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

Invertebrate zoology, give an example invertebrate phylum/phyla for protopl...

give an example invertebrate phylum/phyla for protoplasmic grade organization

Genetic diversity of population, Genetic Diversity of Population The b...

Genetic Diversity of Population The biological diversity of animals, plants, and microorganisms is of fundamental importance to human survival. The term "gene resources" may b

How to dna fragments for comparison with other dna samples, DNA fingerprint...

DNA fingerprinting produces a unique banding pattern of DNA fragments for comparison with other DNA samples.

What the enzymes do to reaction, What do enzymes do to a reaction? Indicate...

What do enzymes do to a reaction? Indicate all that are correct. a. Lower the activation energy b. Reverse the equilibrium c. Lower the equilibrium d. Increase the reac

Distinction between breathing and respiration, (a) What is the distinction ...

(a) What is the distinction among 'breathing' and 'respiration'? (b) What part do 'ventilation' and 'gaseous exchange' play in these processes?   (a) Breathing i

What is adaptive radiation, What is adaptive radiation? Adaptive radiat...

What is adaptive radiation? Adaptive radiation happens when a new population in a new environment, like an island, undergoes divergent evolution until the descendant population

Importance of biodiversity, T hese are some important uses of biodiversity....

T hese are some important uses of biodiversity. 1.   Source of food, medicines and drugs: (a)       Wheat, rice and maize are three carbohydrate rich crops and contribute

Nutrition, Nutrition, Feeding, Digestion All organisms require a fairl...

Nutrition, Feeding, Digestion All organisms require a fairly steady supply of nutrient materials from the environment to obtain energy in order to stay alive. The animals are

Cell theory, Cell Theory The term cell was first used by an English cyt...

Cell Theory The term cell was first used by an English cytologist, Robert Hooke (1665) not for unit protoplasmic masses, but for the well defined and empty compartments, he obs

Explain the microscope, Explain the Microscope? Microscope is a powerfu...

Explain the Microscope? Microscope is a powerful and crucial basic tool in the field of microbiology. Microbiology, as we have already studied in our theory Course, is the scie

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