Arctic plants of Svalbard : what we learn from the green in the treeless white world

This book is about the Arctic tundra and the plants living there. Because the Arctic is so wide, the scope of the story is narrowed down to Svalbard. Though Svalbard is small, here we can see most of the characteristics of theArctic tundra. Svalbard has a variety of tundra, including polar deserts, dry tundra, mesic tundra, and wet tundra. Similar plants living in Svalbard are also found in Greenland, Alaska, Siberia, and the Canadian High Arctic. So,this book shows the Arctic environment and tundra plants through Svalbard plants. The Arctic is a special world. The Arctic Ocean is covered by white sea ice, and its margins are surrounded by bare terrestrial regions, known as tundra. Tundra is a cold and dry environment without trees, but even in the absence of trees, tundra plants such as dwarf shrubs, grasses, herbs and moss support the harsh environment by providing sustenance and shelter. This book introduces representative arctic plants and their function in Svalbard, revealing the unique tundra ecosystem, and discussing the direct and indirect effects of climate change in the Arctic.