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Climate Change and the Arctic Fox

Not only will competition within the arctic fox populations increase, competition with other species will increase as well. "Ecosystems alterations can profoundly affect species occurrence and distribution thereby influencing trophic and/or competitive interactions. arctic foxes have been fully protected in Fennoscandia following their drastic decline in the early 19th century, and their lack of recovery has been hypothesized to result from increased interspecific competition with red foxes that have colonized the arctic fox's range" (Hamel et al., 2013 p 114). The encroachment of these foxes is already being observed in more southern areas. As the tundra warms they will continue to move further north. Far superior at hunting then the arctic fox, the Red Fox would become the dominant predator. Not only would the Red Foxes consume the arctic Foxes' food, but have also been known to prey upon young arctic foxes. They have even been seen preying on fully-grown arctic foxes as well. .
             The main diet of the arctic fox is lemmings. Lemmings are known to have large fluctuations in populations that tend to occur in cycles. However, there is increasing evidence showing climate change altering these cycles, leading to instability in the sizes of populations. Lemmings tend to forage below ground in a space between the snow and frozen ground. Warmer weather creates wet snow, which leads to a collapse in these under-snow areas, thus the lemmings burrows disappear. If winters continue to grow shorter and warmer, it is certain that the lemming population cycles will be altered, leading to an overall decline in the lemming population. This decline is surely to affect the arctic fox population. Many argue that a decrease in lemming population would not gravely change arctic fox numbers. They claim that other species may begin to live in this habitat. However, the increased encroachment of the Red Fox will most likely overshadow these benefits.


Essays Related to Climate Change and the Arctic Fox

1. Animals and Extreme Climate Survival

A change they can make to survive is to make physical or behavioral adaptations that can help them to get through the changing weather. In order to stay warm, all the animals make some sort of physical change or changes to survive. ... A perfect example of an animal that has these unique adaptations is the Arctic Fox. The Arctic Fox has short ears, a short, round body with a thick coat to minimize the amount of skin exposed to the frigid air. ... Another way animals survive is by using migration where they relocate to a warmer climate for a period of time to find food. ...

  • Word Count: 760
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Overview of the Polar Icecaps

The salinity levels and temperatures affect the types of weathers we see all over the globe, including on land and with the caps rapidly changing it is possible to have very drastic weather shifts, from flooded deserts to dried up rain forests. Also because there are still temperature changes in the air between summer and winter, the layer of ice creates an insulated barrier for the temperature sensitive life forms beneath it. ... Primary producers include bearberry, arctic willow and algae; all of which are adapted to the harshly cold climates around and in the area of the polar caps and do n...

  • Word Count: 558
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

3. Birds

Early Arctic people would make traps for eagles using dead fish and a hidden net to trap them. Bald Eagles leave the arctic in fall and migrate south to warmer climates because they find it difficult to find food in winter. ... These changes in appearance are so they can hide when they hunt, so that Snow Owls can sneak up and catch the small mice and birds that they eat. ... When parents come to incubate the eggs or feed the chicks they will move slowly and carefully so that a fox or raven won't find the nest. ... Tufted Puffins breed only on islands and rocky cliffs in the arctic waters ...

  • Word Count: 839
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

4. drilling in anwr

Drilling oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is an important issue for environmentalists, Americans, and the future of the United States. ... The Refuge contains hundreds of species of mosses, grasses, wildflowers and shrubs, and it is a prime habitat for caribou, moose, wolf, lynx, fox, wolverine, musk ox, three species of bear, and many others (Scheer). ... A good example is in nearby Prudhoe Bay, since 1972 the Central Arctic Heard has grown from 5,000 to 27,000 animals (Streever). ... Despite an increase in revenue, and minimal changes to the environment, no matter ...

  • Word Count: 1721
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

5. Alaska

Americans quickly changed their minds and favored Alaska. ... Besides the beauty, one of the first things travelers notice is the climate difference. Alaska is so big that it has about a half dozen different climates. ... People have only changed about one-twentieth of one percent of the land. ... Others are the grizzly bear, Kodiak brown bear, moose, mountain goat, red fox, reindeer, wolf, and many others. ...

  • Word Count: 1756
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Biomes Of The World

Again, each spot on Earth has its own climate, influenced by both the macroclimate of the region and the microclimate of the particular site. ... And soils in turn are much influenced by regional climates, as well as parent-rock geology. ... Vegetation varies in size and structure (physiognomy), in its seasonal manifestation, and in how it changes over time. ... This varies substantially both among and within bioclimatic zones, dependent on both climate and vegetation. ... CHARACTERISTICS OF BIOCLIMATIC ZONES WORLD CLIMATE. ...

  • Word Count: 12375
  • Approx Pages: 50
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

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