https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi By Destiny M, Dobry K, Jasmine T, and Vi D en-us 2020-11-19 21:29:52 UTC 2023-04-08 12:35:47 UTC hello@padlet.com medinadest13 https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943579037 They are most commonly found on lichens and mosses, but they are just about everywhere.
- Other environments they are found it include:
in soil, leaf litter, dunes, by the sea, in oceans (shallow and deep), lakes, forests, sand dunes, mountain tops,  Antarctic glaciers, and even active lava fields]]> 2020-11-19 21:33:52 UTC https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943579037 https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943580425 No, in fact Tardigrades are not on any endangered species list and have survived five mass extinctions over the course of around a half a billion years.

Due to its special feature that help aid in its survival and the reason why it is so indestructible, tardigrades can withstand almost anything. Females also produce 30 eggs at a time so you won't be seeing any decreases to its population numbers.]]> 2020-11-19 21:34:23 UTC https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943580425 mrdobrykolacz https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943590631 Tardigrades can enter a state of cryptobiosis when the circumstances dictate it. If the environment gets too harsh (extreme cold, lack of food, etc), they enter this state (similar to hibernation) which allows them to slow down their metabolism by 99.99%. They can remain in cryptobiosis for long periods of time (at least 30 years). What protects them from the outside world while they are in cold environments is glycerol, which acts like an antifreeze. To protect their exterior while in cryptobiosis, they secrete trehalose which is a simple sugar that forms a glassy matrix cocoon which acts as a protective shell. Some species of tardigrades can survive very hot conditions by releasing certain proteins that prevent heat warping of their other proteins. So basically, if they have the chance to enter cryptobiosis, they are really hard to kill, however, when not in this state, it is reported that they are very easy to kill.]]> 2020-11-19 21:37:56 UTC https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943590631 medinadest13 https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943600397 They can be found in almost every habitat all over the world.
-Tardigrades have about 900 different species and they have all been found from icy mountain tops, volcanos, rainforests, swamps and lakes, all the way down to the deep sea]]> 2020-11-19 21:41:01 UTC https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943600397 mrdobrykolacz https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943616088 2020-11-19 21:46:47 UTC https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943616088 mrdobrykolacz https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943699527 Tardigrades pierce plant cell walls and suck the juices out of them. The plants they eat include algae, lichens, and moss.
Some species of tardigrades are cannibalistic and eat other tardigrades. Tardigrades also sometimes eat nematodes]]> 2020-11-19 22:19:08 UTC https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943699527 mrdobrykolacz https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943700442 If tardigrades went extinct and everything else somehow stayed alive, not too much would change. Because they mostly eat algae and flowering plants, if tardigrades were no longer around there would be less competition for food among the organisms that eat the same things. However, because they are so small and do not have a huge overall impact on their environment, it seems like the change would not be all that noticeable. There would be less competition for food, so there could be a slight increase in the populations that eat algae and flowering plants.]]> 2020-11-19 22:19:33 UTC https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943700442 mrdobrykolacz https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943712316 While the planet would not be directly effected if tardigrades went extinct, however, a meteor strike would be the most likely cause of tardigrade extinction. Because they can survive though most stresses, if tardigrades have gone extinct, it is very likely that all other life on earth has gone extinct as well.  ]]> 2020-11-19 22:25:00 UTC https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/943712316 mrdobrykolacz https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/947392657 Predators: Nematodes, other (larger) tardigrades, mites, spiders, insect larvae, amoebas, and crustaceans]]> 2020-11-20 23:33:35 UTC https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/947392657 mrdobrykolacz https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/947397236 A tardigrade's main competition are nematodes. Nematodes tend to live in many of the same environments as tardigrades and they eat similar things. When nematodes are bigger than the tardigrades around them, they are known to eat the tardigrades,]]> 2020-11-20 23:37:28 UTC https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/947397236 mrdobrykolacz https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/947411041 2020-11-20 23:49:04 UTC https://padlet.com/mrdobrykolacz/rlfi8ldk8kfjx1yi/wish/947411041