Glacial ecosystems

Abstract

Glaciers can be considered as ecosystems consisting of ice mass and biological community of cold-tolerant organisms living there. The glacial ecosystems have very unique characteristics, which cannot be seen in other ecosystems. The distribution of melt water determines habitable parts for organisms on glaciers, since liquid water is vital for all organisms. Organisms have to migrate upward to stay on glaciers, since their habitat on the ice moves down by glacial flow. Furthermore, since snow and ice can easily be modified by physical conditions, such as solar radiation, air temperature, and precipitation, glacial ecosystems are highly sensitive to climate change. However, there is still only a few studies on glaciers to regard them as ecosystems, thus further studies are required to understand them.