http://icestories.exploratorium.edu/dispatches/%e2%80%9cbringing-it-all-back-home%e2%80%9d/ Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:18:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://icestories.exploratorium.edu/dispatches/%e2%80%9cbringing-it-all-back-home%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-410 Ken Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:56:25 +0000 http://icestories.exploratorium.edu/dispatches/?p=578#comment-410 Vegetation is a critical component of any ecosystem, so when the vegetation changes, the rest of the ecosystem is affected. No studies that I know of currently document adaptations such as those you suggest, but I would expect such adaptations to be occurring presently. Part of the difficulty with detecting ecosystem changes, such as those you suggest, is that there needs to be a reliable old data set, against which you can compare a new (repeated) data set. Without these reliable old data sets, we are often left with only photographs! Vegetation is a critical component of any ecosystem, so when the vegetation changes, the rest of the ecosystem is affected. No studies that I know of currently document adaptations such as those you suggest, but I would expect such adaptations to be occurring presently. Part of the difficulty with detecting ecosystem changes, such as those you suggest, is that there needs to be a reliable old data set, against which you can compare a new (repeated) data set. Without these reliable old data sets, we are often left with only photographs!

]]> http://icestories.exploratorium.edu/dispatches/%e2%80%9cbringing-it-all-back-home%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-380 Liz Mon, 11 Aug 2008 05:54:17 +0000 http://icestories.exploratorium.edu/dispatches/?p=578#comment-380 How is the vegetation change affecting the tundra ecosystem? Also are some of the Arctic animals slowly adapting to decrease their heat conservation adaptations (thick bodies, thick fur, short limbs, and short ears) due to increasing temperature? Or is the temperature rise not enough? How is the vegetation change affecting the tundra ecosystem? Also are some of the Arctic animals slowly adapting to decrease their heat conservation adaptations (thick bodies, thick fur, short limbs, and short ears) due to increasing temperature? Or is the temperature rise not enough?

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