg (the middle of the circle) to measure 30 cm and marking the circle out roughly with a piece of string. Any plant that has a part within that circle is counted. The students record how many plants of each type are found within the circle. They can identify plants through a written description or a picture, or they can use a field guide to find the species’ name. Questions to Consider: • Are there differences in plant diversity along the transect? Do these differences have anything to do with habitat characteristics? • Can you map the vegetation changes and the ecotones around the pond? • Can you think of explanations for the changes? • Are there disturbances (from humans, animals or environmental processes) that might have affected diversity? 5.3.1 CALCULATING THE BIODIVERSITY INDEX You can use the data from your pond transect to calculate another measurement used by scientists. To describe the amount of species diversity in a given area, scientists use a formula called the biodiversity index. The biodiversity index is an indicator of how well and easily an area can adapt to changing conditions. If an area is populated by a single species, it has a lower ability to adapt to changes in the environment. A diverse population consisting of many species of plants has a better chance of adapting. A simple biodiversity index is calculated as follows: Total number of different species ÷ Total number of organisms counted = Biodiversity Index The closer the biodiversity index is to one, the more diverse and healthy the environment. Example: In the 30 cm radius, a student counts 5 Arctic cottongrass, 4 dwarf birch, and 1 lichen. The biodiversity index for this plot would be 3 ÷ 10 = 0.30. 17 In another circle, a student counts 2 Arctic cottongrass, 2 dwarf birch, 1 dwarf willow, 1 mountain aven, 2 purple saxifrage, 1 moss, 1 reindeer lichen and 1 crustose lichen. The Biodiversity Index for this plot would be 8÷11 = 0.73. Therefore, the second plot has a higher level of biodiversity. What to do: Using data from the students transect points, have students calculate the biodiversity index for their plots. The leader can do this calculation if you have a younger group. If you sampled plant data at more than one pond, you can compare the biodiversity index between sites. Calculate the average biodiversity index across the group for each pond, then compare these values. Similar habitat may provide similar results, while some plots may have been closer or farther from the pond, affecting the number of species able to survive in that location. Questions to Consider: • Are the indexes very different between plots? Why or why not? 18 Appendix A: Species Information This section provides further information about the species featured in the Life Linked to Ponds field guide. The information is presented in the same order that it appears in the field guide. IN THE POND Common mare's tail (Scientific name: Hippuris vulgaris) Common mare’s tail grows in dense colonies in ponds and other shallow water throughout the Arctic and farther south. A truly amphibious plant, it thrives both in and out of the water. Although it likes to have its roots under water, the plant continues to grow even when the water in temporary ponds evaporates during the summer. Physical description: •
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Stems are limp when underwater; the stems and leaves drift with any current or lie flat near the water surface. Out of the water, stems stiffen and stick up straight like a green bottlebrush. Small, narrow leaves growing in circles around stem. Single stems, no branching. Stems and leaves die in winter. Plants are 30 to 100 cm in height. Habitat: Shallow water in ponds, slow moving streams and lakes. Range: Circumpolar in northern hemisphere; also in South America. Reproduction: •
Grows from seeds and roots. Will also regrow stems from cuttings. Ecosystem functions: •
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Dense colonies provide shelter for aquatic life, such as the mosquito larvae, caddisfly larvae, and diving beetles (both larvae and adults) mentioned in the guide. Waterfowl and shorebirds eat the seeds and, occasionally, leaves. People have used it for some medicinal purposes. People eat it raw or in soups in parts of the Arctic. Impacts of climate change: 19 •
With increased global temperatures, drastic changes have been seen in ponds across the Arctic. High Arctic ponds and lakes in Alaska, Siberia and northern Canada are disappearing at an alarming rate. This result is a loss or reduction of habitat for the common mare’s tail. Interesting facts: •
