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One of the planet's most recent biomes, a result of the last ice age only 10,000 years ago, the tundra contains unique flora and fauna formed during the last glaciation in areas unrestricted by permanent ice. The tundra region is found in high latitudes, primarily in Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland, Iceland, and Scandinavia, as well as the ...
2 Flora. 3 Fauna. 4 Threats and preservation. 5 See also. 6 References. ... The Arctic foothills tundra is an ecoregion of the far north of North America, ...
In contrast with the Arctic tundra, the Antarctic tundra lacks a large mammal fauna, mostly due to its physical isolation from the other continents. Sea mammals and sea birds, including seals and penguins, inhabit areas near the shore, and some small mammals, like rabbits and cats, have been introduced by humans to some of the subantarctic islands.
The Kalaallit Nunaat high arctic tundra ecoregion covers the coastal areas of northern including the upper half of the west coast and the upper one-third of the east coast. [1] Greenland (called Kalaallit Nunaat in the Greenlandic language). Areas inland of this strip of land are either covered in ice or bare rock.
The area has tundra, Arctic vegetation, [3] glaciers, and, for most of the year, is covered in thick blankets of snow and ice. [5] It is home to various species of plants, and land, air and marine animals. [6] Due to the severe weather conditions, the region's flora and fauna has had to adapt to survive. [6]
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]
The ecoregion is a transition zone between the taiga forests to the south, and the treeless arctic tundra to the north. 50% of the territory is herbaceous cover, 18% moss and lichen, 6% shrubs, and about 1% tree cover in protected areas and along river courses. [3]
The Middle Arctic Tundra is north of the treeline. 56% of the ground cover is moss and lichen, 30% is low herbaceous vegetation tolerant of the cold and dry environment, 1% is herbaceous wetlands, and up to 1% supports shrubs in protected areas. [ 1 ]