In order to determine which vegetation grows in the polar zones, it is necessary to know that reference is made to the plants of the Arctic and Antarctic.
Such is the case of trees, shrubs, ferns and herbs which, by the way, have stems, roots and, of course, leaves. In addition, also grow in these zones simpler biologically speaking plants, such as moss.
The most important plants that can be found in the Arctic and Antarctic
In addition to the above, hornworts and livetworts are also part of the polar vegetation. Algae and fungi are other forms of vegetation found there.
This, although some scientists consider that the latter two are not part of the plant kingdom, which is very debatable.
To understand what vegetation grows in polar areas, it is necessary to understand that there is an infinite amount (and variety) of algae, as is the case with many microscopic photosynthetic organisms, that is, they perform the known photosynthesis, which can be unicellular A single cell) or multicellular.
Let's look specifically at algae and polar fungi
In the polar zones it is possible to find marine algae which, in turn, can be of different colors such as green (the most common and in many hues), brown and red.
Fungi are very common, which is to say, do not generate their own energy through photosynthesis but, rather, produce it by eating the food that surrounds them.
On the fungi, it is necessary to emphasize that there are many species that are endemic of the polar regions but that, at the same time, are distributed by the whole planet .
However, their natural ecological niches are precisely the poles. Regarding the so-called"permafrost"of the polar zones, it is important to note that it covers more than 25% of the surface of the planet.
The predominant species of fungi in the Arctic and Antarctic is Penicillium Crustosum, which is a filamentous fungus that inhabits the water bodies of the polar snow, the water of the surrounding seas and the ice that underlies it These waters
In addition, they are found in glacial melting waters and sub-glacial ice.
Lichens and other plant species that inhabit the poles
To know in more detail what vegetation grows in the polar zones, it is necessary to refer to lichens, about which some scientists doubt that they belong to the vegetal kingdom .
However, the predominant view remains that they are plants. Now, lichens consist of a kind of association or, if preferred, fusion of an algae and a fungus.
While the fungus provides the necessary water and minerals, algae provides the energy for photosynthesis of lichens.
Among the Arctic plants, we have dwarf shrubs (such as the Arctic willow), some flowering plants (Flor de Pasque), certain coriaceous leaves such as the so-called"Bearberry"and a quite particular plant such as Purple Saxifrage, which blooms in the form of star.
Among the Antarctic plants are the Antarctic pearl and Antarctic fur grass. This is, then, the vegetation that grows in the polar zones.
References
- Fries-Gaither, Jessica (No year). Plants of the Arctic and Antarctic. Retrieved from beyondpenguins.ehe.osu.edu.
- Gunde-Cimerman, Nina and Sonjak, Silvia (2012). Chapter 4: Fungi in Polar Environments Monograph. Retrieved from asmscience.org.
- Polar Discovery (2006). Compare the Poles. Woods hole Oceanographic Institution. Retrieved from polardiscovery.whoi.edu.
- Antarkos Civil Association (No year). FLORA AND FAUNA of Antarctica. Recovered from antarkos.org.uy.
- Alcaraz Ariza, Francisco (2011). Geobotany, theme 28: Boreal forests and tundra. Recovered from um.es.