Updated September 30, 2021
By J. Dianne Dotson
Reviewed by: Sylvie Tremblay, M.Sc. Molecular Biology and Genetics
The North Pole is typically thought of as a place of snow and ice where nothing grows. However, the North Pole is home to the unique and vibrant Arctic ecosystem. North Pole animals and plants coexist in the harsh biome, although climate change has introduced new dynamics.
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)
Rather than being strictly a region of snow and ice, plants reside in the North Pole region. The tundra biome of the Arctic is home to several species of plants with special adaptations for the short growing season and cold temperatures.
Characteristics of the Tundra Biome
The North Pole region, or the Arctic, represents the tundra biome. The word 'tundra' derives from a Finnish word, tunturia, meaning barren land without trees. The tundra is as far north as any plant can grow. It is a desert-like environment with little precipitation. The precipitation for this climate reaches only about 15 inches annually.
The tundra is dry and cold, and its winters are long while its summers are brief. The growing season of the tundra biome averages only about 60 days. Low temperatures in the Arctic can reach -30 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, although summer warms as much as 54 degrees Fahrenheit.
Beneath thin soil, permafrost can be found in the tundra. Permafrost is ground that is permanently frozen. Having this frozen ground beneath soil creates a challenge for root development.
All of these characteristics make the tundra a harsh place for life, yet it does exist. Any precipitation can pool on the permafrost to provide moisture for plants, but it does not drain well.
What Plants Live in the Arctic?
Approximately 1,700 known species of plants live in the Arctic and subarctic areas of the North Pole. Many of these plants are stunted and grow low to the ground. This adaptation aids in their survival against the brutal winds and bitter temperatures at the North Pole. The plants of the North Pole have adapted to the low light and cold temperatures and are still able to carry out photosynthesis.
Plants of the North Pole tend not to reproduce via flowers due to the short growing season. Often, these plants use budding as a form of reproduction. Some examples of North Pole plants include sedges, grasses, over 400 flower varieties, reindeer mosses, liverworts, shrubs and cushion plants. The North Pole is also home to some lichens.
The plants of the North Pole provide food for the animals that live in the Arctic. Herbivores of the Arctic include lemmings, voles, caribou, hares, squirrels, insects, birds and fish. Carnivores, in turn, feed upon the herbivores. Since food is not abundant, many animals of the North Pole consume their food in summer and store more fat than southern animals so they can hibernate through the long winter.
Are There Trees in the Arctic?
Because of permafrost and a short growing season, the Arctic does not provide suitable habitat for tall trees. Any North Pole trees that do exist are dwarf trees. Some examples of trees in the North Pole include birches and willows.
One species of North Pole tree is the Arctic willow (Salix arctica). The catch is that it usually only grows as tall as ten centimeters and is, therefore, one of the smallest willows. The Arctic willow undergoes fall color change and grows in clumps.
Climate Change and North Pole Plants
Over the past 30 years, climate change has led to increases in the height of North Pole plants. This height increase, in turn, creates a method of snow entrapment that prevents the soil beneath from freezing as efficiently.
Scientists estimate that plants could increase their height by 60 percent over the next several decades. The reason for concern is that the permafrost contains up to 50 percent of the world’s carbon in the soil, so its thawing could lead to an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Various dynamics are at play due to climate change in the Arctic. Plants that lived at more southern latitudes are now spreading through the North Pole, such as vernal sweetgrass.
As plant communities change, so will the animals that forage on them. There is a likelihood of increased precipitation as the Arctic warms, which would affect soil moisture. More research is needed to study the effects of climate change on the plants of the North Pole.
FAQs
Approximately 1,700 species of plants live on the Arctic tundra, including flowering plants, dwarf shrubs, herbs, grasses, mosses, and lichens.
Why are plants short in the Arctic? ›
Arctic plants limit their height to be below the snow level. Plants that protrude above the snow are subject to strong winds, blowing snow, and being eaten by caribou, muskox, or ptarmigan. Arctic plants can survive very low temperatures because of high concentration of soluble carbohydrates, such as raffinose.
