Arctic tundra, Biology

Assignment Help:

The northern most biome on our planet is the arctic tundra. It is a treeless wet circumpolar band between the polar ice caps and the forests to the south. The predominant plants are lichens, grasses, sedges and dwarf woody plants. Despite the lack of trees, animals are found on land, in air and nearby oceans. Similar communities are found at high mountains of all latitudes forming the alpine tundra. The climate is very cold with a short growing season. The soil is frozen for most part of the year and only the top 0.5 meter melts during the short summers in the arctic tundra. The permanently frozen soil below is known as permafrost. In summer you might see huge herds of caribou, flocks of waterfowls and huge swarms of mosquitoes! With such a harsh climate it is not surprising that only a few kinds of plant and animal species are found here though, in the short growing season moss, lichens, some grasses and fast growing plants dominate the landscapes. Swarms of migratory birds invade the tundra in summer to raise their young and fly south as the summers come to an end. Some of the common permanent residents are musk ox, polar bear, grizzly bear, wolves, snowy owl, arctic hare, weasels, minks, etc. Tundra is a very fragile ecosystem as the rate of organic matter decomposition is very slow. On account of harsh climate plants grow very slowly and the tundra tak es a long time to recover from any disruptions.


Related Discussions:- Arctic tundra

Succession - community change, Succession - Community Change The facto...

Succession - Community Change The factors like fire, floods and human interventions affect an ecosystem considerably. They often lead to the depletion or stripping off of orig

What do you mean by handrail support, Many patients who are weak, fearful o...

Many patients who are weak, fearful or shot of breath find it essential to hold tightly to the handrail while walking. If accurate aerobic information is to be obtained handrail su

Water and carbon dioxide towards the consumption of product, Q. What are th...

Q. What are the consequences of shifting the chemical equilibrium of the formation of bicarbonate from water and carbon dioxide towards the consumption of products of the reverse r

Paper points & chemicals removal of gutta percha, Paper points & chemicals ...

Paper points & chemicals removal of gutta percha: -  Flushing action: residual of qutta- percha and sealers chemically solvent by floating pulp chamber with chloroform. -  Chem

How are the major classes of arthropods classified, Q. How are the major cl...

Q. How are the major classes of arthropods classified according to the presence of larval stage in their embryonic development? In crustaceans there are others with indirect an

Protein synthesis, Which biological molecule contains the genetic informati...

Which biological molecule contains the genetic information that controls cellular functioning

History of evolution, History of evolution? Evolution is usually define...

History of evolution? Evolution is usually defined as "change over time." In spite of the incredible diversity of life found on Earth, many fundamental characteristics are shar

Describe the timing of surgery and intervention, Describe the Timing of Sur...

Describe the Timing of Surgery and Intervention For Various Congenital Heart Diseases ? The timing of surgical or trans-catheter intervention for congenital heart disease (CHD

Why the pancreas is considered a mixed gland, Q. What is a mixed gland? Why...

Q. What is a mixed gland? Why the pancreas is considered a mixed gland? Mixed gland is a gland that produces exocrine and endocrine secretions. The pancreas is an example of

What is relationship cph in photon and frequency of photon, what is relatio...

what is relationship between numbers CPH in photon and frequency of photon? Answer; the photon contains n CPH and its energy is E=hν, when photons energy increases that the num

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd