Arctic vegetation

Dryas octopetala is a common plant in the Arctic

About 1,702 species of plants live on the Arctic tundra, including flowering plants, short shrubs, herbs, grasses, and mosses. These plants are adapted to short, cold growing seasons.[1] They have the ability to withstand extremely cold temperatures in the winter (winter hardiness), and grow and reproduce in summer conditions that are quite limiting.

As of 2005, arctic vegetation covered approximately 5×10^6 km2 (1.9×10^6 sq mi) of land.[2] The area of Arctic vegetation decreased by approximately 1.4×10^6 km2 (0.54×10^6 sq mi) from 1980 to 2000, with a corresponding increase in the boreal forest (taiga).[3] This decrease is linked to the warming of the Arctic due to climate change.[3][4]

  1. ^ Saville, DBO (1972). Arctic adaptations in plants. Research Branch, Canada Department of Agriculture. Monograph No. 6.
  2. ^ Walker, Donald A; et al. (2005). "The circumpolar Arctic vegetation map". Journal of Vegetation Science. 16 (3): 267–282. Bibcode:2005JVegS..16..267W. doi:10.1111/j.1654-1103.2005.tb02365.x.
  3. ^ a b Wang, Muyin; Overland, James (2004). "Detecting Arctic Climate Change Using Köppen Climate Classification". Climatic Change. 67 (1): 43–62. Bibcode:2004ClCh...67...43W. doi:10.1007/s10584-004-4786-2. S2CID 153816797.
  4. ^ Pearson, Richard G; et al. (2013). "Shifts in Arctic vegetation and associated feedbacks under climate change". Nature Climate Change. 3 (7): 673–677. Bibcode:2013NatCC...3..673P. doi:10.1038/nclimate1858.