How do plants survive in the Arctic? ›
Plant Adaptations in the Tundra Biome
Many plants in the biome have a wax type of fuzzy, hairy coating on them which helps to shield them from the cold and the wind. This coating also helps them to retain heat and moisture and it protects the plant seeds to allow for reproduction.
Do trees grow at the North Pole? ›
The arctic tree line is the northernmost latitude in the Northern Hemisphere where trees can grow; farther north, it is too cold all year round to sustain trees. Extremely low temperatures, especially when prolonged, can freeze the internal sap of trees, killing them.
What plants grow on poles? ›
Moss poles are a fun way to grow climbing houseplants to achieve impressive houseplants featuring larger, more beautiful leaves. Using moss poles imitate plant's natural growing environment, perfect for pothos, monstera, philodendrons, and more. When grown on a pole, you'll see leaves increase in size and grow faster.
Can we live in North Pole? ›
No one actually lives at the North Pole. Inuit people, who live in the nearby Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, and Russia, have never made homes at the North Pole. The ice is constantly moving, making it nearly impossible to establish a permanent community.
Do plants grow in the Arctic Ocean? ›
The producers in the Arctic Ocean are mostly phytoplankton — tiny, microscopic organisms that make their own food by converting the energy from the sun through photosynthesis. They are essentially different plants: seaweeds, seagrasses, and microscopic algae.
Why don t plants grow in winter? ›
All plants depend on sunlight and water to grow. But during the winter months the shortened day provides less sunlight and freezing temperatures means water is frozen and inaccessible. Freezing temperatures also rupture plant cells.
What is the most common plant in the Arctic? ›
Saxifrage (bog), Saxifraga hirculus
Beginning our section on one of the most common Arctic plants, the saxifrage, is the brightly colored bog saxifrage.
What eats plants in the Arctic? ›
Hundreds of species of plant-eating mammals, birds and insects – known as herbivores – inhabit the Arctic tundra. Some of these are vital for local communities and northern cultures, including domesticated reindeer and sheep, and hunted caribou, muskox, ptarmigan and geese.
The tundra only gets a small amount of precipitation each year, but plants in the tundra are specially adapted to only need a small amount of water to germinate and grow. Plants absorb what they can with their short root systems.
Do Arctic animals eat plants? ›
A generalized food web for the Arctic tundra begins with the various plant species (producers). Herbivores (primary consumers) such as pikas, musk oxen, caribou, lemmings, and arctic hares make up the next rung.
Does the North Pole ever get sun? ›
The North Pole stays in full sunlight all day long throughout the entire summer (unless there are clouds), and this is the reason that the Arctic is called the land of the "Midnight Sun"*. After the Summer Solstice, the sun starts to sink towards the horizon.
What is true about arctic plants? ›
Arctic plants grow quickly.
Arctic tundra plants must grow quickly during the limited growing season that's permitted by Arctic temperatures and sunlight. This makes the short-lived summer months very colorful. The pretty Mountain Avens are one example.
Did the North Pole used to be a forest? ›
During the Cretaceous, temperate forests thrived at polar latitudes, as there was a notable difference from current conditions at high latitudes during the Cretaceous polar seasons. The duration of summer sunlight and winter darkness lasted for approximately 5 months each.
Is there sunlight in North Pole? ›
The North Pole stays in full sunlight all day long throughout the entire summer (unless there are clouds), and this is the reason that the Arctic is called the land of the "Midnight Sun"*.
Do any plants grow in Antarctica? ›
Only two species of vascular plants are found on the entire continent: Antarctic hair grass and Antarctic pearlwort. What sets these apart from other plants, like mosses, lichens, and fungi, is their ability to photosynthesize through their vascular system.
Is there something in the North Pole? ›
2. A “Continent” of Ice. Unlike the South Pole, there is no land at the North Pole; rather, it's ice floating on the Arctic ocean's surface. Though it's the smallest of the earth's five major oceans, the Arctic Ocean still covers 5.4 million square miles.
Was the North Pole green? ›
Imagine not a white, but a green Arctic, with woody shrubs as far north as the Canadian coast of the Arctic Ocean. This is what the northernmost region of North America looked like about 125,000 years ago, during the last interglacial period, finds new research from the University of Colorado Boulder.
