ENVS200 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Ellesmere Island, Environmental History
Document Summary
Many organisms regulate the temperature of part of, if not their entire, body. For example, at least one plant of the arctic tundra regulates the temperature of its reproductive structures. University of guelph, went to ellesmere island to study sun-tracking behaviour by arctic flowers. It was summer, there was little wind, and at 82 n latitude, the sun stayed above the horizon 24 hours each day. Sun-tracking behaviour of the arctic plant, dryas integrifolia, heats the reproductive parts of its flowers, making them attractive to pollinating insects. This species is found in many canadian arctic and alpine habitats. Kevan found that by following the sun, dryas increased the temperature of its flowers. Though the air temperature hovered around 15 c, the temperature of the dryas flowers was nearly 25 c. Kevan discovered that the flowers act like small solar reflectors; their parabolic shape reflects and concentrates solar energy on the reproductive structures.
