BOTANIST
Plants and their relationships in the Siberian tundra.
|Sofia|
Plants
Arctic Moss
This is a moss that is commonly found throughout the arctic circle, it lives on the coast and prefers rocky terrain near water. It doesn't produce flowers, but reproduces by growing shoots or sending out spores that need to be wet to survive.
Bearberry
Also known as foxberry or kinnikinic, it's found around the arctic circle. It's an evergreen that grows to be about 2-8" off the ground. It's found in rock outcrops and shallow soils. It's fruit can be eaten and the leaves can serve medicinal purposes.
Caribou Moss
Caribou moss is actually a lichen, part of the Cladoniaceae family. It can grow in hot and cold climates in well-drained, open environments. Also known as reindeer moss
Invasive Species
Since the Russian tundra is such an extreme environment plants have to be well adapted to survive. There are no invasive plant species. Besides being isolated, the tundra has conditions that are impossible for the growth of most plant species. The temperature never gets warmer than 50Fº during a 6-10 week summer when the sun shines almost 24 hours a day, and the temperature is an average of -25Fº and there is barely any sun. The extreme wind conditions make it impossible for large plants to grow, while the thin soil and permafrost stop roots from going deep into the ground.
Adaptations
Tufted Saxifrage
Tufted saxifrage is a small perennial with several flower stems that are about 3-15cm in length. Because of the thin soil often lacks nutrients, especially in winter. They grow in tight clumps spreading across the ground like a carpet, which slows evaporation, a huge advantage in an environment with very little precipitation, the clumps also help protect the plants against the harsh wind and the deep frost. To ensure seed production and reproduction in the harsh northern climates and due to a lack of pollinators, the tufted saxifrage is self-pollinating.
Diamond-Leaf Willow
The diamond-leaf willow is common throughout the northern hemisphere, different species of willow can grow up to 30 feet high. But this tundra species only grows a few inches tall, instead of growing up it spreads itself along the ground. Partially due to thin nutrient lacking soil, but also because it allows it to absorb what little sun is available
Primary and Secondary Succession
Primary Succession
Thousands of years ago in the Russian tundra glaciers and volcanoes left barren rock behind them. Lichens, such as caribou moss, were the first to start growing. After they died they decomposed into soil, gradually creating top soil. The wind displaced the soil into cracks and crevices, that's where moss had started to grow. As the moss dies and decomposes it added to the soil, over centuries creating enough soil for larger plants to grow.
Secondary Succession
After a natural disaster like as a mudslide or a fire, although they are rare they are still the most common natural disasters in the Russian tundra, in the case of the tundra, the soil still remains. The lichens and mosses, as with primary succession, will be the first to start growing. The small plants can start growing and continue the ecosystem. Since plants in the tundra are small and require little soil, will repopulate the area quickly.
Pyramid of Energy
Symbiotic Relationships
An example of a commensalism is the relationship between the caribou and the arctic fox. The caribou dig through the snow to find lichen to eat, since plants are scarce during the winter. The fox follows the caribou, because when the caribou digs through the snow it can expose small animals hiding under the snow, which the fox can now reach.