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Antarctica is one of the most physically and chemically extreme terrestrial environments to be inhabited by lifeforms. [1] The largest plants are mosses, and the largest animals that do not leave the continent are a few species of insects. Microbiome on the High Antarctic Plateau
In Antarctica there is not a lot of diversity among the fish; there is a lot of the same kind. Antarctic silverfish and lanternfish are some examples of fish that live in Antarctica. [22] Seals are also found in polar regions and number around 2.5 million. [23] They are known to breed on land in the polar regions.
The wildlife of Antarctica are extremophiles, having adapted to the dryness, low temperatures, and high exposure common in Antarctica. The extreme weather of the interior contrasts to the relatively mild conditions on the Antarctic Peninsula and the subantarctic islands , which have warmer temperatures and more liquid water.
The physical factors may include (for example): soil, moisture, range of temperature, and light intensity. Biotic factors include the availability of food and the presence or absence of predators. Every species has particular habitat requirements, habitat generalist species are able to thrive in a wide array of environmental conditions while ...
Antarctica was also part of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwanaland, which gradually broke up by continental drift starting 110 million years ago. The separation of South America from Antarctica 30–35 million years ago allowed the Antarctic Circumpolar Current to form, which isolated Antarctica climatically and caused it to become much colder.
Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent, being about 40% larger than Europe, and has an area of 14,200,000 km 2 (5,500,000 sq mi). Most of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, with an average thickness of 1.9 km (1.2 mi).
Sand dunes in the Sahara Desert. Desert ecology is the study of interactions between both biotic and abiotic components of desert environments. A desert ecosystem is defined by interactions between organisms, the climate in which they live, and any other non-living influences on the habitat.
Nothofagus fusca, New Zealand. Antarctic flora are a distinct community of vascular plants which evolved millions of years ago on the supercontinent of Gondwana.Presently, species of Antarctica flora reside on several now separated areas of the Southern Hemisphere, including southern South America, southernmost Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and New Caledonia.