alleryStart learning →Arctic tundra soil holds a permanently frozen layer. What two effects does that permafrost have?
ADeep roots and slow decay
BShallow roots and fast decay
CShallow roots and slow decay
DDeep roots and fast decay
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. Shallow roots and slow decay
1. Permafrost is soil that stays frozen the whole year round.
2. Roots cannot push down through frozen ground, so they stay shallow.
3. Cold also slows the microbes that break down dead material.
4. Slow decay means nutrients stay locked in organic matter instead of returning to the soil.
5. Together these keep tundra productivity and plant biomass low.
_Source: OpenStax Biology 1e (CC BY 4.0), Chs 44 and 46, section 44.3 Terrestrial Biomes_
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