Arctic Habitat: The Tundra Ecosystem Explained

Life at the Top of the World

The Arctic habitat (tundra) encircles the North Pole across northern Canada, Greenland, Russia, Alaska, and Scandinavia.

Climate

• Winter: −30°C to −40°C; polar night.
• Summer: 0°C–10°C; midnight sun.
• Permafrost underlies most terrain.

Flora

Low shrubs, mosses, lichens, grasses, dwarf willows, crowberries—adapted to short growing season.

Fauna

Polar bears, Arctic foxes, caribou/reindeer, muskox, lemmings, snowy owls, ptarmigan, seals, whales, walruses.

Threats

• Climate change: permafrost thaw, sea‑ice loss, shrub encroachment.
• Industrial activity: oil/gas, shipping, mining.

Conservation requires global emissions cuts and strict Arctic governance.