Tundra

Occupying one fifth of the earth’s landmass the arctic tundra may be one of the largest biomes, but is also one of the least productive. The soils of the arctic are highly acidic and underlain by permafrost. Permafrost does not allow water to seep away, creating a marshy wet soil which is low in fixed nitrogen. The variety of plants is limited to very small shrubs and perennials which are able to complete their entire growing season in as few as two months. This is due to the very short amount of time between the killing frosts. Although small, the arctic plants often have large showy flowers which require a substantial amount of energy to produce but also give the insect pollinators ample nourishment to survive in the harsh arctic climate. Many arctic plants produce without seed by sending shoots out, which form entirely new plants.