The extent of the Arctic desert zone. Soils of the Arctic deserts. Arctic desert: location, climate and soil

The Arctic (translated from Greek, bear) is the edge of the northern land, where in summer the sun does not set beyond the sunset line. And in winter, severe frosts reign here, hurricane-force winds that cause strong snowstorms and a polar night that lasts from 98 to 127 days. At the North Pole itself, it lasts six months. And the only sources of light here in winter are the stars, the moon and the twinkling aurora. The Arctic is divided into arctic deserts of the earth, ice and polar. Simply put, on the territory of eternal snow and ice and patches of land with vegetation. The climate of the Arctic deserts, in view of their location in the natural zone, part of the geographical zone adjacent to the Arctic Ocean, is very cold and harsh. That is why they call this region of the Arctic deserts, the zone of eternal snow and ice. The Arctic deserts of the earth are nothing but varieties of deserts, with very sparse and poor vegetation, among ice and snow. arctic belt Earth.

Such deserts are distributed almost throughout Greenland, the northern part, most of North America, falling on the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and on a significant part of the islands with complex mountainous terrain, located in the icy ocean and having their own unique climate of the Arctic deserts. The cold climate of the Arctic deserts makes it impossible for vegetation to grow in abundance. Since, in short summers, the air temperature does not rise above 0 ° +5 °, in winter its average weighted temperature ranges from 10-35 °, and in the Greenland and Asian North to -50 °, -60 ° Celsius. Precipitation does not exceed the fallen rate of 200 - 400 millimeters per year. The Arctic deserts of the earth, during a short-term snowmelt, have insignificant land areas isolated by snow and ice - polar oases, where lichens, scale mosses and herbaceous vegetation in the form of sedge and simple grasses grow predominantly, up to approximately five tons of green mass per hectare. This is very, very little. But no matter how severe arctic desert climate, nature decreed that during the short cold summer, insignificant stony and swampy areas of soil freed from snow cover with beautiful colors that grow here, some types of flowers, such as buttercup, saxifrage, foxtail, polar poppy. Many of these plants, the peoples inhabiting the Far North, are considered medicinal. And for most of the animals common here, sparse vegetation is the main source of food. The almost never changing climate of the Arctic deserts has adapted for itself a small number of animal species that have chosen the territories of the harsh Arctic deserts. Here in this land, you can meet such animals as the polar fox, the "owner" of these glacial places, the polar bear, the Greenland musk bull, the small rodent lemming (pied), often in the summer, you can also see the polar hare, which was initially considered by scientists to be a hare .
The climate of the Arctic deserts, with its severity, did not affect the families of birds living here. Waders, geese, eiders, guillemots, guillemots, glaucous gulls, which from year to year, arriving here, collect their multi-million bird colonies here. And for such mammals as beluga whales, seals, ringed seals, sea seals, walruses, only the climate of the Arctic deserts and their immediate habitat, the Laptev Sea and the Kara Sea, are suitable for living. In the cold, phytoplankton is found in abundance and in sufficient quantities, such fish as nelma, cod, arctic cod, vendace. The Arctic deserts of the land, which polar bears have chosen, have been declared reserves, one of these is called Wrangel Island, the surface area of ​​which is a continuous glacier strewn with broken stone and rubble. The climate of the Arctic deserts owes its formation not only to the low temperature of high latitude, but also to thermal reflection (albedo) during the daytime, from the surface of ice and snow, which is held in the Arctic, all year round. In summer, when the air temperature rises above zero, the effect of thermal reflection leads to a significant evaporation of moisture from the surface of the glaciers, so the sky of the Arctic deserts is almost constantly covered with low-weight lead clouds. It rains constantly, often with snow. Evaporation of water from the ocean opened from the ice contributes to the formation of thick fogs. Not the last influential role on the climate of the Arctic deserts is exerted by the underwater East Greenland Current and the clockwise movement of the ice field in the ocean caused by it with the ongoing removal of drifting ice into Atlantic Ocean. An exceptionally last and no less important role in the climate of the Arctic deserts is played by permafrost, which fetters the land and waters of the Arctic with centuries of ice. The thickness of the permafrost ice shell ranges from 100 - 150 meters in the area of ​​Franz Josef Land in the northern regions of the Taimyr Peninsula to 500 - 550 meters and over 680 meters on Novaya Zemlya. In some mountainous and elevated places, ice from the mainland, breaking off, slides into the ocean, forming giant floating icebergs. like this naturally, mother herself - nature supports and regulates the harsh climate of the Arctic deserts.

