Tundra pond with several grazing musk oxen (Ovibos moschatus) seen against a backdrop of mountains behind an inlet of the sea. Tundra is the flat, tre

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Tundra pond with several grazing musk oxen (Ovibos moschatus) seen against a backdrop of mountains behind an inlet of the sea. Tundra is the flat, treeless Arctic region that lies between the polar regions of perpetual snow and ice and the northern limit of tree growth. In the short summer, the surface layer of the frozen ground (permafrost) thaws. The surface snows melt, forming marshes and ponds in the badly-drained soils. These become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, midges and other insects. Large mammals, such as musk oxen, graze on the grasses, mosses, lichens and other shrubs. Photographed on Clavering Island, North East Greenland National Park, Greenland.

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Size: 4063px × 3466px
Photo credit: © SIMON FRASER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: aquatic, arctic, beach, clavering, east, environment, geography, grasses, grassy, greenland, island, lake, landscape, marsh, mountains, musk, national, nature, north, oxen, park, pond, scenery, summer, tundra, water, wetland