The Arctic is a special world. The Arctic Ocean is covered by white sea ice, and its margins are surrounded by bare terrestrial regions, known as tundra. Tundra is a cold and dry environment without trees, but even in the absence of trees, tundra plants such as dwarf shrubs, grasses, herbs and moss support the harsh environment by providing sustenance and shelter. This book introduces representative arctic plants and their function in Svalbard, revealing the unique tundra ecosystem, and discussing the direct and indirect effects of climate change in the Arctic.

Yoo Kyung Lee is a polar scientist. She majored in botany and completed her Ph.D. at Seoul National University. She is currently investigating the ecological succession on the land exposed by the disappearance of glaciers disappear in Svalbard. Wanting to share the wonder of Arctic plants with a wider audience, she published “Beautiful Arctic Tundra Plants” with colleagues, and “Handbook of Svalbard Plants” with Arve Elvebakk. Yoo Kyung Lee is a Principal Research Scientist at the Korea Polar Research Institute. She is also a member of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme of Arctic Council and Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks