My Research 1/8/12-10/8/12

Phase 1: General Research

Before starting on the PT, one needs to know what is a biome and the basic facts needed about ecology. Therefore, Research was done on the types of biomes available and brief characteristics of the Biome.

What is a Biome?

Simply, it is a complex ecosystem characterized by its biodiversity and abiotic factors.

There are many biomes in this biosphere we call Earth, out of which the 6 general ones are the Desert, Freshwater, Marine, Rainforest, Grassland and Tundra. Each biome has a wide range of characteristics for instance, the Rainforest biome is one with high precipitation, while the Tundra is one with low precipitation.

Words used in ecology and their definitions:

Organism: A single life form

Population: 2 or more of the same organism

Habitat: The natural home of any organism

Community: Where many populations live in the same habitat

Ecosystem: Where many populations in the same habitat interact with physical surroundings

About food webs and energy levels:

Food web is a series of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem.

The energy levels in a single food chain decrease as the trophic level increases.

This is what happens in a single food chain (with a producer, a primary consumer, a secondary consumer, and a tertiary consumer)

Energy Pyramid--from google images

Phase 2:

Firstly, my group mates and I did our research on the Tundra Biome, where we discovered about the characteristics and types of organisms living there. Then we posted our research on the group's google docs.

Here is a summary of the facts collated.

The Tundra Biome

3 Types of Tundra:

• Arctic
• Alpine
• Antarctic

Arctic--found in the Northern hemisphere, between 55 and 70 deg N

Alpine--Worldwide in mountainous regions, as long as it is rather high altitudes.

Antarctic--found in Southern hemisphere, only in the continent of Antarctica.

Characteristics of the Tundra Biome

• Temperature of the Tundra Biome

The Tundra Biome is rather cold, with Temperatures averaging -30 deg C all year round, though in summer, temperatures can rise to 3-12 deg C, while in winter, temperatures can fall to -70 deg C

• Precipitation (Rainfall) in the Tundra Biome

Annual Precipitation in the Tundra is low, with total precipitation (including melted snow) is a dismal 150 to 250 mm. Thus water is scarce for organisms here. Moreover, with a huge layer of ground being permanently frozen, obtaining water is a challenge, thus there are very few trees, and only those that are short.

• Nutrient Composition in Soil

Nutrient composition in the soil is poor, thus many plants have difficulty obtaining nutrients for photosynthesis.

• Light in the Tundra Biome

Being located in the Arctic means that the Tundra receives little sunlight in the freezing winter months. During summer, there is sunlight for almost 24 hours. Amount of sunlight received fluctuates over the year.

• Salinity 

Since Nutrient composition in the soil is low, Salinity is also low in the tundra biome since there are little minerals. The surrounding water, therefore, has a higher water potential.

• Oxygen

Oxygen content is lower in the Alpine tundra due to the higher altitude and thus the thinner air.

• Winds

The tundra faces extremely strong winds, averaging between 48km/h and 97km/h.

Type of Tundra Biome chosen: Arctic, as it meets most of the characteristics of Planet Zork's Tundra

Habitat chosen: Pond Habitat

Most suitable one as it has a lot of water, which makes it suitable for many of the organisms to live. Also, low salinity enables the organisms to absorb more water.


A record of all the information that my group mates and I had collated, from which I drew up this summary of contents is in the next post.