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High Arctic Tundra
The High Arctic tundra ecoregion (WWF ID: NA1110) covers most of Canada's northern Arctic Archipelago - from the Queen Elizabeth Islands nearest to Greenland in the northeast, and down through the center of Baffin Island. Much of the northern islands are covered in ice, and the climate is very dry with as little as 50 mm/year in places. The ecoregion has very little human habitation, and most of the non-ice terrain is moss and lichen cover. The region supports viable populations of arctic mammals such as muskox, arctic wolves, arctic foxes, arctic hares, polar bears, and caribou. Location and description The main Queen Elizabeth Islands are Ellesmere Island, Axel Heiberg Island, Devon Island, Ellef Ringnes Island, Somerset Island, Prince Patrick Island, and Melville Island. The maximum elevation is . The ecoregion to the north on Baffin Island is the Davis Highlands tundra, which receives more than twice as much precipitation (400-600 mm/year). The terrain varies ac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Devon Island
Devon Island ( iu, ᑕᓪᓗᕈᑎᑦ, ) is an island in Canada and the largest uninhabited island (no permanent residents) in the world. It is located in Baffin Bay, Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is one of the largest members of the Arctic Archipelago, the second-largest of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, Canada's sixth-largest island, and the 27th-largest island in the world. It has an area of (slightly smaller than Croatia). The bedrock is Precambrian gneiss and Paleozoic siltstones and shales. The highest point is the Devon Ice Cap at which is part of the Arctic Cordillera. Devon Island contains several small mountain ranges, such as the Treuter Mountains, Haddington Range and the Cunningham Mountains. The notable similarity of its surface to that of Mars has attracted interest from scientists. History and settlement Robert Bylot and William Baffin were the first Europeans to sight Devon Island in 1616. William Edward Parry charted its south coast in 1819–20, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ellef Ringnes Island
Ellef Ringnes Island is one of the Sverdrup Islands in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. A member of the Queen Elizabeth Islands and Arctic Archipelago, it is located in the Arctic Ocean, east of Borden Island, and west of Amund Ringnes Island. It has an area of , making it the 69th largest island in the world (slightly larger than Jamaica) and Canada's 16th largest island. Its highest mount is . The island was named by Otto Sverdrup for Oslo brewer Ellef Ringnes, one of the sponsors of his expedition. It was first sighted by Europeans in 1901 by one of Sverdrup's men. The island was then claimed by Norway from 1902 until the claim was relinquished in favour of Canada in 1930. History The first known European sighting of Ellef Ringnes Island was in 1901 by a sledging party consisting of Gunerius Isachsen and Sverre Hassel, members of the Second Norwegian Arctic Expedition of 1898–1902, which was under the command of Otto Sverdrup. The island was named to honour El ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Papaver Radicatum
''Papaver radicatum'' is a species of poppy known by the common names Arctic poppy, rooted poppy, and yellow poppy. It is a flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae. Distribution ''Papaver radicatum'' is circumpolar in distribution and grows in arctic and alpine zones in Europe, North America, and Asia. ''Papaver radicatum'' grows at a latitude of 83°40'N on Kaffeklubben Island, making it one of the northernmost plants in the world. It appears on the Coat of arms of Nunavut. The plant is known for appearing in white and yellow colorations. The yellow variant is much more widely distributed, occurring out in the open, compared to the white flowers typically only found in more remote locations. Characteristics ''Papaver radicatum'' has hair like structures covering the stem and sepals that are used to retain heat to act as insulation. The plant also shows heliotropism where the flower grows to face the sunlight, and the petals reflect light towards the pistil. The petals g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kobresia
''Kobresia'' is a genus of plants in the sedge family. They are sometimes called bog sedges. These perennial sedges are quite similar to ''Carex'' species in appearance. The genus is widespread across much of Europe, Asia and North America, with many species native to the Himalayas. Species *'' Kobresia burangensis'' Y.C.Yang – Tibet *'' Kobresia capillifolia'' (Decne.) C.B.Clarke – Central Asia, Himalayas, Tuva region of Siberia, Mongolia, central and western China including Tibet and Xinjiang *''Kobresia cercostachys'' (Franch.) C.B.Clarke – Eastern Himalayas, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Yunnan *''Kobresia condensata'' (Kük.) S.R.Zhang & Noltie – Sichuan, Yunnan *''Kobresia cuneata'' Kük – Tibet to central China *'' Kobresia curticeps'' (C.B.Clarke) Kük. in H.G.A.Engler – Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan *'' Kobresia curvirostris'' (C.B.Clarke) C.B.Clarke in J.D.Hooker – Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh, Thailand *'' Kobresia duthiei'' C.B.Clarke in J.D.Hooker – Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saxifraga Oppositifolia
''Saxifraga oppositifolia'', the purple saxifrage or purple mountain saxifrage, is a species of plant that is very common in the high Arctic and also some high mountainous areas further south, including northern Great Britain, Britain, the Alps and the Rocky Mountains. ''Saxifraga oppositifolia'' grows at a latitude of 83°40'N on Kaffeklubben Island, making it one of the northernmost plants in the world. Description ''Saxifraga oppositifolia'' is a low-growing, densely or loosely matted plant growing up to high, with somewhat woody branches of creeping or trailing habit close to the surface. The leaves are small, rounded, scale-like, opposite in four rows with ciliated margins. The flowers are solitary on short stalks, petals purple or lilac, much longer than the Calyx (botany), calyx lobes. It is one of the first spring flowers, continuing to flower during the whole summer in localities where the snow melts later. The flowers grow to about in diameter. Ecology Habitat ''S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dryas (plant)