The Antarctic Desert is the largest and coldest on Earth, characterized by large temperature drops and almost total absence precipitation. It is located in the very south of the planet, completely occupying the sixth continent - Antarctica.

Cold deserts of the Earth

Deserts in all people cause associations with heat, endless expanses of sand and small bushes. However, on Earth there are also cold types of them - these are the Arctic and Antarctic deserts. They are called so because of the continuous ice cover and due to the low temperature, the air cannot retain moisture, so it is very dry.

In terms of precipitation, the objects we are considering resemble southern sultry ones, such as the Sahara, which is why scientists gave them the name “cold deserts”.

The zones of the Arctic and Antarctic deserts are the territories of the continents and adjacent islands at the North Pole (Arctic) and South Pole (Antarctic), related, respectively, to the Arctic and Antarctic climatic zones. They consist of glaciers and stones, they are practically lifeless, but under the ice, scientists find microorganisms.

Antarctica

The territory of the Antarctic desert is 13.8 million square meters, which is the area of ​​​​the icy continent, which is located in the southern polar part of the world. From different sides it is washed by several oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian, the coasts consist of glaciers.

The geographical position of the Antarctic deserts that occupy Antarctica is determined not only by the continental zone, but also by the islands located near it. There is also the Antarctic Peninsula, which goes into the depths of the ocean of the same name. On the territory of Antarctica lie dividing the mainland into 2 parts: western and eastern.

The western half is located on the Antarctic platform and is a mountainous area almost 5 km high. Volcanoes are located in this part, one of which - Erebus - active, is located on an island in the Ross Sea. In coastal areas there are oases that do not have ice. These small plains and mountain peaks, called nunataks, have an area of ​​​​40 thousand square meters, located on the Pacific coast. On the mainland there are lakes and rivers that appear only in the summer. In total, scientists have discovered 140 subglacial lakes. Only one of them does not freeze - Lake Vostok. The eastern part is the largest in terms of territory and the coldest.

Minerals located in the bowels of the mainland: ferrous and non-ferrous metal ore, mica, graphite, coal, there is information about the reserves of uranium, gold and diamonds. According to the assumptions of geologists, there are deposits of oil and gas, but due to the harsh climate, mining is not possible.

Antarctic deserts: climate

On the southern mainland very harsh and cold climate, which is due to the formation of cold and dry air currents. Antarctica is located in the Earth's belt.

In winter, the temperature can reach -80 ºС, in summer -20 ºС. More comfortable is the coastal zone, where in summer the thermometer reaches -10 ºС, which is due to natural phenomenon, called "albedo", is the reflection of heat from the surface of the ice. The record for the lowest temperature was recorded here in 1983 and amounted to -89.2 ºС.

The amount of precipitation is minimal, about 200 mm for the whole year, they consist only of snow. This is due to the extreme cold, which dries out the moisture, allowing it to be called antarctic desert the driest place on the planet.

The climate here is different: in the center of the mainland there is less precipitation (50 mm), it is colder, on the coast the wind is less intense (up to 90 m / s), and precipitation is already 300 mm per year. Scientists have calculated that the amount of frozen water in the form of ice and snow in Antarctica is 90% of the world's fresh water.

One of the obligatory signs of the desert is storms. Here they also happen, only snowy, and the wind speed during the elements is 320 km / h.

