Arctic foxes help create habitats as ‘gardeners’ of the tundra

Satellite images of plants growing around the dens of Arctic foxes add to the evidence that the foxes are “ecosystem engineers” whose activities create habitat for other organisms.

Against the harsh tundra, the dens of Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) stand out like islands of green. Called “gardens of the tundra”, they are covered in distinctive, lush vegetation, often attributed to nutrients in the soil concentrated there from the foxes excrement and prey. The foxes also perturb …