Common mare’s tail is an edible plant, with leaves and young stems being eaten raw or cooked in soups. The plant also has wound healing propertries, and is applied internally or externally. Fairy shrimp Fairy shrimp are tiny crustaceans, relatives of lobster, crayfish, krill and the kind of shrimp that you find in the grocery store. Physical description: •
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Long, thin bodies; many pairs of legs. Heads clearly distinct from bodies, with large compound eyes. Swim on their backs, with legs waving on top of their bodies. Use legs for breathing and capturing food, as well as swimming. Largest are 10 cm long; most species between 1 and 2 cm. Habitat: Most fairy shrimp are found in shallow, temporary ponds without fish. One species, Branchinecta paludosa, can be common in small lakes. Range: Every continent except Antarctica. Four species occur in Arctic freshwater habitats. Two of these are found nowhere else in the world. Food: They eat algae, other microscopic life, and bits of decaying material, as well as tiny larvae of insects and shrimp. They filter food out of the water with their legs or use their legs to scrape bits of food off hard surfaces. Reproduction: The female keeps fertilized eggs in a brood pouch until she dies. Then the eggs settle to the pond bottom. The eggs can survive drought and freezing, even in the Arctic. They hatch when the pond fills with water again. Life cycle: Can develop from egg to adult in a month. Ecosystem functions: •
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Important food for ducks, geese, swans and some wading birds. Eaten by some aquatic insects and larvae. Eggs can survive passing through a waterfowl’s gut; can spread to fresh habitat via birds. 20 Impacts of climate change: •
Fairy shrimp are an important food source for many species during the breeding season. A reduction in Arctic pond habitat could have impacts throughout the Arctic ecosystem. Interesting facts: •
Fairy shrimp living in the Arctic are quite small, but some species living further south can grow up to 15 cm. Caddisfly larvae Caddisflies are among the largest groups of aquatic insects, with more than 7,000 species worldwide. They spend most of their lives as larvae, wriggly little creatures on the bottoms of streams and ponds. As adults, they look a bit like moths but with small, delicate, hairy wings. Physical description (larvae): •
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Long, soft bodies. Head and legs have a hard coating. Some build protective cases from whatever materials are available—tiny pebbles, bits of sand, bits of wood or water plants, glued together with strands of silk. Head and legs stick out from the case, but can be pulled back inside in case of danger. Some larvae carry their cases around; others attach them to the pond bottom. The ones that attach their cases to the bottom often spin nets to catch food. As the larvae grow, they simply add material to their cases to make them bigger. Caddisflie larvae vary in size dependant on age and species, with some free-­‐
living species growing to almost 4 cm in length. Habitat: Bottoms of temperate lakes, streams, ponds. Range: About 15 species of caddisflies occur in the Low Arctic; only 1 species, Apatania zonella, is common in the High Arctic. Food: Algae, fungi, bits of decomposing material, tiny invertebrates. Varies by species: some filter organic particles from the surrounding water or scrape them off submerged rocks and plants; others feed mainly on insects, with some spinning silken nets to capture prey. 21 Reproduction: One female can lay up to several hundred eggs. Eggs are enclosed in a gelatinous mass either in or near the water. Life span: Varies by species, but up to a year, possibly longer for some Arctic species due to short open-­‐water season. Ecosystem functions: •
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Larvae eaten by fish, other insects and any predators that live in the water. Larvae eaten by waterfowl. Adult caddisflies are eaten by birds, bats, insects, spiders. Caddisfly larvae are very sensitive to the quality and temperature of the water. Scientists can tell a lot about the water of a pond or stream by the species of caddisfly larvae that can survive in it. Impacts of climate change: •
