FLORA AND FAUNA IN AUSTRALIA :)

2. The polar regions are deserts of ice and snow, swept
by powerful winds. They are among the most
inhospitable places on Earth. At the northern end of our
planet lies the Arctic, made up of about 30 percent land
and 70 percent ocean. In summer, the ground is covered
in the tundra vegetation that is typical of the Arctic.
Around the Earth’s South Pole lies ANTARTICA, a
mountainous continent covered in a thick sheet of ice
and surrounded by the Southern Ocean. With an
average temperature of less than –57°C at its center, this
very dry and windy continent is the coldest place in the
world. The freezing waters of the polar oceans are
covered in a layer of floating ice, called pack ice.
Whether they live in the oceans or on land, the animals
of the Polar Regions have adapted perfectly to the
extreme conditions in their environment.

4. Antarctica is a continent almost completely
covered in ice that is more than 3 km deep in
some areas. This vast white desert swept by
powerful winds holds the record for the lowest
temperature ever recorded: –89°C! The
inhospitable lands of the Antarctic belong to
no country and are entirely dedicated to
scientific research and tourism. The
numerous birds and marine mammals of this
region depend on the resources of the
Southern Ocean in order to survive,
especially on the abundance of
small crustaceans called krill.

6. is a species of krill found in
the Antarctic waters of the Southern
Ocean. It is a small,
swimming crustacean that lives in large
schools, called swarms, sometimes
reaching densities of 10,000–30,000
individual animals per cubic meter.
It grows to a length of 6 centimeters
(2.4 in), weighs up to 2 grams
(0.071 oz.), and can live for up to six
years.

8. (Gomphiocephalus hodgsoni) is
commonly found in the Dry Valleys, one
of the few ice-free areas of Antarctica.
Typically under a millimeter long, the
tiny, six-legged arthropods are similar to
insects, but more primitive, and likely
resemble the ancient ancestors of
modern-day insects. They live under
rocks near coastal areas, and survive
on a diet of fungus and bacteria. Hogg
has found them as far south as 86
degrees latitude.

10. The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes
forsteri) is one of the rare animals that live
exclusively in Antarctica. When it is time to
reproduce, these birds that measure 1.2 m
in height gather together on the ice in a
tight group. Flocking together this way,
they are able to withstand the freezing
temperatures. Like other species of
penguins, emperor penguins are unable to
fly. Their wings, transformed into powerful
fins, allow them to dive more than 400 m
deep to feed on krill, squid and fish.

12. The humpback whale (Megaptera
novaeangliae) is a cetacean that can
measure 15 m long and weigh more than
25 metric tons. This baleen whale travels
thousands of kilometers each year,
migrating from cold oceans, where it
feeds on krill and small fish, to warm
oceans, where it reproduces. To establish
their dominance and attract females, the
males sing songs that last several days
and whose sound travels underwater for
tens of kilometers.

14. The leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx)
gets its name from the small spots
covering its back. Hidden under an ice
floe, this 3 m-long mammal waits for a
penguin or a young seal to dive into the
water in order to take it by surprise.
Besides other seals and penguins, the
sea leopard eats fish, krill and other
marine invertebrates. It is one of the
largest predators of the Antarctic region.

16. There are 15 species of icefish, all
of them living in the Southern Ocean.
To survive in the freezing water, these
fish produce natural antifreeze. Their
transparent blood does not contain
hemoglobin, but special molecules
that attach themselves to ice crystals
as they form. This prevents the fishes’
bodies from freezing, even under the
ice.

18. The orca (Orcinus orca), which can
grow to 9 m in length and weigh more
than 5 metric tons, is the largest and
fastest of the dolphins. It can swim
almost 50 km/h and, despite its large
size, is able to leap clear out of the
water. Although it is found in all of the
world’s oceans, this mammal prefers
cold waters. Orcas gather together to
hunt seals, penguins and sometimes
even whales and sharks!

21. The majority of the Antarctic continent is
covered by permanent ice and snow
leaving less than 1% available for
colonization by plants. Most of this ice
and snow-free land is found along the
Antarctic Peninsula, its associated
islands and in coastal regions around
the edge of the rest of the Antarctic
continent. Even in the most inhospitable
ice-free habitats, such as inland
mountains and nunataks, life can still be
found.

22. There are no trees or shrubs,
and only two species of flowering
plants are found:
Antarctic hair grass(Deschampsia
antarctica)
Antarctic pearlwort (Colobanthus
quitensis).
These occur on the South
Orkney Islands, the South Shetland
Islands and along the western
Antarctic Peninsula.

25. There are around 100 species of
mosses, 25 species of liverworts,
300 to 400 species of lichens and 20-
odd species of macro-fungi. The
greatest diversity of species is found
along the western side of the
Antarctic Peninsula where the
climate is generally warmer and
wetter than elsewhere in the
Antarctic continent.

27. Mosses have the least number of
species in Antarctica, but reproduce
rapidly because of its life cycle. You can
only find mosses in certain places such
as 100mm deep in the ground and where
there is shelter and heaps of water. They
like to gather in groups, which make
them possible to collect and retain more
water. Mosses have a lot of things in
common as they have the ability to
photosynthesis, but photosynthesis can
freeze in a few hours.

29. Lichens can be found growing in most
areas of the Antarctic capable of supporting
plant life. Lichens have a number of
adaptations that enable them to survive in
Antarctica. They are able to exhibit net
photosynthesis while frozen at temperatures
as low as -20°C. They can absorb water
from a saturated atmosphere when covered
by snow. They can survive long unfavorable
periods of drought in a dry and inactive
state. In continental Antarctica, many lichens
are able to absorb water vapor from snow
and ice.

31. The sub Antarctic islands have a
milder and wetter climate more favorable
for plant growth, meaning these islands
possess a more diverse flora including a
greater number of flowering plant
species and some ferns.
Dominant amongst sub Antarctic
vegetation is tussock grass, a tall (up to
2 metres), and robust plant forming a
dense fringe near the coast. Tussock
grass (Parodiochloa flabellata) stools
eroded by elephant seal activity.