Interaction and Relationships
Beluga whales are one of the main species in the ocean and in aquariums for many years. Beluga whales interact with there own population in many different ways
-They live in groups called pods that usually consist of between 2 and 25 whales.
-During migration period in the summer, pods come together and can range anywhere from 200 to 10,000.
-Pods have one alpha male like most animals in nature and they do their hunting within the pod.
Beluga whales are one of the main species in the ocean and in aquariums for many years. Beluga whales interact with there own population in many different ways
-They live in groups called pods that usually consist of between 2 and 25 whales.
-During migration period in the summer, pods come together and can range anywhere from 200 to 10,000.
-Pods have one alpha male like most animals in nature and they do their hunting within the pod.
This is an image of a baby calf and its mother together. Babies usually stay with their mother for 2-3 years then they are left on there own.
Belugas whales also have a strong interaction with their community.
-Their habitat overlaps with narwhals and they also mate with bowhead whales.
-Feed on salmon, eulachon, tomcod, smelt, char, rainbow sole, whitefish, saffron and arctic cod, herring, shrimp, mussels, octopus, crabs, clams, mussels, snails and sandworms.
-Beluga whales have 3 different predators-
-Killer Whales
-Polar Bears (usually feed on small calves only)
-Humans - Humans have hunted beluga whales for centuries or their blubber and meat. The
average number killed in Canada and Alaska alone each year is around 1,300.
Belugas interaction with their ecosystem is valuable as well.
-Beluga’s swim among the icebergs and ice floes in the arctic and subarctic.
-The water temperature is as low as 0 degrees celsius.
-Generally found in shallow waters that barely cover their bodies.
-In the summer they are found in warm water and estuaries.
-Belugas are adapted to both cold ocean climate and warm freshwater climate.
Belugas live mainly near Greenland in their arctic biome.
Belugas whales also have a strong interaction with their community.
-Their habitat overlaps with narwhals and they also mate with bowhead whales.
-Feed on salmon, eulachon, tomcod, smelt, char, rainbow sole, whitefish, saffron and arctic cod, herring, shrimp, mussels, octopus, crabs, clams, mussels, snails and sandworms.
-Beluga whales have 3 different predators-
-Killer Whales
-Polar Bears (usually feed on small calves only)
-Humans - Humans have hunted beluga whales for centuries or their blubber and meat. The
average number killed in Canada and Alaska alone each year is around 1,300.
Belugas interaction with their ecosystem is valuable as well.
-Beluga’s swim among the icebergs and ice floes in the arctic and subarctic.
-The water temperature is as low as 0 degrees celsius.
-Generally found in shallow waters that barely cover their bodies.
-In the summer they are found in warm water and estuaries.
-Belugas are adapted to both cold ocean climate and warm freshwater climate.
Belugas live mainly near Greenland in their arctic biome.
This food chain shows the flow of energy throughout the beluga whales population.
The beluga whales aren't a tertiary consumer because some polar bear actually eat
beluga whales.
Major Nutrient Cycles-
1. Carbon Cycle- The dissolved carbon dioxide is a major source for abiotic carbon for plants in the ocean. Carbon dioxide is taken up by the primary consumers and passed on through the food pyramid.
2. Nitrogen Cycle- This allows the death and decay of plants in the arctic and in the ocean replenish the soil and grow more again. This allows the belugas prey to eat so they can eat them.
3. Water Cycle- The water cycle is constantly changed the temperatures of the water and the levels of the water so the water cycle has a negative affect on belugas.
Succession- The gradual and orderly process of change in a ecosystem brought by the progressive replacement of one community by another until a stable climax is established.
There are two types of succession:
-Primary Succession - which is when a uninhabited area is being occupied for the first time and the effects of live start to take place.
-Secondary Succession - is when a habitat goes through a devastating catastrophe like a volcano and start a new habitat for the species living their.
-This is affecting beluga whales right now because of bacterial succession in the glaciers which is causing for the sea levels to rise and the water temperature to rise.
Human affects- Commercial whaling has severely decreased the population of beluga whales in the St. Lawrence river. It has been banned since 1979 but studies on the population size show no recovery of the population since then. Also the whales are known to get stuck in fishing lines and choke to death. Also due to the mass fishing industry in the St. Lawrence, the whales have less and less to eat which is now started to contribute to the decreasing population. \ Humans have a very negative affect on beluga whales in their habitat.
Plant Adaptations-
1. The Purple Saxifrage- This is a small plant that overtime has grew closer together very low on the ground so the temperatures and wind don't affect them.
2. The Prairie Crocus- This has fuzzy coverings on the stem, leaves and buds to provide protection from the wind.
There are two types of succession:
-Primary Succession - which is when a uninhabited area is being occupied for the first time and the effects of live start to take place.
-Secondary Succession - is when a habitat goes through a devastating catastrophe like a volcano and start a new habitat for the species living their.
-This is affecting beluga whales right now because of bacterial succession in the glaciers which is causing for the sea levels to rise and the water temperature to rise.
Human affects- Commercial whaling has severely decreased the population of beluga whales in the St. Lawrence river. It has been banned since 1979 but studies on the population size show no recovery of the population since then. Also the whales are known to get stuck in fishing lines and choke to death. Also due to the mass fishing industry in the St. Lawrence, the whales have less and less to eat which is now started to contribute to the decreasing population. \ Humans have a very negative affect on beluga whales in their habitat.
Plant Adaptations-
1. The Purple Saxifrage- This is a small plant that overtime has grew closer together very low on the ground so the temperatures and wind don't affect them.
2. The Prairie Crocus- This has fuzzy coverings on the stem, leaves and buds to provide protection from the wind.
3. The Arctic Poppy- This plant cups its leaves so that the sun that is captured hits the center of the plant and keeps it warmer then its surroundings.