Arctic ecology The aim of this chapter is to set the scene for the rest of the book. The actors are climate glaciers lakes streams rivers sea ice pelagic benthic plants soil birds and mammals. In which ways is the Arctic different How was it discovered and explored How large is it What is found there What is the Arctic providing in terms of natural resources and ecosystem services And finally the biotic changes due to various major drivers including global climate change. The name Arctic derives from the Greek word Arktikós meaning the land of the North. It relates to Arktos the Great Bear which is the star constellation close to the Pole Star (CAFF 2013). For a long time the Arctic has fascinated people and such intrigue extends back some three millennia according to notes and drawings in early Chinese culture. Since then the Arctic has been mapped and its landscape biota and native people discovered and documented. Visions bold ideas and the search for natural resources stimulated much of this endeavour. It took hundreds of years to get a reliable picture of this unknown and mysterious far away land. By now many of the mysteries are now resolved but the immense beauty is still there and it is safe to say that many exciting things and phenomena remain to be discovered by coming generations of Arctic explorers