In the direction from the center of the mainland to the coast, there is a constant movement of shelf ice; in the summer months, parts of the glaciers break off, forming massifs of icebergs that drift in the ocean.

Mainland population

There is no permanently resident population in Antarctica; according to its international status, it does not belong to any state. On the territory of the Antarctic desert zone there are only scientific stations where scientists are engaged in research. Sometimes there are tourist or sports expeditions.

The number of scientists-researchers living at scientific stations in the summer increases to 4 thousand people, in the winter - only 1 thousand. According to historical data, the first settlers here were American, Norwegian and British whalers who lived on the island of South Georgia, but with 1966 Whale hunting is banned.

The entire territory of the Antarctic desert is icy silence surrounded by endless expanses of ice and snow.

Biosphere of the southernmost continent

The biosphere in Antarctica is divided into several zones:

• the coast of the mainland and the island;
• oases located near the coast;
• nunatak zone (mountains near Mirny station, mountainous regions on Victoria Land, etc.);
• ice sheet zone.

The richest in flora and fauna is the coastal zone, which is home to many Antarctic animals. They feed on zooplankton sea ​​water(krill). There are no land mammals on the mainland at all.

In nunataks and coastal oases, only bacteria, lichens and algae, worms can live, and birds can occasionally fly in. The most favorable climate zone is the Antarctic Peninsula.

Vegetable world

The plants of the Antarctic deserts are those that appeared millions of years ago, even during the existence of the Gondwana continent. Now they are limited to a few types of mosses and lichens, which, according to scientists, are more than 5 thousand years old.

Flowering plants have been found on the territory of the peninsula and nearby islands, and blue-green algae live in fresh water in oases, which form a crust and cover the bottom of reservoirs.

The number of lichen species is 200, and there are about 70 mosses. Algae usually settle in summer when snow melts and small reservoirs form, and they can be of various colors, creating bright multi-colored spots that resemble lawns from a distance.

Only 2 species of flowering plants have been found:

• Colobanthus kito, referring to This is a cushion-shaped herb, decorated with small flowers of white or light yellow shades, about 5 cm in size.
• Antarctic meadow grass from the grass family. It grows in sunny areas, tolerates frost well, grows up to 20 cm.

Ice Desert Animals

The fauna of Antarctica is very poor due to the cold climate and lack of food. Animals live only in places where there are plants or zooplankton in the ocean, and are divided into 2 groups: terrestrial and living in the water.

There are no flying insects, because due to the strong cold wind they cannot rise into the air. However, in the oases there are small ticks, as well as wingless flies and springtails. Only in this area lives the wingless midge, which is the largest terrestrial animal of the Antarctic desert - this Belgica Antarctica size 10-11 mm (photo below).

In freshwater reservoirs in the summer, you can find the simplest representatives of the fauna, as well as rotifers, nematodes and lower crustaceans.

Animals of Antarctica

The fauna of Antarctica is also quite limited and is present mainly in the coastal zone:

• penguins of 17 species: Adelie, emperor, etc.;
• seals: Weddell (up to 3 m long), crabeater and predatory leopard seal (reaches the skin is colored with spots), sea lion, Ross seals (endowed with vocal abilities);
• whales that feed on small crustaceans and icefish live in the ocean;
• huge jellyfish, reaching 150 kg of weight;
• some birds settle here in the summer, creating nests and raising chicks: gulls, albatrosses, white plover, cormorants, big pipit, petrels, pintail.

The most representative animal species is the penguins, of which the emperor penguins are the most common, living on the coast of the mainland. The growth of these beauties can reach a human (160 cm), and weight - 60 kg.

Another numerous representative of birds is the Adélie penguins, the smallest, growing up to 50 cm and weighing no more than 3 kg.

Ecosystem of Antarctica and its conservation

The continental ice deserts and cold waters of the oceans washing Antarctica are an ecosystem inhabited by living organisms that have existed here for thousands of years. The main animal food is phytoplankton.

