despite the peninsula's northerly location, its proximity to the gulf stream leads to unusually high temperatures in winter, but also results in high winds due to the temperature variations between land and the barents sea. summers are rather chilly, with the average july temperature of only . the peninsula is covered by taiga in the south and tundra in the north, where permafrost limits the growth of the trees resulting in landscape dominated by shrubs and grasses. the peninsula supports a small variety of mammals, and its rivers are an important habitat for the atlantic salmon. the kandalaksha nature reserve, established to protect the population of common eider, is located in the kandalaksha gulf.