''Dryas'' is a genus of perennial cushion-forming evergreen dwarf shrubs in the family Rosaceae, native to the arctic and alpine regions of Europe, Asia and North America. The genus is named after the dryads, the tree nymphs of ancient Greek mythology. The classification of ''Dryas'' within the Rosaceae has been unclear. The genus was formerly placed in the subfamily Rosoideae, but is now placed in subfamily Dryadoideae. The species are superficially similar to ''Geum'' (with which they share the common name avens), ''Potentilla'', and ''Fragaria'' (strawberry). However, ''Dryas'' are distinct in having flowers with ''eight'' petals (rarely seven or up to ten), instead of the five petals found in most other genera in the Rosaceae. The flowers are erect and white with a yellow centre (''Dryas integrifolia'', ''Dryas octopetala'') or pendulous and all-yellow ('' Dryas drummondii''), and held conspicuously above the small plants. This makes them very popular in rockeries and alpine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salix Arctica
''Salix arctica'', the Arctic willow, is a tiny creeping willow (family Salicaceae). It is adapted to survive in Arctic conditions, specifically tundras. Description ''S. arctica'' is typically a low shrub growing to only in height, rarely to , although it may reach in height in the Pacific Northwest. It has round, shiny green leaves long and broad; they are pubescent, with long, silky, silvery hairs. Like the rest of the willows, Arctic willow is dioecious, with male and female catkins on separate plants. As a result, the plant's appearance varies; the female catkins are red-coloured, while the male catkins are yellow-coloured.Jepson Flora''Salix arctica''/ref> Despite its small size, it is a long-lived plant, growing extremely slowly in the severe arctic climate; one in eastern Greenland was found to be 236 years old. Hybrids with '' Salix arcticola'' and ''Salix glauca'' are known. Distribution and habitat The Arctic willow grows in tundra and rocky moorland, and is th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eriophorum
''Eriophorum'' (cottongrass, cotton-grass or cottonsedge) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cyperaceae, the sedge family. They are found throughout the arctic, subarctic, and temperate portions of the Northern Hemisphere in acid bog habitats, being particularly abundant in Arctic tundra regions.Flora Europaea''Eriophorum''/ref> They are herbaceous perennial plants with slender, grass-like leaves. The seed heads are covered in a fluffy mass of cotton-like fibers which are carried on the wind to aid dispersal. The cotton grass also maintains a height of 12 inches and around 2 inches in water. In cold Arctic regions, these masses of translucent fibres also serve as 'down' – increasing the temperature of the reproductive organs during the Arctic summer by trapping solar radiation. Paper and the wicks of candles have been made of its fiber, and pillows stuffed with the same material. The leaves were formerly used in treating diarrhea, and the spongy pith of the stem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carex
''Carex'' is a vast genus of more than 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of genus ''Carex'' may be called true sedges, and it is the most species-rich genus in the family. The study of ''Carex'' is known as caricology. Description All species of ''Carex'' are perennial, although some species, such as '' C. bebbii'' and '' C. viridula'' can fruit in their first year of growth, and may not survive longer. They typically have rhizomes, stolons or short rootstocks, but some species grow in tufts (caespitose). The culm – the flower-bearing stalk – is unbranched and usually erect. It is usually distinctly triangular in section. The leaves of ''Carex'' comprise a blade, which extends away from the stalk, and a sheath, which encloses part of the stalk. The blade is normally long and flat, but may be folded, inrolled, c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lichen
A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.Introduction to Lichens – An Alliance between Kingdoms . University of California Museum of Paleontology. Lichens have properties different from those of their component organisms. They come in many colors, sizes, and forms and are sometimes plant-like, but are not s. They may have tiny, leafless branches (); flat leaf-like structures ( |
Moss
Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hornworts. Mosses typically form dense green clumps or mats, often in damp or shady locations. The individual plants are usually composed of simple leaves that are generally only one cell thick, attached to a stem that may be branched or unbranched and has only a limited role in conducting water and nutrients. Although some species have conducting tissues, these are generally poorly developed and structurally different from similar tissue found in vascular plants. Mosses do not have seeds and after fertilisation develop sporophytes with unbranched stalks topped with single capsules containing spores. They are typically tall, though some species are much larger. ''Dawsonia'', the tallest moss in the world, can grow to in height. There are a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notably in 1918 and 1936. Later, the climatologist Rudolf Geiger (1894–1981) introduced some changes to the classification system, which is thus sometimes called the Köppen–Geiger climate classification system. The Köppen climate classification divides climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (temperate), ''D'' (continental), and ''E'' (polar). Each group and subgroup is represented by a letter. All climates are assigned a main group (the first letter). All climates except for those in the ''E'' group are assigned a seasonal precipitation subgroup (the second letter). For example, ''Af'' indi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
