Interdependence
A population a group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area. Emperor Penguins fit into the population because of the other Penguins that live in the same area. A community an assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area. For example, Emperor Penguins live in a community with other types of penguins such as Adelie and Chinstrap Penguins. An ecosystem is all the organisms that live in a place, together with their physical environment. Emperor Penguins live together with many different types of life. For example the ecosystem would include all the organisms in Antarctica. A biome is a group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms. A similar biome to Antarctica is the Arctic, even though they have many differences.
Flow of energy
Emperor Penguins are not at the top of the food chain, but they are not at the bottom either. Emperor Penguins eat fish, squid, and krill. At the top of the food chain, is the killer whale and the leopard seal, as shown in the diagram below. The recycling of nutrients is very important to Emperor Penguins and other wildlife because without it, they would not be able to survive. They have a varied menu with some prey items being more important than others. One of the most frequently eaten prey species is the Antarctic silverfish. Most prey are small; since they are very cold when ingested it makes it easier to bring the food up to body temperature and to digest.
Succession
Succession is the observed process of changing in a species of an ecological community over time. In Antarctica, succession has been found. In a study, some scientists found that, "Increasing temperatures due to global warming lead to enhanced deglaciation processes in cold-affected habitats and new terrain is becoming exposed to soil formation and accessible for microbial colonisation " (Bajerski 1). Successional changes affect the environment by causing the environment to be altered which means the species in the environment may be changed or forced to change due to successional changes, such as global warming. Succession has affected Emperor Penguins because of global warming. Many Emperor penguins had to adapt to the changing temperatures over time.
Human Impact
Emperor penguins have been hunted by humans and that decreases the Emperor Penguin population. Penguins are an easy target for hunters because of their lack of fear of humans, and inability to fly. If Emperor penguins could fly they would be able to easily get away from the humans that come near, but they do have good swimming skills to dodge the humans. Humans competition for food also can affect the population of Emperor penguins. Krill is a major food source used by humans and for other agricultural feed. This lack of food can place stress on the animals that live off of these foods. Not to mention, new animals that belong to humans such as dogs tend to go after the penguin eggs and causes serious deterioration on a habitat. When humans use areas for construction, the home for the penguins can be destructed and cause many problems within the species. Pollution from humans also causes the population of Emperor Penguins and other species to become very sick and even die. The penguins have been known to ingest plastic or become tangled in the debris that can cause serious injury or death. Penguins can also accidentally get caught in fishing gear, such as nets. Oil in the ocean can cause the feathers of penguins to lose the waterproof coat and insulating properties, and they can become susceptible to hypothermia. The penguins could also ingest the oil and that can cause internal organ damage. According to the employees at Seaworld, "Traces of pesticides have been found in the tissues of krill, penguins, and other types of Antarctic wildlife and ice algae." Not only can this affect an individual but it can also travel up the food chain and affect others. Global warming also plays a big role in how the Emperor Penguins are impacted.
Plant Adaptations
Because of the temperature in Antarctica, there are not many plants. But several plants have been found in the area. Antarctic hair grass (Deschampsia antarctica) and Antarctic pearlwort (Colobanthus quitensis) are specially adapted to surviving in extreme environments, in particular, tolerating low temperatures and dehydration. Certain species of moss and lichen, however, have a widespread distribution and others specialize in surviving in very extreme conditions. In the dry valleys of Victoria Land, algae, fungi, and lichens has been found living in the cracks inside the sandstone and granite rocks. The algae, fungi and lichens live where it is very dry and extremely cold. These plants are crucial to the survival of other wildlife that feed Emperor Penguins.
Physical Adaptations
Emperor Penguins are able to survive mainly because of their size-- large size retains heat. An Emperor Penguin's short stiff tail helps balance on land. The chicks have soft fur for insulation, this is a more effective insulator on land than the parents feathers, but of little use in the sea, they must moult before they can swim. Their powerful claws allow them to have a good grip on snow, ice, or rock.
Behavioral Adaptations
Emperor Penguins huddle together to conserve heat, if they didn't do this there would be a very high risk of death during the winter. Emperor Penguins are not very territorial or aggressive. Emperor Penguins breed during the winter, so the chicks are large enough and mature enough to become independent during the summer while a parent goes to get food. Penguins don't make nests, eggs and chicks sits on parents feet due to a fold of skin, this is what keeps them warm. The female penguin lays her eggs and then she gives the eggs to the male while she goes to sea for an average of one hundred and fifteen days. Penguins can dive up to 1800 feet. Emperor Penguins can hold their breath up to 22 minutes .Male Penguins can fast up to 100 days. This is useful because while the mothers are gone getting food, the males have to stay with the chicks, and they have no food. Males can make "milk" for the chicks in the winter before the female arrives from getting food. An Emperor Penguin's heartbeat increases before a dive to increase the amount of oxygen, as they hit the water, the rate drops.