Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is one of the premier wilderness areas in the world—every plant and animal species that lived in this vast, wild country when the first European explorers arrived is still here today. River courses and mountains, valleys and tundra are virtually unchanged except by the forces of climate, weather, geology, plant life, and animal activities.
Situated above the Arctic Circle in the Central Brooks Range, summers here are short, but the endless daylight drives the great engine of productivity—burgeoning plant growth, the birth of thousands of animals, an explosion of insects—and a spectacular abundance of food.
But even in summer, drying winds and freezing temperature can present serious challenges. Then comes the arctic winter—fleeting days and protracted nights, unrelenting cold and powerful blizzards.
Plants and animals have adopted some fascinating strategies to deal with the challenges of the high latitude climate, the cycles of scarcity and abundance, and the unique characteristics of the land itself—treeless tundra, rugged mountains, and boreal forests.
The muskox, for example, does not seek cover during blizzards but actually depends on high winds on the open tundra to keep its grazing areas relatively snow free. To withstand temperatures of minus 55 degrees F. and colder, muskoxen have some of the warmest fur of any land mammal, while their compact bodies and short legs help to conserve body heat.
Lichens, an important food for migrating caribou, have no roots at all and survive the dry conditions by shriveling up and becoming dormant. When moisture is available again, the dried plants absorb it through the air and come to life again.
The only amphibian in the park—the wood frog—has evolved an astonishing adaptation which allows it to freeze solid—with no muscle movement, no breathing, and no heartbeat—for up to 8 months.
Wood frogs, lichens, and muskoxen—along with many other plants and animals in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve—provide a natural laboratory for scientific research on life in the Central Brooks Range. In a time of global climate change, these studies are now more important than ever.