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Changes in temperature or quality of water due to climate change would lead to change in the mix of caddisfly species. Species adapted to cold water could be threatened by increasing temperatures. Interesting facts: •
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When the adult caddisfly emerges from its case, it has to swim to the water surface to breathe and fly. The cases of caddisfly larvae actually help them breathe, especially in still water like ponds. They move their bodies up and down, back and forth inside their cases. The movement makes a current that brings them fresh oxygen. The less oxygen there is in the water, the faster they have to move. Some artists and jewellers remove caddisfly larvae from their cases and put them in tanks with flakes of gold, pearls, and other materials. The larvae create new cases with the materials, which are then sold as jewelry. Mosquito larvae Everyone knows about adult mosquitoes. Mosquito bites are one of the great annoyances associated with late spring and summer—both for humans and for other warm-­‐blooded animals. The larvae are less well known, since they don’t bite, but almost as easy to find. Look in any bit of shallow, still water. Physical description: •
Large head and mouth parts; no legs; segmented abdomen. 22 •
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Breathing tube protrudes from end of abdomen. Basically, they breathe through their bums. Most commonly found upside down at the water surface, with the breathing tube sticking up into the air. Mosquito larvae can swim if necessary, usually by wriggling their whole bodies. Some can function at temperatures barely above freezing; can swim to warmer parts of their ponds. Mosquito larvae grow up to about 0.5 cm long before entering the pupal stage. Habitat: Larvae live in shallow still water. Range: Extremely widespread around the world, with many species in the Arctic. There are more than two dozen species in Alaska alone. Food: Larvae filter-­‐feed particles (algae, bacteria, other microbes) out of the water. Adults drink nectar from flowers. Only females drink blood, which they use as a source of protein to develop their eggs. Females can develop eggs without a blood meal, but fewer eggs are produced. Reproduction: Females lay eggs near the margins of lakes, ponds or puddles. Life span: Varies by species and geography. Larval stage usually lasts a few days to a couple of weeks. Adults can live from weeks to several months. Adults of some species overwinter. Ecosystem functions: •
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Larvae are food for other pond insects. Many fish eat mosquito larvae. Migrating birds eat the adult mosquitoes that gather in thick clouds in the Arctic. Mosquitoes pollinate plants, just as bees do—including rare Arctic orchids. Mosquitoes sometimes transmit diseases to the animals they bite. Mosquitoes can affect the seasonal movements of some Arctic species, such as caribou, which congregate on windy hilltops to escape harassment during the insect season. Impacts of climate change: •
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Warmer water allows the larvae to grow faster and hatch sooner, so it could lead to an increase in mosquito numbers and a longer mosquito season. Some species will be able to move farther north as the climate warms, potentially bringing blood-­‐borne diseases with them. Interesting facts: •
Female mosquitoes can consume 1-­‐5 times their body weight in blood, which they use as a source of protein to develop their eggs. 23 •
The mosquito’s buzzing sound is made by their wings. Female mosquitoes are larger, so they flap their wings slower, changing the sound. Males can follow the sound of a female’s buzzing in order to mate. Predaceous diving beetles (Scientific name: Dytiscidae spp.) Predaceous diving beetles are the fierce hunters of the pond, both as adults and as larvae. The larvae are called “water tigers” because of their huge appetite and large jaws. The adults swim and dive underwater and can capture prey as large as small fish. Physical description (water tigers): •
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Long, slender bodies. Huge, curving jaws. Breathes through spiracles (tubes) on its abdomen and hangs suspended from the water surface film. Larvae of some species have abdominal appendages that function as gills, so larva does not have to surface in order to breathe. Physical description (adult beetles): •
