Tundra (Cold Weather Desert)
What is the tundra?
1 The tundra is a cold, treeless area; it is the coldest biome. The tundra is characterized by very low temperatures, heavy winds, very little precipitation (rain or snow), a short growing season, few nutrients, and low biological diversity (biodiversity). The word tundra comes from the Finnish word tunturia, which means "treeless plain."
2 The tundra is located in the North and South Poles. It can be found on the continents of North America in northern Canada, Europe, Asia, and the very southern continent of Antarctica. The latitude range is above 60º N and S latitude, usually closer to 90º N and S.
Rainfall (Precipitation)
3 The tundra is considered a cold weather desert. This means that there is very little annual precipitation (rain or snow). The tundra gets less than 10cm of precipitation a year, so there are very few plants and animals that thrive in this environment.
Temperature
4 The temperature of the tundra is very, very cold. It is so cold that the ground is covered by permafrost. Permafrost is ground that the frozen year round. The temperature usually stays in the negative numbers, or below zero.
Life in the Tundra
5 Because of the short growing season and the frozen ground, all plants have adaptations to allow them to survive. They are close to the ground and have very shallow roots, like mosses, woody shrubs, and lichen. Lichen are not a true plant: they are a symbiotic organism made of an algae (plant) and a fungus (decomposer).
6 Most animal life of the tundra has adapted to the cold weather. The animals tend to be larger in size to hold their body heat, covered in layers of fat to insulate them from the cold, have heavy fur coats, and either migrate or hibernate during the really cold times. Much of the life in the tundra is found in the coastal regions since the ocean is a good source of food year round.
7 There are two types of tundra, They have some things in common and some differences. They are the Arctic tundra and alpine tundra.
8 Arctic tundra are frozen, windy, desert-like plains in the Arctic that are dotted with bogs and ponds. Permafrost (a layer of frozen subsoil) covers the ground, so there is very little drainage of water. The short growing season lasts for only 50 to 60 days. Arctic tundra are located in the far north of Greenland, Alaska, Canada, Europe, and Russia. Some animals of the Arctic tundra include:
Mammals - Arctic foxes, Arctic hares, caribou (also called reindeer), ermine, lemmings, musk oxen, polar bears, porcupines, Arctic shrews, squirrels, voles, weasels, wolves and the dangerous, carnivorous wolverines
Birds - Arctic loons, snowy owls, falcons, ptarmigans, ravens, snow buntings, snow birds, snow geese, sandpipers, Arctic terns, tundra swans, many species of gulls
Fish - cod, flatfish, salmon, trout
Insects - Arctic bumblebees, blackflies, flies, grasshoppers, mosquitoes, and moths.
9 Alpine tundra are located high in mountains worldwide, above the tree line. The growing season is about 180 days, and nighttime temperatures are usually below freezing. The soil is well-drained (unlike the Arctic tundra). Some animals of the alpine tundra include:
Mammals - elk, marmots, mountain goats, pikas, sheep
Birds - grouse-like birds
Insects - beetles, butterflies, grasshoppers, and springtails.
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