Due to warming, glaciers and masses of snow in Antarctica are gradually receding, moving closer to the coast. The ice shelves are slowly melting, the soil is gradually being exposed, which contributes to the creation of more favorable environment for plant colonization. However, the appearance of non-native plant species is not at all welcomed on the continent.

The ecosystem of Antarctica and the Antarctic desert needs protection from the emergence of “alien” species of life, so every scientist or tourist who comes here undergoes mandatory processing. In the process, it is washed away and destroyed parts of plants or spores.

In accordance with the Treaty signed by 44 countries of the world, military operations and tests, including nuclear tests, are prohibited on the territory of Antarctica. radioactive waste. Only scientific research is allowed.

Due to the type of activity, one often has to deal with the fact that the "internet generation", having lived to the age of 18, cannot imagine all the diversity of the nature of our planet. For them, trees grow in the taiga, and grass in the tundra, they cannot imagine African savannah and do not know why hard-leaved forests are called hard-leaved.

Our excursion into the diversity of the world will begin with the northernmost natural area- Arctic desert zones.

1. The Arctic deserts are shown in gray on the map.

arctic desert is the northernmost of the natural zones, characterized by an arctic climate, arctic air masses predominate all year round. The islands of the Arctic Ocean lie in the zone of the Arctic deserts (Greenland, the northern part of the Canadian archipelago, the Svalbard archipelago, Severny Island of Novaya Zemlya, the New Siberian Islands, and a narrow strip along the coast of the Arctic Ocean within the Yamal, Gydansky, Taimyr peninsulas, and further east to Chukotka Peninsula). These spaces are covered with glaciers, snow, rubble and rock fragments.

2. Arctic desert in winter

3. Arctic desert in summer

The climate is extremely harsh. Ice and snow cover lasts almost the whole year. In winter, there is a long polar night here (at 75 ° N, its duration is 98 days, at 80 ° N - 127 days, and in the region of the pole - half a year). Average January temperatures are about -30 (for comparison, in Tomsk the average January temperature is -17), frosts are often below -40. North-east winds blow almost constantly at a speed of more than 10 m / s, snowstorms are frequent. In February-March, the sun rises from the horizon, and in June, along with the onset of the polar day, spring comes. The snow cover on the well-warmed southern slopes disappears by mid-June. Despite round-the-clock lighting, temperatures rarely rise above +5, soils thaw by several centimeters. average temperature July, the warmest month of the year 0 - +3. In summer, the sky is rarely clear, usually it is covered with clouds, it rains (often with snow), thick fogs form due to the evaporation of water from the surface of the ocean. Precipitation falls mainly in the form of snow. The maximum precipitation occurs in the summer months. There is not much precipitation - about 250 mm / year (for comparison, in Tomsk about 550 mm / year). Almost all moisture remains on the surface, not seeping into the frozen ground and evaporating weakly due to low temperatures and the low position of the sun in the sky.

4. Typical vegetation of the Arctic deserts - mosses and lichens.

The Arctic desert is practically devoid of vegetation: there are no shrubs, lichens and mosses do not form a continuous cover. Soils are thin, arctic desert, with insular distribution, localized under vegetation, which consists mainly of sedges, some grasses, lichens and mosses. Plants rarely reach a height of 10 cm, usually nestled against stones (cold air heats up from the surface of the earth, so plants tend to cling as tightly as possible to relatively warm earth), and grow mainly in depressions, on the southern slopes, on the leeward side of large stones and rocks. The disturbed vegetation cover is restored extremely slowly.

5. Sedge

6. Moss cuckoo flax (right)

6.1. Moss moss lichen (light), lingonberry leaves (lower left). Cowberry leaves are covered with a wax coating that protects them from excessive solar radiation - the polar day can last for many days, weeks and even months.

