Baffin coastal tundra

Baffin coastal tundra
Sam Ford Fjord shoreline on the eastern side of the Remote Peninsula
1105. Baffin Coastal Tundra
Ecology
Biome	Tundra
Bird species	Snow bunting
Mammal species	Polar bear, Arctic hare, Arctic fox, lemming, caribou
Geography
Area	9,100 km^2 (3,500 sq mi)
Country	Canada
Geology	rocky coast, fjords
Conservation
Habitat loss	0%
Protected	0%

The Baffin coastal tundra is a small ecoregion of the far north of North America, on the central north coast of Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. This is permafrost tundra with an average annual temperature below freezing.

Setting

This ecoregion is a small stretch of coastal plain on the north coast of Baffin Island. The coast is rocky with many fjords carved by glaciers into the Baffin Mountains. The cold Arctic climate consists of a short summers (mean temperature 1°C) and a long, cold winter (mean temperature -22.5°C).^[1]

Flora

The plant cover is sparse in the drier areas while the wetter areas have a fair cover of mosses, sedges, shrubs such as purple saxifrage, Arctic willow, and Arctic poppy and rushes.

Fauna

This coast is a breeding area for the snow bunting and is home to polar bear, Arctic hare, Arctic fox, lemming, and caribou.

Threats and preservation

This ecoregion is almost intact although there are no protected areas.

References

1. "Baffin coastal tundra". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.