Vegetation
The vegetation in the arctic is severely limited, due to the soil being permanently frozen due to permafrost, so trees are very rare. Plant height is determined often by the height of the snow. If the plants grow above the snow, they are subject top being eaten by animals, or being torn up by the harsh winds and snowstorms.
Plants that do grow in this area however are adapted to the extremely short and still quite cold growing season. Some of these successful plants include: mosses, lichens, and other short plants. Mosses and lichens were the most successful of the plants in the arctic because they had the ability to stop growing at will. This let them stop growing once the conditions became unfavorable, and start growing again once the conditions became better.
The other group of plants that succeeded in this harsh environment were plants that were able to grow very fast right away, instead of a long extended growing plant. This worked well because the growing season was very short.
Because not very many plants were able to survive in this environment, the people of the inuit ate a lot more meat than people in a more tropical location would.
Plants that do grow in this area however are adapted to the extremely short and still quite cold growing season. Some of these successful plants include: mosses, lichens, and other short plants. Mosses and lichens were the most successful of the plants in the arctic because they had the ability to stop growing at will. This let them stop growing once the conditions became unfavorable, and start growing again once the conditions became better.
The other group of plants that succeeded in this harsh environment were plants that were able to grow very fast right away, instead of a long extended growing plant. This worked well because the growing season was very short.
Because not very many plants were able to survive in this environment, the people of the inuit ate a lot more meat than people in a more tropical location would.