The fauna is predominantly marine: walrus, seal, in summer there are bird colonies - in summer goose, eider, sandpiper, guillemot, guillemot arrive and nest. Terrestrial fauna is poor: arctic fox, polar bear, lemming.

7. Lemming - a mouse with a very short tail and ears hidden in fur. The shape of her body is spherical, the most favorable for keeping warm - this is the only way to avoid frostbite in the Arctic climate.

8.

9. Lemmings live under snow most of the year.

10.

11. And this is a polar fox - a lemming hunter

12. Arctic fox on the hunt

13. Do you still want to wear a coat with a fox fur collar?

14. The white (polar) bear prefers to live on the coasts. Its main food lives in the waters of the Arctic Ocean.

15. Seal with her cub

16. Walrus

17. Beluga dolphin - an inhabitant of the waters of the Arctic Ocean

The color of the beluga whale is monochromatic, changing with age: newborns are dark blue, after a year they become gray and bluish-gray; individuals older than 3-5 years are pure white (hence the name of the dolphin).

The largest males reach 6 m in length and 2 tons in weight; females are smaller. The head of the beluga whale is small, "lobed", without a beak. The vertebrae on the neck are not fused together, so the beluga whale, unlike most whales, is able to turn its head. Pectoral fins small, oval. The dorsal fin is absent; from here Latin name genus Delphinapterus - "wingless dolphin". By the way, the fact of the formation of a stable expression "to roar like a beluga" in Russian is interesting. It is associated with the loud sounds that the white whale makes. In the 19th century, the names "belukha" and "beluga" were equally used. Currently, "beluga" refers primarily to the name of the beluga fish, and wingless dolphins are called beluga whales.

18.

19.

20. Gaga. The down of this particular bird is considered the best heat-insulating material for winter clothes- he "breathes". In such clothes it is not hot during thaws and not cold during frosts. For many decades, polar explorers' clothing was sewn using eider down. Down is harvested from empty eider nests, each nest contains about 17 grams of down.

21.

22. Kulik

23. Chistik

24. Bird market. Guillemots.

25. Guillemot in flight

26. Bird market.

To be continued.

And fragments of stones.

Climate

The climate in the Arctic is very harsh. Ice and snow cover lasts almost the whole year. In winter, there is a long polar night (at 75 ° N - 98 days; at 80 ° N - 127 days; in the region of the pole - half a year). This is a very harsh time of the year. The temperature drops to -40 ° C and below, strong gale-force winds blow, snowstorms are frequent. In summer, there is round-the-clock lighting, but there is little heat, the soil does not have time to completely thaw. The air temperature is slightly above 0 °C. The sky is often covered with gray clouds, it rains (often with snow), due to the strong evaporation of water from the surface of the ocean, thick fogs form.

Flora and fauna

Arctic deserts

The Arctic desert zone, the northernmost of the natural zones, is located in the high latitudes of the Arctic. Its southern boundary runs along approximately 71°N. sh. The zone includes the islands of the Arctic basin: Greenland, the northern part of the Canadian archipelago, the Svalbard archipelago, Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, Novaya Zemlya, the New Siberian Islands, as well as a narrow strip along the coast of the Arctic Ocean within the Yamal, Gydansky, Taimyr, Chukotsky peninsulas.

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An excerpt characterizing the Arctic desert

