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

How do plants solve the problem of transporting substances, How do plants s...

How do plants solve the problem of transporting substances throughout their tissues? In bryophytes the substance transport is completed by diffusion. In tracheophytes (pteridop

Morphological changes, Morphological changes Aquatic plants produce di...

Morphological changes Aquatic plants produce different kinds of leaves and produce aerenchyma (tissues with air gaps) where there be a need to do so. Also, a thick cuticle on

Explain gastric bypass - surgical management for obesity, Explain Gastric B...

Explain Gastric Bypass - surgical management for obesity? Surgery is the current 'gold standard' for bariatric surgical procedures. It involves use of a stapling device to crea

Define maxillofacial prosthodontics, Q. Define Maxillofacial Prosthodontics...

Q. Define Maxillofacial Prosthodontics? Dental implants are now been increasingly used for Maxillofacial Prosthodontics. Maxillofacial Prosthodontics involves the prosthetic re

What is muscular dystrophy, What is Muscular dystrophy Muscular dystro...

What is Muscular dystrophy Muscular dystrophy :- Defects in the muscle due to faulty nutrition.

Differences between the male gametes and the female gametes, State the diff...

State the differences between the male gametes and the female gametes with regard to (a) their size; (b) their structure, (c) their relative numbers.   (a

What is the significance of torsion, What is the significance of torsion? ...

What is the significance of torsion? An unusual twisting of the gastropod body which has left all members of class with an asymmetric body plan and a U-shaped alimentary tract,

Mechanical prosthetic valves, Mechanical Prosthetic Valves :  These patien...

Mechanical Prosthetic Valves :  These patients should have lifelong anticoagulation. In the absence of anticoagulation systemic embolism and strokes have been reported to be 5-50

Viral diseases of domestic animals, Cattle and buffalo diseases Rinde...

Cattle and buffalo diseases Rinderpest: Rinderpest is the most destructive of the virus diseases of cloven-footed animals, viz. cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs and wil

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