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Rounded, compact body and a thick, solid "shell" (exoskeleton). One pair of long, oar-­‐like legs that is used for swimming. Breathe underwater by capturing air beneath their wing coverings. Air bubble sometimes visible as silvery sheen. Can also use their wings to fly from pond to pond. Adult beetles range from about 2 to 4 cm in length, with a lot of variation between species. Habitat: Slow-­‐moving bodies of water, such as streams, marshes, pools, small lakes and ponds. Range: Extremely widespread around the world. About 26 species reported in the Arctic. Food: Larva eats other insect larvae and small aquatic animals. Beetle eats insects, crustaceans and even small fish. Both stages inject digestive juices into the prey through canals in jaws. Then use hollow jaws to suck out soup-­‐like digested innards of prey. Reproduction: After male fertilizes eggs, female deposits them, one at a time, into an underwater plant's stem. Egg hatches into “water tiger” larva. Once larva is fully grown, 24 it goes on land, hides under a rock or vegetation or digs a hole in the ground. There it spins a cocoon. It stays in the cocoon for several weeks, transforming into the diving beetle adult form. Once the transformation is complete, it breaks out of the cocoon and heads back to water immediately. Life cycle: Most overwinter as adults and lay eggs in the spring; some spend the winter as larvae and then change into adults in early summer. Adult beetles only reproduce once a year. Ecosystem functions: •
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Larva eats other insect larvae, especially mosquito larvae. Adult eats other insects, crustaceans, and even small fish. Larvae are eaten by some waterfowl. Impacts of climate change: •
Diving beetle (Colymbetes dolabratus) larvae share Greenland meltwater ponds with mosquito larvae in May and June. The water tigers eat the mosquito larvae as fast as they can, so the faster the mosquitoes can mature, the more make it to adulthood. Warmer climate likely means less food for the diving beetle larvae and more mosquitoes. AROUND THE POND Arctic cottongrass (Scientific name: Eriophorum scheuchzeri) Arctic cottongrass is one of about 25 species of cottongrass. It is actually a sedge, rather than a grass, although the two groups are closely related. Sedges grow in boggy conditions and have solid triangular stems. Grasses generally grow on drier ground than sedges and have hollow cylindrical stems. Physical description: •
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Slender, grass-­‐like leaves. Seed heads covered in a fluffy mass of cotton. Single, white, spherical woolly fruit or seed head on every stem. Habitat: Grows in boggy conditions, including around tundra ponds. Range: Found throughout the Arctic. 25 Reproduction: The fluffy masses of cotton on the seed heads are usually carried in the wind and dispersed. Ecosystem functions: •
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Important food for migrating snow geese and caribou calves. Provides shelter for insects, nesting birds, small mammals. People have used the roots and stems for medicine. Cotton balls used to make pillows, wicks for candles and oil lamps, wound-­‐
dressings and baby diapers. Impacts of climate change: •
Climate change could initially increase the abundance of cottongrass in the Arctic. As climate warms, sensitive species with narrow ranges will be outcompeted by more vigorous plant species like cottongrass. However, higher temperatures also mean evaporation, and loss of suitably wet habitat may lead to a decline over time. Interesting facts: •
Cottongrass is the most widespread flowering plant found in the northern hemisphere and Arctic tundra regions. King eider (Scientific name: Somateria spectabilis) Most of the world’s king eider ducks nest in Arctic Siberia, Canada and Alaska. Occasionally, the ducks nest in Iceland, Greenland and Scandinavia. Physical description: •
