Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
On the west coast, the relatively warmer climate supports a dwarf-scrub heath and steppe-like vegetation. The warmest and driest areas, at the head of fjords, there are sheltered areas that support scrub and low forests of green alder ( Alnus alnobetula ), white birch ( Betula pubescens ), and Greenland mountain ash ( Sorbus groenlandica ). [ 2 ]
Arctic ecology is the scientific study of the relationships between biotic and abiotic factors in the arctic, the region north of the Arctic Circle (66° 33’N). [1] This region is characterized by two biomes: taiga (or boreal forest) and tundra. [2]
However, the combination of external factors such as climate change and invasive species, as well as increasing agricultural and other human land uses have led to widespread damage. New Zealand's forest ecosystems for example are being considered as the second most endangered of the world, with only 7% of the natural habitat remaining. [12]
These complex interactions between plants, animals and abiotic factors in the tundra are held together by the permafrost layer, located 450 metres (1,480 ft) under the soil. [3] However climate change is causing this crucial layer of frozen soil to melt. As a result, tundra communities are becoming unstable and basic processes are breaking down.
[2] [3] Climate change represents long-term changes in temperature and average weather patterns. [4] [5] This leads to a substantial increase in both the frequency and the intensity of extreme weather events. [6] As a region's climate changes, a change in its flora and fauna follows. [7]
Alpine tundra in the North Cascades of Washington, United States. Alpine tundra does not contain trees because the climate and soils at high altitude block tree growth. [26]: 51 The cold climate of the alpine tundra is caused by the low air temperatures, and is similar to polar climate. Alpine tundra is generally better drained than arctic ...
The abiotic factors that environmental gradients consist of can have a direct ramifications on organismal survival. Generally, organismal distribution is tied to those abiotic factors, but even an environmental gradient of one abiotic factor yields insight into how a species distribution might look.
The International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) is a long-term international collaboration of researchers examining the responses of arctic and alpine plants and ecosystems to climate change. [1] Researchers measure plant responses to standardized, small-scale passive warming, snow manipulations, and nutrient additions.