Scientists are studying the effect of climate change on vegetation in the Alaskan tundra. In this activity, students will analyze data collected from control plots and plots with Open Top Chambers (OTC's) over them. An open-top chamber is like a tiny greenhouse that increases the temperature in a vegetation plot an average of 2-3 degrees, simulating the effects of
After spending 5 weeks in the Arctic learning about tundra vegetation and phenology, Alejandra Martinez wanted to have her students observe the growth of plants in their school. In this lesson, students will grow plants in multiple locations and track their growth to compare their phenology.
Objectives
Students will learn what phenology is and make observations about plant growth
South Texas is pretty far removed from the Arctic. When I mention climate change in my classroom, my students think of emaciated polar bears roaming the Arctic Ocean for a few minutes and then carry on with their day. I needed to find a way to connect what was happening in the Arctic to
Florida International University (FIU) Preeminent Program research team hunts for the drivers of global climate change in the Arctic. Video produced by Florida International University, May 2019.
This video was shot by Mike Etnier at Makanrushi Island, Russia in July 2008. This is underwater footage of one of several large schools of Atka mackerel that were feeding on krill at the surface. See "Atka mackerel and krill" for surface footage of one of the schools of fish and underwater footage of the krill. For more
This video was shot by Mike Etnier at Makanrushi Island, Russia in July 2008. There are several thousand Atka mackerel feeding on krill at the surface. See "Atka mackerel school" for under-water footage of one of the schools of fish. For more details on the feeding aggregation, and its relevance to our archaeology studies, read the journal entry