<
https://theconversation.com/tiny-but-tenacious-arctic-alpine-plants-are-engineers-and-warning-bells-204422>
"When most people consider the arctic, or high-altitude mountain landscapes,
they think of endless snow, ice and bare rock. But pastel-coloured flowers,
sometimes just a few millimetres wide, bloom in these dramatic places too. The
miniature flowers not only weather some of the toughest habitats on Earth, but
can also help engineer the landscape for other species.
Don’t be fooled by their delicate petals. Some species of rock jasmine and
sandwort grow at well over 6,000 metres on Mount Everest, while purple
saxifrage flourishes on the northernmost point of land in the world –
Kaffeklubben Island, north of Greenland – and throughout the Arctic, Alaska and
the tips of the European Alps.
Plants in freezing cold environments are typically small and often form as
ground-hugging rosettes, or dense tufts with short stems, known as cushions.
Antarctic pearlwort sits no more than 5cm high and displays a tight bunch of
minute yellow blooms. The summits of the Scottish Highlands, where temperatures
can drop to -27℃ in winter, are home to tiny flowers also found in the Arctic,
such as moss campion, dwarf willow, trailing azalea and starry saxifrage.
Although plants such as these may appear fragile, their minute size helps them
cope with freezing weather and fierce winds. Low stature and tightly packed
leaves act as an aerodynamic trap and storage system for water and solar
radiation. Microspaces within the dense, dome-like foliage are efficient
structures for retaining moisture and heat. An arctic-alpine cushion’s internal
temperature can be 15°C warmer than its surroundings."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
