Image from: http://www.nature.com/news/2008/081203/full/news.2008.1275.html
The polar region, the Arctic, is a vast desert of snow and ice constantly blown by the frigid winds. At night, the temperature drops down to a deathly cold degree, and even in daytime, the stakes are high. In winter, the days and nights are both blisteringly cold with barely any sunlight and, during summer, the days can be swelteringly hot. Often, prey is scarce and plant-life is few.
Every day is a struggle to survive, a struggle against the weather, against the heat and cold, against hunters and against climate change; against nature itself. Every organism in this polar region competes and fights to conquer the laws of survival. The question is: How will they do it and what are they really fighting against? This article will give a brief description of the climate in the Arctic region, followed by what types of organisms live there and what threats they face and how they must confront and overcome the harsh reality of the wild.
To view the rest of the essay, click here: Arctic Biodiversity
