Land
Due to the cold weather it is hard for plants to grow. Frozen ground covers most of the polar regions for the majority of the year. Permafrost reaches a thickness of 600-1000m deep. Large amounts of permafrost can lead to poor water drainage. Due to the permafrost the water in the soil remains frozen for most of the year. In the summer the top of the permafrost may be covered with water due to melting in the area (Stonehouse, 69). Weathering is also common in polar regions. There is rubble from rocks that are scattered on the land due to movement of glaciers. Also due to quick temperature change causes weathering.
The main type of soil in the polar regions is Ahumic soil. This includes the cold desert soil. This soil consists of sand that is frozen. These soils tend to not have a lot of vegetation. In this soil there is bacteria that have been found.
The other type of soil is organic soil. This type of soil is found in areas that are warmer and have more moisture. Some vegetation that live here are algae, fungi and mosses. One type of organic soil is the brown soils. These soils have drainage.
Read more about this topic: Polar Ecology
Famous quotes containing the word land:
“The land may vary more;
But wherever the truth may be—
The water comes ashore,
And the people look at the sea.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
““I am of Ireland,
And the Holy Land of Ireland,
And time runs on,” cried she.
“Come out of charity
And dance with me in Ireland.””
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“In a land which is fully settled, most men must accept their local environment or try to change it by political means; only the exceptionally gifted or adventurous can leave to seek his fortune elsewhere. In America, on the other hand, to move on and make a fresh start somewhere else is still the normal reaction to dissatisfaction and failure.”
—W.H. (Wystan Hugh)