- Related Topics:
- Arctic
- polar ecosystem
- Arctic tundra
- alpine tundra
- Subarctic region
An important measure of natural ecosystems is the biological production of its plants and animals—that is, the total amount of biomass produced by living organisms within a given area in a specific period of time. In polar regions the greatest biological production occurs in marine waters rather than on land, and production is actually higher in the Antarctic than it is in the Arctic Ocean. Production studies of Arctic tundra lakes indicate that there are many species of algae and aquatic mosses living in the higher latitudes of the Arctic.
Rates of annual plant productivity in the tundra vary from less than 10 grams per square metre, or 0.003 ounce per square foot (dry weight) in polar desert (or frigid desert) environments to 400 grams per square metre (about 1.3 ounces per square foot) in some alpine sedge meadows. Arctic shrub tundra has a range of 100–300 grams per square metre (0.3–0.98 ounces per square foot). For comparison, tropical rainforests produce 1,000–4,000 grams per square metre (3.3–13.1 pounds per square foot). While other environments benefit from longer growing seasons, the growing season in tundra habitats is extremely short, often less than two months per year. On the other hand, the short growing season and the low solar angle in the Arctic are balanced by long summer days, which allow plants to carry out photosynthesis for a full 24 hours per day.
These data do not tell the entire story, however, because the amount of available plant material (standing crop) is often 10 to 25 times greater below ground than it is above ground. This indicates that the soil environment may be more favourable for the growth of plants than the air. In many tundras, the harvest by plant-eating animals accounts for no more than 0.1 to 2.0 percent of the live plants per year. This means that most of the plants produced decay and are decomposed by microorganisms. With alpine and Arctic vegetation so sparse, it is no accident that humans living in these environments have harvested herbivorous animals, including reindeer, ducks, and geese, rather than native or cultivated plants.
Lawrence C. Bliss Feng Sheng Hu