Ecosystems and Glacier Mice

Glacier mice are fist-sized balls of dust and moss that move across glaciers, forming unique ecosystems. These ecosystems, though small, host numerous microscopic organisms. Glacier mice form when moss grows on a clump of dust or pebble, which is then moved by the wind. The slightly warmer environment inside supports life. Ecosystems vary in size, and scientists define their boundaries to study them. Glacier mice ecosystems are part of larger glacier ecosystems, and changes in their location can affect the surrounding environment.

What are glacier mice primarily composed of?

• Ice and snow

• Leaves and twigs

• Dust and moss

• Sand and water

How do glacier mice typically form?

• From animal activity on the glacier

• From a clump of dust or pebble that gets covered in moss

• From ice crystals that accumulate over time

• From a seed that grows into a plant

What makes glacier mice a suitable environment for microorganisms?

• They are damp and slightly warmer than the surrounding ice

• They are dry and arid

• They are exposed to direct sunlight all the time

• They are very cold inside

What is the temperature range inside a glacier mouse compared to the outside?

• Slightly warmer than the surrounding ice

• Much warmer than the surrounding ice

• The same as the surrounding ice

• Colder than the surrounding ice

Which of the following is an example of a microscopic organism that can live in a glacier mouse?

• Water bear

• Snow leopard

• Polar bear

• Arctic fox

What is a key characteristic of ecosystems?

• They are isolated from energy flow

• They can vary greatly in size

• They consist only of nonliving things

• They are always large and visible

How do scientists determine the boundaries of an ecosystem?

• By observing the color of the environment

• By counting the number of species present

• By identifying where one ecosystem stops and another begins

• By measuring the temperature

How does energy enter the ecosystem of a glacier mouse?

• Through the movement of the glacier

• Through sunlight shining on the moss

• Through the heat from the earth's core

• Through the wind blowing across the glacier

In what way can glacier mice affect larger glacier ecosystems?

• By increasing the glacier's size

• By melting the glacier

• By changing the color of the ice

• By altering the location and affecting the ecosystem

What happens when a glacier mouse is blown to a new location?

• It melts immediately

• It turns into ice

• It becomes part of a new ecosystem

• It stops being an ecosystem