QUESTION:
How are plants able to grow in such a cold climate?

           Burch Elementary School Students
           Susan Mills, Enrichment Teacher, Burch Elementary, Tyrone, GA.
           Ellen Morton, Media Specialist
           Tyrone, Georgia 

ANSWER from Chris Ruhland, Tad Day's Research Team
            Palmer Station, Antarctica
            Thu, 27 Feb 1997 18:37:02 -0500
            
           
Dear Students,

The two plants that do grow down here, (hairgrass and pearlwort) are 
specially adapted to survive in cold climates.  They are able to 
photosynthesize (and subsequently grow) at temperatures that are 
below freezing.  During the summer though, temperatures are 
relatively warm, and near the ground surface, the temperatures are 
even warmer (about 15 degrees C).  The grass is pretty much like what 
you would find in your backyard, it grows during the "summer" and 
then when winter approaches, they translocate all their 
nutrients/pigments into their belowground parts and drop their 
leaves.  They then grow new leaves the following summer.  Pearlwort 
however, grows very slow, about 2-6 millimeters per year!  


Thanks for you question!
Chris Ruhland