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Male very colorful during breeding season: black body, white chest, light blue markings on head, greenish face, and bright red-­‐orange bill with large round orange knob outlined with black. Female is mostly deep reddish brown, barred with black. Bill is gray; feet greenish gray to yellowish, with dark webs. During the non-­‐breeding season, male looks much like the female. King eiders have a wingspan from 89 up to 102 cm, and weighing from 1.2 to 2.1 kg. Habitat: Nests in various tundra habitats, generally in low marshy areas—often around tundra ponds. 26 Range: Circumpolar. Nests in tundra areas in the Arctic; winters at sea in northern waters. Food: In winter, feeds on a wide variety of marine animals, as well as algae; commonly dives to sea floor to take prey, as deep as 25 m. During summer nesting season, eats freshwater aquatic insect larvae, crustaceans, and plant matter. Reproduction: Nests are generally in low marshy areas—often around tundra ponds. Female scrapes a nest in the ground and lines it with vegetation and down, her own soft feathers. She tends the nest alone, rarely eating for 22-­‐24 days until the eggs hatch. Ducklings spend their first few days on fresh water, but soon their mother escorts them to the coast. If there’s no stream to float down, the ducklings walk from pond to pond, all the way to the sea. Life span: 12-­‐14 years Ecosystem functions: •
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Eggs, ducklings and, occasionally, nesting adults are preyed upon by foxes. Adults sometimes killed in the air by peregrine falcons. People hunt king eider ducks for food. People collect the eider down from nests to use for stuffing and insulation. However, since king eider nests are in remote locations, they are not used in commercial production of eider down as as common eider nests are. Impacts of climate change: •
Changes to northern oceans due to climate change could mean changes to prey species available on the king eiders’ wintering grounds. Interesting facts: •
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King eiders migrate in flocks that can sometimes contain more than 10,000 birds. Wings whistle in flight. Snow goose (Scientific name: Chen caerulescens) There are two subspecies: lesser snow geese found in the west, and greater snow geese in the east. Physical description: •
White with black wingtips that are barely visible on the ground but noticeable in flight. 27 •
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Pink bill with dark line along it. A less common darker variant, often called blue geese, has a white face, dark brown body, and white under the tail. The lesser snow goose has a wingspan of 90 cm and weighs 2.2 to 2.7 kg. Greater snow geese can have a wingspan of up to 1.5 m and weigh up to 3.5 kg. Habitat: Nest on the tundra. Nest site, typically sheltered among vegetation, along with rocks or small shrubs. Snow geese build nests on dry ground when possible. They use island sites or areas near small ponds when those are available. Range: Snow geese nest from Wrangel Island in eastern Russia across the North American Arctic to the northwest coast of Greenland. They winter mainly on both coasts of the United States and some inland areas, although some geese stop in southwestern Canada and some go as far south as Mexico. Food: Eat grasses, sedges, rushes, forbs, aquatic plants, shrubs, willows. They will consume nearly any part of a plant—including seeds, stems, leaves, tubers, and roots—
even ripping entire stems from the ground. Goslings may eat fruits, flowers, shoots of aquatic plants and fly larvae. Reproduction: Females forage up to 18 hours a day once they arrive at breeding grounds, but eat little once they begin incubating the eggs. The female incubates the eggs and nestlings, spending 21 or more hours a day on the nest. Eggs are large and creamy white, although they stain easily and get quite dirty-­‐looking. The male stands guard against predators and other snow geese. When they hatch, the chicks have open eyes and down-­‐covered bodies. They grow very quickly, with the males growing faster than the females. Within three weeks of hatching, goslings might walk up to 80 km with their parents from the nest to a brood-­‐rearing area. Life span: The oldest snow goose on record, shot in Texas in 1999, was 27.5 years old. Ecosystem functions: •
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Snow geese consume nearly any part of a plant—including seeds, stems, leaves, tubers, and roots—sometimes ripping entire stems from the ground. This can damage their habitat. Eggs and nestlings are at risk from foxes, gulls, birds of prey, ravens, caribou, bears, wolves. Adults are hunted, especially during the nesting season. People hunt snow geese for food and sometimes collect eggs. Impacts of climate change: •
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Changes in timing of spring ice break-­‐up in some areas of snow goose nesting grounds mean hungry polar bears are coming ashore during the nesting season and feeding on waterfowl eggs. Warmer temperatures mean that some of the plants nesting geese depend on are emerging and greening earlier, which could affect the resources available to nesting birds and goslings. 28 Interesting fact: •
