Location: North of the Arctic

Climate:

Extremely low temperatures (mean <10 degrees Celsius)

Large changes in the amount of sunlight that reaches the surface during various months (range is 0-24 hours)

Strong winds

Very low precipitation (10-50 cm.)

Short growing season (60-100 days)

Soil:

Permafrost present

Unstable due to the freezing and thawing (contraction and expansion, results in soil polygons)

High organic matter, slow decomposition

Solifluction

Low in nutrients

Topography:

Fairly level topography

Snow banks will form in lower areas (protect plant life, act as a wind shelter)

Plant Communities:

Circumpolar plants

Low in species richness

Shrubs: Heaths, Willows, Birch

Herbs: Graminoid, Cotton Grass

Lichens: Reindeer Lichens

Adaptations:

Short Height

Cushion growth form

Perennial

Asexual Reproduction

Dormancy

Animals:

Caribou, Lemming

Human Impact:

Alaskan Pipeline

Anything human related (change) lasts an extremely long time (Rate of change is very very slow!)

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