- Look, take it out well!
Another hussar also rushed to the horse, but Bondarenko had already thrown over the reins of the snaffle. It was evident that the junker gave well for vodka, and that it was profitable to serve him. Rostov stroked the horse's neck, then its rump, and stopped on the porch.
“Glorious! Such will be the horse! he said to himself, and, smiling and holding his saber, he ran up to the porch, rattling his spurs. The German owner, in a sweatshirt and cap, with a pitchfork, with which he cleaned the manure, looked out of the barn. The German's face suddenly brightened as soon as he saw Rostov. He smiled cheerfully and winked: “Schon, gut Morgen! Schon, gut Morgen!" [Fine, good morning!] he repeated, apparently finding pleasure in greeting the young man.
– Schonfleissig! [Already at work!] - said Rostov, still with the same joyful, brotherly smile that did not leave his animated face. – Hoch Oestreicher! Hoch Russen! Kaiser Alexander hoch! [Hooray Austrians! Hooray Russians! Emperor Alexander hurray!] - he turned to the German, repeating the words often spoken by the German host.
The German laughed, went completely out of the barn door, pulled
cap and, waving it over his head, shouted:
– Und die ganze Welt hoch! [And the whole world cheers!]
Rostov himself, just like a German, waved his cap over his head and, laughing, shouted: “Und Vivat die ganze Welt!” Although there was no reason for special joy either for the German who was cleaning his cowshed, or for Rostov, who went with a platoon for hay, both of these people looked at each other with happy delight and brotherly love, shook their heads in a sign of mutual love and parted smiling - the German to the barn, and Rostov to the hut he shared with Denisov.
- What's the sir? he asked Lavrushka, the rogue lackey Denisov known to the entire regiment.
Haven't been since the evening. It’s true, we lost,” answered Lavrushka. “I already know that if they win, they will come early to show off, but if they don’t until morning, then they’ve blown away, the angry ones will come. Would you like coffee?
- Come on, come on.
After 10 minutes, Lavrushka brought coffee. They're coming! - he said, - now the trouble. - Rostov looked out the window and saw Denisov returning home. Denisov was small man with a red face, shining black eyes, black tousled mustache and hair. He was wearing an unbuttoned mentic, wide chikchirs lowered in folds, and a crumpled hussar cap was put on the back of his head. He gloomily, lowering his head, approached the porch.
“Lavg” ear, ”he shouted loudly and angrily. “Well, take it off, blockhead!
“Yes, I’m filming anyway,” answered Lavrushka’s voice.
- BUT! you already got up, - said Denisov, entering the room.
- For a long time, - said Rostov, - I already went for hay and saw Fraulein Matilda.
– That's how! And I pg "puffed up, bg" at, vcheg "a, like a son of a bitch!" shouted Denisov, without pronouncing the river. - Such a misfortune! Such a misfortune! As you left, so it went. Hey, tea!

When you hear the word "desert", what immediately comes to mind? For most people, the desert evokes images of endless sandy expanses, high temperatures, and scrub vegetation. To some extent, this representation is accurate. Many of the world's deserts are characterized by large amounts of sand and high temperatures (at least during daylight hours).

However, there are Arctic deserts that are fundamentally different from the rest of the deserts. There is no sand here, and temperatures are often far from hot, but rather sub-zero.

If you know anything about the Arctic, you are probably wondering who came up with the idea to call this region a desert. After all, the Arctic has the Arctic Ocean. However, arctic temperatures are so low that the ocean is almost always covered in ice. Severe frost also means that the air is unable to retain moisture. Thus, the air is dry, as in a classic desert.

Another weighty argument is the insignificant amount of precipitation in the form of rain or snow. In fact, the Arctic receives about the same amount of rainfall as the Sahara. All of the above factors have led to the emergence of the concept of "arctic or cold desert".

Natural conditions of the Arctic desert zone

For determining natural conditions arctic desert, below is a brief description of and a table of the main factors (geographical location, relief, soil, climate, Natural resources, flora and fauna) that influence the lives of people in this natural area.

Geographical position

Arctic desert on the map of the main natural areas of the world

Legend:

Arctic deserts

The natural zone of the Arctic desert is located above 75 ° north latitude and is adjacent to the North Pole of the Earth. It covers a total area of ​​more than 100 thousand km². The Arctic Desert covers Greenland, the North Pole and several islands, many of which are inhabited by humans and animals.

Relief

The relief of the Arctic desert consists of various physical features: mountains, glaciers and flat areas.

The mountains: the arctic desert contains mountainous regions where a cold and dry climate prevails. In appearance, some of the region's mountains resemble mountains in Central America.

