Melting Ice Drives Walrus Ashore. Okay this matter of climate change and the ice caps melting is very serious. Things are changing so much that now the movement and seasonal patterns of animals are being modified. Walruses are predators and when the predators move, that signals a pretty big thing is going on in the ecological community.
Think about the typical food chain. As a predator the walrus depends on primary consumers like fish species and mussels. These creatures consume plant material or microbes. This is also another example of how abiotic factors (like weather, climate, land, and water) can influence biotic systems (plants and animals). No doubt the unexpected presence of walrus in Alaska this time of year will have ripple effect on those local ecosystems.
Think about the typical food chain. As a predator the walrus depends on primary consumers like fish species and mussels. These creatures consume plant material or microbes. This is also another example of how abiotic factors (like weather, climate, land, and water) can influence biotic systems (plants and animals). No doubt the unexpected presence of walrus in Alaska this time of year will have ripple effect on those local ecosystems.