The large and growing population of snow geese is causing damage to some of their nesting habitat, including changes to the nutrient levels in Arctic ponds. Pink-­‐footed geese, which nest in eastern Greenland, Iceland, and Svalbard, are having a similar impact on some ponds in Svalbard. The reason for the population growth in both species is reduced hunting and abundant food on agricultural land in their wintering grounds. VISITORS TO THE POND Arctic fox (Scientific name: Vulpes lagopus) The Arctic fox lives on the tundra around the Arctic. In some areas, it’s also known as the polar fox. Physical description: •
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Thickly furred. Color is white or sometimes blue-­‐gray in winter; brown or gray in summer. Furry soles, short ears and short muzzle. Bushy tail, which it wraps around itself as a cozy cover in cold weather. The tail also helps in balance. About the size of a house cat. Habitat: Tundra. Live in burrows. In a blizzard, sometimes tunnel into the snow to create shelter. Range: Throughout Arctic tundra biome. Food: Rodents, birds and even fish in summer. Scavenge kills by other predators, such as wolves and bears in winter. Foxes even follow polar bears onto the sea ice, looking for opportunity. Foxes will also eat some vegetation, such as berries. Reproduction: Female Arctic foxes give birth each spring to a large litter of up to 14 pups. Life span: 3-­‐6 years in the wild; up to 14 years in captivity Ecosystem functions: •
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Arctic foxes remove and cache eggs of nesting waterfowl, such as snow geese and king eiders. People trap foxes for their fur. Impacts of climate change: 29 •
Red foxes are moving into many parts of the Arctic as temperatures warm. Red foxes are bigger and more aggressive, and can outhunt Arctic foxes and take over their dens, leaving them without food or a home. Interesting facts: •
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On Wrangel Island, off the northeastern coast of Russia, scientists observed Arctic foxes stealing as many as 40 snow goose eggs a day. Cached in holes on the cold tundra, the eggs keep well for use later when food is scarce. Foxes can survive temperatures as low as -­‐50°C. Peregrine Falcon (Scientific name: Falco peregrinus) Peregrine falcons are found in most parts of the Arctic. Some travel long distances to get there. The tundra peregrines that nest in Arctic North America and Greenland migrate each spring from as far away as South America, travelling as much as 25,000 km in a year. Physical description: •
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Small heads, firm compact plumage and long pointed wings. Roughly crow-­‐sized, with females about 30% larger than males. Blackish cheek stripe below the eye; white throat. Dark bluish-­‐gray or slate-­‐colored crown, back and upper surface of wings. Underparts are white to buff, with dark brown barring. Peregrine falcons have a wingspan of 1 to 1.1 m, and weigh from 0.5 to 1.6 kg. Habitat: Open landscapes with cliffs during breeding season, although they have taken to city life as well, nesting on the ledges of skyscrapers. In winter, they live in any open habitat, especially near a body of water where plenty of birds are likely to be found. Range: Peregrines are found across the Arctic. Most migrate south in winter, with North American populations generally going to South America and Eurasian populations flying as far south as northern Africa. Food: Peregrines eat birds of all kinds, caught in midair, including ducks and shorebirds. In cities, prey includes pigeons. When hunting, peregrines start by watching from a high perch or by flapping slowly or soaring at great height. Stoops begin 90 to more than 900 m above the prey. The falcon either grabs the prey or strikes it with the feet hard enough to stun or kill it. Then it catches the bird and bites through the neck to kill it. 30 Reproduction: Peregrines nest on tall cliffs. They lay 2-­‐5 eggs, but not all eggs hatch and not all chicks survive to adulthood. The parents hunt over large territories to feed their hungry chicks. Some fly as much as 24 km away from the nest in a single day and then back, carrying their prey. Life span: Some Peregrines have lived 18-­‐20 years, but the average life span is closer to 4-­‐7 years. Ecosystem functions: •
