How Forests Survive
As glaciers develop, they essentially crush anything and everything that comes in their way. However, they also pick up debris and rocks as they move. Scientists have called this sediment moraine. This moraine can act as a cushion for some of the stuff that the glacier would otherwise crush. And this is the case for certain old forests. Instead of uprooting and destroying the trees of a forest as the glacier travels, the moraine enables a layer of non-abrasive material to cushion the move. In some places, you find entire forests when these glaciers recede, such as this one in Alaska.
How Forests Survive
Ice As A Preservative
The big question on so many people’s minds is how can ice preserve these things so well? It seems as though the answer is because the weather conditions ward off bacteria and decomposers from functioning as usual. In the Arctic region, the lack of oxygen also helps the bacterial decomposers stop functioning. If they do operate at all, it will be at a much slower rate than usual. Scientists get to examine these well-preserved sacrifices, woolly creatures, and other incredible things because of this fact. Spellbinding, right?
Ice As A Preservative