The polar region is a very mysterious place for many people. Except for the few researchers, there is only a piece of cold accompanied by animals and plants living in the ice and snow world.
The outstanding feature of Antarctic biological resources is that there are very few terrestrial organisms, while there are many in the sea and coastal areas. The terrestrial plants are mainly composed of low-grade bryophytes and algae, most of which are propagated by spores; there are very few higher plants, only about 10 kinds of short flowering plants on the Antarctic Peninsula. There are also very few terrestrial animals and no higher mammals, There are only some molluscs, lower crustaceans and wingless insects. There are many kinds and numbers of coastal and island animals, in addition to insects, there are also a large number of penguins, birds and sea animals, etc.; there are more organisms in the surrounding sea area, in addition to plankton, there are many fish, mammals, etc
The main reason for the lack of biological resources on the land of Antarctica is the severity of the natural conditions on the continent, especially the cold climate. Most of the areas are covered by deep continental glaciers. In addition, there is no sunshine, nutrients and soil for a long time due to the long polar night
The Arctic sea area is rich in nutrients and plankton due to its long summer and high water temperature, which provides abundant food for Antarctic krill and other marine animals. Krill is the basic food for whales, penguins and other animals. Therefore, there are abundant marine biological resources
4.1 marine mammals in the Arctic
Walruses at ease
Marine mammals in the Arctic sea have had a tragic experience in history. For example, the ugly but docile Arctic walruses, whose male weight can reach 1360 kg, often gather dozens or even hundreds of them on the beach to snore and sleep happily. Because their long teeth can be used as ivory carving crafts, meat can be eaten, skin can be made of leather, they have become the object of hunting for 200 years, Their numbers have fallen from half a million to the brink of extinction. Since the 1970s, they have been able to continue to reproduce because of widespread protection measures
Seal paradise
The living habits of Arctic seals are similar to those of fur seals and elephant seals in Antarctica. They live together in families. Their parents are usually male seals with a weight of 300 kg. They rule over 50 female seals with a weight of only 30-50 kg and their children. As their fur is very popular in the market, it will be the beginning of this century, The original millions of seals were almost killed. Fortunately, they were protected together with the Arctic walrus, which made the number of Arctic seals rise from recent years
There are only six kinds of cetaceans in the Arctic Ocean, and the number is far less than that in the Southern Ocean. However, the horned whale and beluga whale in the Arctic Ocean are the most precious species in the world. The horned whale is 6 meters long, and the male's upper jaw grows one or two 2.4-2.7 meters long and straight spiral horns, similar to the spear of the heavy knights in the middle ages. It is not clear what the use of the long horns in the life of the horned whale, But it is very clear that this kind of long horn once had the same price as the same weight of gold in the market. The fate of the horned whale is self-evident. Recently, it is regarded as an endangered animal. Beluga belongs to the dolphin family, which is totally snow-white, with a length of 3.7-4.3 meters. It is hard to find them
Mother child love
White whale
The powerful productivity of aquatic animals in the Arctic Ocean and adjacent waters has led to the development of world-class commercial fishing industry. The economic fish in the Arctic waters are mainly Arctic salmon, Arctic cuttlefish, butterfly fish and hairy scale fish. Compared with other marine biological resources, the fish resources are still relatively rich. The Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea are all world-famous fisheries, In recent years, the fishing volume accounts for about 8-10% of the world's total. For example, Alaskan Pollock, centered on the Bering Strait, has become the world's largest single species fishery. About 40% of the total catch in the United States comes from Alaskan waters. The annual income generated by this fishery is 2 billion US dollars, In the eastern part of the Arctic, Norway and Russia share the world-class COD and molasses fishing grounds in the Barents Sea area. In short, in the past 30 years, although the fishing industry in the Arctic is not as popular as oil and gas development, but in the future when fossil energy is gradually exhausted, Moderate commercial fishery activities will certainly make a great contribution to the economic development of the Arctic region
4.2 land animals and plants in the Arctic
Reindeer migration
Besides polar bear and grizzly bear, there are millions of reindeer, tens of thousands of musk ox, Arctic wolf, arctic fox, Arctic rabbit, and hundreds of millions of Arctic lemmings with strange collective suicide. If penguin is the symbol of Antarctica, it is qualified to represent the Arctic world, Of course, it's polar bear. Polar bear is indeed the undisputed ruler of the Arctic. These swimmers weighing up to 900 kg spend most of their lives in the sea or the upstream of the ice floe, and even rarely land when they are pregnant. Their running speed on the ice can reach 60 km / h, and they can swim 320 km continuously in the ice water. When they are hunting, they have a palm dive, The skull of walruses can be smashed. Humans kill them in large numbers due to their precious polar bear skin. According to conservative statistics, from the 8th century, more than 150000 polar bears have been shot in northern Europe alone. Fortunately, the 1976 International Protection Convention enabled this rare animal to survive. At present, there are no more than 20000 polar bears in the Arctic, Even Arctic expedition members rarely see their majestic appearance
Musk ox in snowstorm
The most typical plant in the Arctic is larch in the taiga forest, while the most typical lower plant is lichen, with a life span of up to 400 years. The Arctic lichen is a combination of fungi and cyanobacteria, which adapts to the Arctic cold environment and is an important species resource in the cold region. There are 900 species of flowering plants in the Arctic tundra, which are interspersed in the long marshland in summer, The Arctic land is in sharp contrast with the Antarctic land. The red monkey flower, Arnica flower, purple tiger antler grass, Mandala flower, Anemone and gentian flower constitute the colorful world of the Arctic. The most economic significance of the Arctic land plant resources to modern society is the timber of Taijialin. Whether in Alaska or Siberia, The timber industry is one of the main economic pillars of the region
Polar bear
When people talk about the biological resources in the Arctic, they often think of their economic value to the civilized human society first. In fact, an important role of the biological resources in the Arctic is to maintain the life of the indigenous people in the Arctic. They have always been the food of Eskimos. The tribes in the tundra hunt reindeer, musk ox and other animals, Today's Eskimos, who live in the barrow autonomous region of northern Alaska, still hunt 50 bowhead whales a year as their food
From the perspective of modern science, in addition to being a commercial resource for the food and economic development of the indigenous people, the biological resources of the Arctic are rich and colorful, including the indigenous people there, the Eskimos, which are also an important part of the global gene pool. For example, through the study of human genes, Scientists have found that the genes of the North American Indians are very close to those of the Asian Tibetans, while the Eskimos are very similar to those of the Asian Mongolians