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Feed on birds found on the tundra during the summer, including ducks, ptarmigan, shorebirds. Preyed upon by eagles, large owls, other peregrines. Particularly in Europe and Asia, people have captured and trained them as hunting falcons. Impacts of climate change: •
Increased rain due to climate change is threatening falcon chicks in some parts of the Arctic. Parents usually shelter chicks when it rains, but in longer periods of wet weather the parents have to leave and hunt for food. The chicks can die from hypothermia when their down is soaked through or even from drowning if their nest floods. Interesting facts: •
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Peregrine falcons are the fastest animal on the planet. When hunting, they stoop to dive bomb prey at speeds of 160 to 440 km/h (99-­‐273mph), killing their prey on impact. Peregrines usually return to the same nesting sites each year. Some nesting sites have been in continuous use for hundreds of years. The name means “wanderer”. People have been using falcons to hunt for about 3,000 years. Sometimes called duck hawk in North America because it often preys on waterbirds – including king eiders. Further Information General Information The most comprehensive and up-­‐to-­‐date source of information about Arctic biodiversity, including the biodiversity of freshwater ponds, is the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA). The reports that make up the ABA, along with a variety of associated materials and information, are all available online at www.arcticbiodiversity.is/. For even more information, go to the main website of the Arctic Council’s biodiversity working group, Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF): www.caff.is/. 31 For a broad overview of freshwater life, see Freshwater ecosystems of the Arctic, a section of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment conducted by the International Arctic Science Committee: www.eoearth.org/view/article/152866/. For a useful and accessible guide to many Arctic insects, along with Inuit traditional knowledge about them, see Common Insects of Nunavut, by Caroline Mallory (Inhabit Media, 2012): nbes.ca/wp-­‐content/uploads/2014/03/Common-­‐Insects-­‐of-­‐Nunavut-­‐low-­‐
res.pdf A comprehensive guide to your local insects may be available online or at your local library. Species Information websites (Listed alphabetically.) Arctic cottongrass United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service Plants Database. Eriophorum callitrix: plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=erca13 Encyclopedia of Life. Eriophorum Cottongrass: eol.org/pages/29149/overview Arctic fox Canadian Museum of Nature, Natural History Notebooks. Arctic Fox: nature.ca/notebooks/english/arcticfox.htm World Wildlife Fund. Arctic Fox: www.worldwildlife.org/species/arctic-­‐fox National Geographic. Arctic Fox: animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/arctic-­‐fox Caddisfly larva Encyclopaedia Brittanica. Caddisfly: www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/87882/caddisfly Stewardship Through Education: Lifecycles of Aquatic animals: Net-­‐spinning Caddisfly Larvae: http://steonline.org/circles/lessons/energy/PDFs/water-­‐pixies12.pdf Case-­‐building Caddisfly Larvae: http://steonline.org/circles/lessons/energy/PDFs/water-­‐pixies18.pdf Common mare’s tail Canadian Museum of Nature. Flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Common Mare’s Tail: nature.ca/aaflora/data/www/hihivu.htm 32 Tropica Aquatic Plants of Denmark, Spectacular Underwater Landscapes of Arctic Lakes: www.aquarticles.com/articles/travel/Pedersen_Arctic_Lakes.html Fairy shrimp Canada’s Polar Life, Organisms. Fairy Shrimp: www.polarlife.ca/organisms/inverts/fresh_inverts/anostraca.htm Wildscreen Arkive. Fairy Shrimp: www.arkive.org/fairy-­‐shrimp/chirocephalus-­‐diaphanus/ King eider The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds. King Eider: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/King_Eider/id Bioforsk, The King Eider in Finnmark and Russia: www.bioforsk.no/ikbViewer/Content/109349/Praktærfugl_Engelsk.pdf Norwegian Polar Institute. King Eider: www.npolar.no/en/species/king-­‐eider.html Mosquito larva National Geographic, Mosquito: animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/mosquito/ Nunatsiak Online, Article. Mosquitoes Likely to Thrive in Wetter, Warmer Arctic: www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674mosquitoes_likely_to_thrive_in_
