Topics of Arctic Biological Research Physiological adaptations of plants and animals to the Arctic environment Effects of oil development on Caribou herds Social organization of coastal river otters Heavy metal contamination in marine mammals Population dynamics of Snowshoe Hares Animal Mechanisms for regulating energy balances Breakdown of organic material in permafrost soils Overwintering strategies for freeze-tolerant amphibians Did you know? In cold, continental regions it has been estimated that a 95 percent turn-over of organic matter takes more than 300 years. In the marine environment, sea ice and snow on top of the ice limit energy input from the sun. In the High Arctic, snowmelt is usually not completed until the end of June and fresh snow may come in August, leaving a growing season as short as one to two-and-a-half months. In the Low Arctic, the growing season can last three to four months.

Biology in the Arctic

The cold climate and long, dark winters of the Arctic enviroment have profound effects on animals and plants. Most biological and biochemical processes are temperature and, for plants and plankton, solar energy-dependent. The low temperatures and limited sunlight of the Arctic slow down growth.

The low Arctic temperatures also create conditions for extensive ice cover on seas and lakes and for snow cover on land. Despite 24 hours of daylight in the summer months, areas north of the Arctic Circle are limited in the amount of light that can reach plants and plankton. As much as half of the total annual input of solar energy arrives before the end of snowmelt, so that much of it is reflected back into space.

Some organisms, such as ice algae, live in crevices in the snow and ice and can quickly take advantage of the light in spring. Other organisms are adapted to low-light conditions under the ice. Generally, however, solar energy has to melt snow and ice before it can be utilized by plants.

Microbial life in soil and in the waters and bottom sediments of lakes, rivers, and the ocean is also restricted by low temperatures, which slow the breakdown of organic material. This can be seen in the well-preserved artifacts from ancient Arctic cultures as well as more recent evidence of garbage left on the tundra or of oil spills. Reduced organic decomposition means that Arctic ecosystems are slow to recover from physical degradation connected with exploitation of resources, human settlement, and overgrazing.

Low temperatures also limit the chemical weathering of bedrock, a process which supplies nutrient ions to the soil. In addition, carbon accumulating in the soil prevents nutrients from cycling. This leads to deficiencies in many key nutrients in both terrestrial and lake ecosystems.

A substantial portion of the nutrients available to Arctic ecosystems comes from southerly seas, large north-flowing rivers, and aerial deposition. In addition to organic matter and nutrients, these pathways can carry surprisingly high levels of contaminants as well.

Initial biological research in the Arctic focused primarily on the various adaptations of plants and animals, including humans, to the special climates and environments of the region. Studies on the physiological aspects of these adaptations have expanded to include plant and animal communities and ecosystems, wildlife biology, human biology and biomedical science, and cellular and molecular biology. In addition, there is a growing concern about such issues as: climate change, habitat destruction, ozone depletion, atmospheric and oceanic contamination, and biodiversity loss. Thus, as with other sciences, many biologists now take a multidisciplinary approach to their work, often collaborating with other scientists from different fields to assess and predict environmental impacts.