Welcome to the arctic tundra! As you hike along the frozen ground of this cold, dry region, the tundra may seem quiet and empty. But it is full of life, in the spring when migrating lemmings munch on spring flowers, and even in the winter, when fur-coated wolves, foxes, and hares dart and prowl through the snow. Summer and winter in the tundra, the hunt is on to find food—and to avoid becoming someone else’s next meal. All living things are connected to one another in a food chain, from animal to animal, animal to plant, plant to insect, and insect to animal. What path will you take to follow the food chain through the tundra? Will you ... Zoom with a peregrine falcon as it aims for its prey? Chomp with a caribou grazing on grasses? Sneak up on a polar bear fishing for its dinner? Follow all three chains and many more on this who-eats-what adventure!
Introduces some of the plants and animals that make up the Arctic tundra food chain, including the arctic willow, lemming, polar bear, snowy owl, ermine, and arctic wolf.
Discusses the ocean ecosystem and the role of the sea otter as a keystone species in helping to maintain it, describing the otter's place on the food chain and what would happen if the sea otter were to become extinct.
Discusses the temperate forest ecosystem and the role of the gray wolf in helping to maintain it, describing the wolf's place on the food chain and what would happen to the temperate forest if the gray wolf were to become extinct.
Covers elements of alpine and lowland ecosystems, the role of wind, cold, snow and permafrost, animal and plant survival techniques, tundra food chains and food webs, the fragility and resistance of plants, animals and the land, and conservation issue investigations.