GEG 3114 Lecture 5: Biomes Tundra
30 Mar 2016
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Document Summary
Herbaceous plants, some very small woody plants (close to ground) Low arctic has more veg and higher gleization. If the soil is frozen plants can"t photosynthesize. Must do their entire lifecycle within this period. Temperatures ca vary between > 0 c and ~ 10 c. During summer, close to 24 hours of sun. Can be transported by, or across, the ice sheet. Many plants are low-lying and spread across the ground, rather than growing upright. Only 2 spp. of vascular plants in antarctica. Tundra is a relatively recent ecosystem, until recently was a subtropical forest (~26 mya) Gradually became a deciduous forest, to a coniferous forest, eventually trees vanished entirely. Same genera as we have today (further south) There was no tundra until the tertiary, all spp. had to evolve after that. Many circumpolar taxa are missing from this area. Plants are very scattered and low to the ground. Near water source = more moist conditions.
