Editing Arctic (section)

== Flora and fauna ==
Arctic life is characterized by adaptation to short growing seasons with long periods of sunlight, and cold, dark, snow-covered winter conditions.

=== Plants ===
[[File:Arctic poppy among rocks.jpg|thumb|[[Papaver radicatum|Arctic poppy]] in bloom within the [[Qausuittuq National Park]] on [[Bathurst Island (Nunavut)|Bathurst Island]]]]
[[Arctic vegetation]] is composed of plants such as [[Subshrub|dwarf shrubs]], [[graminoid]]s, [[herb]]s, [[lichen]]s, and [[moss]]es, which all grow relatively close to the ground, forming [[tundra]]. An example of a dwarf shrub is the [[bearberry]]. As one moves northward, the amount of warmth available for plant growth decreases considerably. In the northernmost areas, plants are at their metabolic limits, and small differences in the total amount of summer warmth make large differences in the amount of energy available for maintenance, growth, and reproduction. Colder summer temperatures cause the size, abundance, productivity, and variety of plants to decrease. Trees cannot grow in the Arctic, but in its warmest parts, shrubs are common and can reach {{cvt|2|m|ftin}} in height; [[Cyperaceae|sedges]], mosses and lichens can form thick layers. In the coldest parts of the Arctic, much of the ground is bare; [[non-vascular plant]]s such as lichens and mosses predominate, along with a few scattered grasses and [[forb]]s (like the [[Papaver radicatum|Arctic poppy]]).

=== Animals ===
{{see also|List of Arctic cetaceans}}{{Category see also|Fauna of the Arctic|Mammals of the Arctic}}
[[File:Muskus.jpg|thumb|[[Muskox]]]]
[[File:Snowy Owl Portrait.jpg|thumb|upright|A [[snowy owl]]]]
Herbivores on the tundra include the [[Arctic hare]], [[lemming]], [[muskox]], and [[reindeer]] (caribou). They are preyed on by the [[snowy owl]], [[Arctic fox]], [[grizzly bear]], and [[Arctic wolf]]. The [[polar bear]] is also a predator, though it prefers to hunt for marine life from the ice. There are also many [[:Category: Birds of the Arctic|birds]] and marine species endemic to the colder regions. Other terrestrial animals include [[wolverine]]s, [[moose]], [[Dall sheep]], [[Stoat|ermines]], and [[Arctic ground squirrel]]s. Marine mammals include [[Pinniped|seals]], [[walrus]]es, and several species of [[cetacea]]n—[[baleen whale]]s and also [[narwhal]]s, [[orca]]s, and [[Beluga whale|belugas]].