What are the pioneer species in the arctic tundra?
Pioneer species are species which colonize previously uncolonized land. They are usually great at dispersing, or spreading, but not very good at competing. So an example might be some kind of lichen on a rock. The following is from wikipedia: The biodiversity of the tundras is low: 1,700 species of vascular plants and only 48 land mammals can be found, although thousands of insects and birds migrate there each year for the marshes. There are also a few fish species such as the flat fish. There are few species with large populations. Notable animals in the Arctic tundra include caribou (reindeer), musk ox, arctic hare, arctic fox, snowy owl, lemmings, and polar bears (only the extreme north). A climax community would be one where the current species are terrible dispersers, but excellent competitors. These would be things like larger animals, or actual shrubbery.