wetter_warmer_arctic/ Ecospark, Learn Your Benthics. Mosquito: www.ecospark.ca/changingcurrents/mosquito Predaceous diving beetle Encyclopaedia Brittanica. Predaceous Diving Beetle. www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/474473/predaceous-­‐diving-­‐beetle Common Insects of Nunavut. Predaceous Diving Beetles: nbes.ca/wp-­‐content/uploads/2014/03/Common-­‐Insects-­‐of-­‐Nunavut-­‐low-­‐res.pdf Peregrine falcon The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds. The Peregrine Falcon: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/peregrine_falcon/id Canadian Museum of Nature, Natural History Notebooks. Peregrine Falcon: nature.ca/notebooks/english/pfalcon.htm Hinterland’s Who’s Who. Peregrine Falcon www.hww.ca/en/species/birds/peregrine-­‐falcon.html 33 Snow goose The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds. Snow Geese: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/snow_goose/lifehistory British Columbia Waterfowl Society, George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. The Lesser Snow Goose Story: www.reifelbirdsanctuary.com/snow.html Wildscreen Arkive, Videos. Snow Goose: www.arkive.org/snow-­‐goose/chen-­‐caerulescens/videos.html 34 Appendix B: Data Sheets BioBlitz Your Pond Field Trip datasheets The following six pages are designed for use with the large-­‐group field trip, “BioBlitz Your Pond” The activity is set out in detail in Section 5 of this manual. The student datasheets are attached here, separately, for ease of printing. 1 Bioblitz Your Pond! Field Trip Data Sheet Field trip to: Date: Name: This is a field trip to explore what is living in and around the ponds in your area. Figuring out what lives in a place is a big job, and can take a lot of time. So scientists often organize an event called a Bioblitz to get people, like you, to help collect information. During a Bioblitz, you record every living thing you see, or that you see signs of. A Bioblitz usually has a time limit, and you record as much as you can in that time. This information is used to see if the ecosystem is healthy, if there are rare or endangered species, and to keep track of any changes happening over time. A Bioblitz is a fun way to get people out exploring the world around them, but it is also serious science. Governments and organizations use the information collected by citizens like you, to help manage and conserve valuable wild places. 2 1. General Observations Weather today Pond description (Size? Terrain? Altitude? Coordinates?) Sketch the pond 3 2. Water data sheet In the water Description of organism (Insect, plant? Colour, size?) Species (if known) Number found Part of pond found in? 4 2. Water data sheet In the muck Description of organism (Insect, plant? Colour, size?) Species (if known) Number found Part of pond found in? 5 3. Land data sheet Plants Description of organism (Colour, size?) Location Species (if known) Number found Mammals Description of organism (Colour, size?) Number found Location Species (if known) 6 3. Land data sheet Birds Description of organism (Colour, size?) Location Species (if known) Number found Insects Description of organism (Colour, size?) Location Species (if known) Number found 7 Transect Study Field Trip Datasheets The following four pages are designed for use with the large-­‐group field trip, “Transect Study.” The activity is set out in detail in Section 5 of this manual. The student datasheets are attached here, separately, for ease of printing. 8 Transect Field Trip Data Sheet Field trip to: Date: Name: Scientists measure changes in the environment by sampling at different locations along a line. This line is called a transect. In this activity you will find out what is living in two different locations and compare the difference between sites. 1. General Observations Weather today Pond description (Size? Terrain? Altitude? Coordinates?) Describe the area your transect crosses: Wet? Dry? Plants? Signs of animals? How does it compare to other transect points? 9 Sketch the pond 10 Plot 1 Location along transect (cm): Description of organism (Colour, size?) Location Species (if known) Biodiversity Index: This is a measure of how healthy an ecosystem is. Number of species ÷ Number of Organisms 11 = Biodiversity Index Plot 2 Location along transect (cm): Description of organism (Colour, size?) Location Species (if known) Biodiversity Index: This is a measure of how healthy an ecosystem is. Number of species ÷ Number of Organisms 12 = Biodiversity Index