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The Arctic CircleDitions enclose roughly the aforesaid(prenominal) territory, which is somewhat larger than the region bounded by the Arctic Circle, and allow for be used as the basis for this article.The largest Arctic tundra argonas are in Canada, Russia, Greenland (Kalatdlit-Nunat), Scandinavia, Iceland and Alaska.Climate and Land Formation Tundra climate is characterized by harsh winters, low median(a) temperatures, little snow or rainfall, and a short summer duration (Goudie 1993). The cold tundra, in particular, is influenced by permafrost, a layer of permanently icy subsoil in the ground. The surface soil, which tends to be rocky, thaws in summer to varying depths. The combination of frozen ground and flat terrain on the tundra impedes the drainage of water. Held at the surface or saturating the upper layer of soil, the water forms ponds and bogs that provide wet for plants, thereby counteracting the low precipitation.In relatively well-drained locations, the periodic f reezing and thawing of the soi gy are also extremely important. Some animals adapt well to Arctic conditions for instance, a number of species of mammals and birds carry additional insulation, such as fat, in algid months (Urquhart 1995).The Arctic has more than 400 species of flowering plants. The vast stretches of tundra that cover the plains and coastal regions consist of low creeping shrubs, grasses, thick growths of lichens and mosses, and herbs and sedges.Abundant animal life inhabits the Arctic, some(prenominal) on land and in the sea. Arctic mammals include polar bear, arctic fox, ermine, marten, arctic wolf, wolverine, walrus, seal, reindeer, reindeer (domesticated caribou), musk-ox, lemming, arctic hare, and many species of whale.Birds are plentiful passim the Arctic Regions. The guillemot and little auk nest by the thousands along cliffs. Ravens, snow buntings, and sandpipers entertain been seen in the remotest northern land regions, as have the snowy owl and the gy rfalcon. Various species of gull, including the jaeger, also range far t laska and northern Canada unbosom follow a subsistence lifestyle. They live as their ancestors have, measuring their lives with the caribou.The Porcupine caribou herd sustains some 7,000 aboriginal people in northern Canada and Alaska. They cuss on caribou meat for food and on the herd for culture the ways of their culture. For the Gwichin, which means "caribou people," this animal is the spiritual center of life. unseasoned men learn from their fathers and uncles how to hunt wisely and use all move of the animal.