Abstract
The Antarctic region is divisible ecologically into three circumpolar zonal subregions (Fig. 1.1>Table 1.1), each offering limited opportunities for settlement to plants and animals. The innermost high-latitude zone includes the polar continent, an ice-covered dome rising to over 4250 m, which imposes the most rigorous living conditions. The maritime zone, widest and most clearly defined in the sector containing the Antarctic Peninsula, features winters chilled by the presence of sea ice, and longer, markedly warmer summers. The periantarctic zone, including scattered island groups in a wide expanse of ocean, is far enough north to be free of pack ice in winter, and is correspondingly warmer throughout the year.
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Bölter, M., Beyer, L., Stonehouse, B. (2002). Antarctic Coastal Landscapes: Characteristics, Ecology and Research. In: Beyer, L., Bölter, M. (eds) Geoecology of Antarctic Ice-Free Coastal Landscapes. Ecological Studies, vol 154. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56318-8_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56318-8_1
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