Perpetual ice: climate, flora, fauna and images

The permafrost are also known as polar ice , as we can find them only and exclusively on the poles of the Earth . They are made up of marine waters that freeze along the coasts of these polar regions, both north (Arctic) and south of the planet (Antarctica). There are permanent ice that occupy an area of ​​a few meters, as well as several hundred kilometers. They are always fixed, they do not move either due to the action of possible water currents or due to strong winds (sometimes even higher than 300 km / h).

The climate of the polar or perpetual ice is mainly characterized by temperatures that vary between -30 ºC and -50 ºC throughout the year, therefore the average of the warmest month is always lower than 0 ºC. The thickness of the ice as well as the relief that it acquires depends directly on the environmental conditions and the seasons of the year that are happening, so that the permanent ice extensions can acquire both flat and smooth forms and more irregular profiles. In addition, the depth that permanent ice reaches is variable, from 10 meters in sub-arctic areas, to more than 20 meters deep in the Arctic Ocean.

In the following sections we will learn about the flora and fauna that inhabit these perpetual cold ice on the planet. In addition, to expand the information on the current state of this part of the planet, we advise you to read this other post with Facts about the melting of the poles .

This is the vegetation of the perpetual ice , both in the area of ​​the North Pole and in the area of ​​the South Pole:

Arctic flora (North Pole)

In the Arctic region, permanent ice has three types of vegetation, whose species are adapted either to polar deserts, boreal forests or, on the contrary, to the habitat of the Arctic tundra. You can get to know these regions of planet Earth better by entering these other AgroCorrn articles about:

• Polar ecosystem: characteristics, flora and fauna .
• Boreal forests: characteristics, flora and fauna .
• Tundra: characteristics, flora and fauna .

In this way, the vegetation of the perpetual ice of the North Pole has abundant lichens, snow algae, arctic grasses and even vast coniferous forests . Learn more about coniferous forests: characteristics, flora and fauna in this other post.

Flora of Antarctica (South Pole)

The vegetation of the perpetual ice of Antarctica is devoid of trees and shrubs. Instead it is home to about 350 species of lichens, mosses, abundant non-marine microalgae and grasses , among which the Antarctic grass ( Deschampsia antarctica ) and the Antarctic pearl ( Colobanthus quitensis) stand out. Each and every one of these perpetual ice plants find their natural habitat preferably in coastal areas of the South Pole.

Regarding the animals of the perpetual or polar ice , this is much more varied than the vegetation, as we detail below:

Arctic fauna (North Pole)

Among the wonderful fauna biodiversity of the North Pole, different species of birds, fish and mammals stand out, all of them acclimated to the habitat of the perpetual ice of the Arctic. Among the different adaptations and special behaviors that these species have developed to survive in such a cold and inhospitable environment, the thick layers of fat under the skin and multilayers of hair and feathers that they use as thermal insulation stand out, as well as seasonal migrations and hibernation during the coldest winter .

Thus, on the coasts of the Arctic we find:

• Marine fish: salmon (genus Salmo) and trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ).
• Herbivores: the curious dark lemings ( Myopus schisticolor) and the majestic caribou ( Rangifer tarandus )
• Predators or carnivores: arctic foxes ( Vulpes lagopus ), polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ) and numerous species of birds of prey.

To learn more about the fauna of the Arctic, we show you here information about the Endangered Animals of the North Pole .

Fauna of Antarctica (South Pole)

Known worldwide as the “kings of Antarctica”, emperor penguins ( Aptenodytes forsteri ) and Antarctic sea lions ( Arctophoca gazella ), inhabit the coasts that the vast perpetual ice forms at the South Pole.

However, there are more species of birds and marine mammals that inhabit these distant and cold environments, such as:

• Antarctic Pag ( Stercorarius maccormicki )
• Antarctic Terns ( Sterna vittata )
• Imperial cormorants ( Leucocarbo atriceps )
• Kelp gulls ( Larus dominicanus )
• Elephant seals ( Mirounga leonina )
• Sperm whales ( Physeter macrocephalus )
• Orcas ( Orcinus orca )
• Blue whales ( Balaenoptera musculus )
• Southern Right Whale ( Eubalaena australis )

Small arthropods (mites and ticks) and other invertebrates, such as nematode worms, are also abundant, all of them characteristic for their ability to tolerate low temperatures and resist ice, taking refuge under stones and rocks.

Discover much more about the fauna of these frozen parts of planet Earth in this other post in which we tell you what animals live in the North and South Pole .