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Arctic vegetation is largely controlled by the mean temperature in July, the warmest month. Arctic vegetation occurs in the tundra climate, where trees cannot grow.Tundra climate has two boundaries: the snow line, where permanent year-round snow and ice are on the ground, and the tree line, where the climate becomes warm enough for trees to grow. [7]
Polar ecology is the relationship between plants and animals in a polar environment. Polar environments are in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Arctic regions are in the Northern Hemisphere , and it contains land and the islands that surrounds it.
Polar bear in Manitoba, Canada. November 2004. Polar seas is a collective term for the Arctic Ocean (about 4-5 percent of Earth's oceans) and the southern part of the Southern Ocean (south of Antarctic Convergence, about 10 percent of Earth's oceans). In the coldest years, sea ice can cover around 13 percent of the Earth's total surface at its ...
The Arctic region is a unique area among Earth's ecosystems. The cultures in the region and the Arctic indigenous peoples have adapted to its cold and extreme conditions. Life in the Arctic includes zooplankton and phytoplankton, fish and marine mammals, birds, land animals, plants and human societies. [3] Arctic land is bordered by the subarctic.
The region has an abundance of wildlife that has adapted to its intense conditions, ranging from large mammals such as polar bears and muskox, to small birds, and various species of plants. [6] Marine life includes walrus , seals , fish and microscopic ocean organisms such as algae and plankton. [ 6 ]
In ice-covered regions of the central Arctic Ocean, polar cod is a central predator of primary consumers. The apex predators in the Arctic Ocean—marine mammals such as seals, whales, and polar bears—prey upon fish. Endangered marine species in the Arctic Ocean include walruses and whales.
Notable animals include reindeer (caribou), musk ox, Arctic hare, Arctic fox, snowy owl, ptarmigan, northern red-backed voles, lemmings, the mosquito, [11] and even polar bears near the ocean. [ 10 ] [ 12 ] Tundra is largely devoid of poikilotherms such as frogs or lizards.
The region has a wide variety of landscapes, and includes some of the last remaining large wilderness areas in Europe. Many of the land areas are coastal, strongly affected by exchange with the sea. Large areas are ice-covered, and many areas have permafrost, creating demanding conditions for plants and animals. Most species are dormant in ...