Glaciers: due to extremely low temperatures, the arctic desert is replete with numerous glaciers different forms and sizes.

Flat areas: make up the bulk of the region's territory and have a distinct patterned texture, which is the result of cycles of melting and freezing water.

If you've watched the TV series Game of Thrones, then the lands beyond the Wall give you a general idea of ​​what the arctic wilderness looks like. These scenes were filmed in Iceland, which is not officially part of the Arctic desert, but has a superficial resemblance to it.

Soils

In the main part of the territories of the natural zone of the Arctic desert, the soils remain frozen for most of the year. The permafrost reaches 600-1000 m deep and makes it difficult to drain water. In summer, the surface of the Arctic desert is covered with lakes from the melt water of the upper soil layer. Crushed stone and rocks, due to the movement of glaciers, are scattered throughout the natural zone.

The soil horizon of the Arctic deserts is very thin, poor in nutrients, and also includes a lot of sand. In warmer areas, there are soil types that contain little organic matter and are capable of supporting the growth of small shrubs, algae, fungi, and mosses. One such soil type is brown soils.

Climate

The climate of the natural zone of the Arctic desert is characterized by a long, very cold winter and short cool summers. During the cold months (typically December to January), temperatures can drop as low as -50°C. During the warmer months (typically July), temperatures can rise to +10°C. However, over many months, average temperatures range from -20° to 0°C.

The arctic desert receives very little rainfall. The average annual rainfall is below 250 mm. Precipitation, as a rule, falls in the form of snow and light drizzle, more often in the warm season.

For summer months the sun does not set at all in the arctic desert. In fact, for 60 days, the sun is above the horizon around the clock.

Animals and plants

In total, about 700 plant species and about 120 animal species are found in the natural zone of the Arctic deserts. Flora and fauna have adapted to survive and even thrive in such extreme conditions. Plants were able to adapt to nutrient-poor soils, low temperatures environment and low rainfall. , as a rule, have a thick layer of fat and thick wool to protect from the cold. They breed during the short summer and often hibernate or migrate during the winter. The birds usually fly south during the cold winter months.

Only about 5% of the territories of the natural zone of the Arctic desert has vegetation cover. Although this is not surprising, given the status of the desert. Most of the plant life consists of the following plants: lichens, mosses and algae, which can survive in the extreme conditions of the Arctic.

Every year (especially in the warm season), some types of low (from 5 to 100 cm) shrub plants bloom. They typically include sedges, liverworts, herbs and different kinds colors.

Animal life in the Arctic desert is very diverse. There are numerous mammals, birds, fish and insects. All these animals are adapted to extremely low temperatures. Here are some examples of animals from the natural zone of the Arctic deserts:

• Mammals: arctic foxes, polar bears, wolves, squirrels, hares, arctic voles, lemmings, reindeer, seals, walruses and whales.
• Birds: crows, falcons, loons, sandpipers, snipes, terns and various types of gulls. Most of these birds are migratory (i.e. spend only part of their life cycle in the arctic desert).
• Fish: trout, salmon, flounder and cod.
• Insects:

Natural resources

The Arctic includes significant reserves (oil, gas, minerals, fresh water and commercial fish species). also in last years tourist interest in this region has increased significantly, which also provides additional economic benefits.

The pristine and vast deserts of the Arctic play an important role in the conservation of biodiversity due to the growing human presence, as well as the fragmentation of vital habitats. The Arctic deserts are particularly susceptible to land cover depletion and habitat disturbance of the region's rare animals. The Arctic also contains 20% of the world's fresh water.

Table of the natural zone of the Arctic deserts

Geographical position	Relief and soil	Climate	Flora and fauna	Natural resources
Arctic regions located above 75° north latitude and receiving low rainfall (less than 250 mm per year).	The relief is mostly flat, but sometimes there are mountainous areas. Soils are very poor in organic nutrients and remain frozen for much of the year.	The climate is dry and cold. Average temperatures range from 0° to -20° C. In winter, the air temperature can drop below -50° C, and in summer it can rise to +10° C.	Animals mammals: polar foxes, polar bears, wolves, reindeer, hares, squirrels, voles, lemmings, walruses, seals and whales; birds: crows, falcons, loons, sandpipers, snipes, terns and gulls; fish: trout, salmon, flounder and cod; insects: grasshoppers, arctic bumblebees, mosquitoes, moths, midges and flies. Plants shrubs, grasses, lichens, mosses and algae.	oil, gas, minerals, fresh water, commercial fish species.

Peoples and cultures

The most numerous inhabitants of the Arctic deserts are the Inuit. If the word "Inuit" is not clear to you, then most likely you have heard of the Eskimos.

The Inuit have adapted their lives to the difficult conditions of the Arctic wilderness. As a rule, in the Arctic there are practically no building materials. The Eskimos build snow huts called igloos. In the summer, when the Igloo is melted, they live in tents made from animal skins and bones.

Considering extreme conditions desert, the Inuit do not grow grains and vegetables. They eat mainly meat and fish. Thus, their main food sources are fishing, as well as hunting for seals, walruses and whales.

For transportation, the Inuit usually use dog sleds. Sleighs are made of skins and bones. They are pulled by strong, hardy, sledding breeds of dogs (huskies, malmutes, samoyeds). When moving through the water, they use kayaks or umiaks. Kayaks are small boats suitable for carrying one or two people. Umiaks are large enough to carry several people, dogs, and supplies.

Eskimo communities are found in various parts of the Arctic desert and. In Greenland, they are known as Iñupiat or Yup'ik. In Russia they are called Eskimos. Regardless of the name or geographical location, the Inuit speak the same language Inuktitut. They also have similar cultural traditions and way of life.

Significance for a person

In recent years, the Arctic wilderness has experienced an increase in tourism. Visitors to the cold desert come here for the unique ecosystem and mesmerizing snowy landscapes. Lakes, rivers, streams and mountains provide additional leisure activities for tourists from all over the world. Some recreational activities include sea cruises, boating, sport fishing, mountain climbing, hunting trips, white water rafting, hiking, dog sledding, skiing, snowshoeing, and more. The non-setting sun during the Arctic summer is another reason for the interest of tourists who visit the Arctic wilderness for this surreal phenomenon. Visitors also experience Inuit culture and life by visiting their settlements. The Arctic desert, being the polar region of the planet, plays a key role in regulating the Earth's climate.

Environmental threats

The population of people in the natural zone of the Arctic desert and adjacent areas is quite low. The most pronounced threat comes from exploration and extraction of mineral deposits. Global warming is also having a negative impact on the Arctic desert environment, upsetting the delicate balance of this ecosystem. As the planet's temperature rises, it heats up and melts, releasing carbon from the soil into the atmosphere, which accelerates the processes of climate change. Due to global warming melt polar ice, which contributes to sea level rise and increases the threat of flooding of the planet's coastal regions. Melting ice caps also threaten polar bears. They need ice to hunt, and melting ice cuts and fragments their hunting grounds. In addition, orphaned cubs have even lower survival rates because they are left to fend for themselves.

Protection of the Arctic deserts

To protect the natural zone of the Arctic deserts, it is necessary to provide assistance, cooperation, coordination and interaction between states with the participation of communities of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection of the region.

The main goals of Arctic desert conservation include:

• Preservation of the rich biodiversity of the region;
• Sustainable use of renewable natural resources;
• Reduce pollution and wasteful consumption.

To achieve these goals, it is necessary to focus international attention on the following problematic aspects:

• Marine environment;
• Fresh water;
• biodiversity;
• Changing of the climate;
• Pollution;
• Oil and gas.

Only the political will and interaction of states can give a positive result in the struggle for the conservation of both the natural zone of the Arctic desert and the nature of the world as a whole.