Download Tundra

Tundra
Tundra


A cold biome of the far north; the
ground is frozen even in summer
There are two seasons in the
tundra. They are winter and
summer.
Tundra Facts






The tundra is the coldest and the driest of all the biomes
on Earth.
This biome lies above the Arctic Ocean in the world's
highest northern latitudes.
The tundra covers about one fifth of the land surface
found on Earth.
These low swampy plains are found in Northern Europe,
Siberia, Northern most part of North America, and a few
places in the southern hemisphere.
All locations reach low temperatures that can freeze on
any night, even in the tropical locations. The summers in
the tundra are short.
The tundra experiences 24 hour long days.
Tundra Facts




The arctic tundra is a harsh, cold environment in the
Northern Hemisphere within the Arctic Circle.
There are strong winds, up to 100 miles per hour.
In the tundra it is very cold: the average winter
temperature is -13°F, and in the summer it is rarely
over 50°F.
The summer time only lasts six to eight weeks. In
the winter it is dark most of the time, and even in the
summer it is usually cloudy and overcast; therefore
plants get little sunlight.
Tundra Facts




The tundra is also unusually dry; it gets an average of just 11.8
inches of rainfall per year.
The growing season is very short.
There is also a major lack of nutrients.
A cool fact about the tundra is that nearly 75 % of it is covered
in permafrost. There are many cracks on the surface because
of the earth freezing and thawing. This frozen soil prevents
water from sinking into the ground, causing many lakes,
streams, bogs, and fens (wetlands with a constant high water
level) during the summer.




There is very little evaporation. This causes the
moisture to be absorbed into the ground which
is called permafrost.
The permafrost lies six inches below the ground.
The permafrost prevents drainage of excess
moisture.
Trees and plants have a hard time growing in
these conditions.
The growing season is short and can last up to
60 days.
Plants of the Tundra




Vegetation or plants are in abundance in the tundra.
Some of the major ones are the lichen which grows on
rocks and is made of fungus and algae living and growing
together.
Other types are the dwarf willow that are small tundra
shrubs and the cushion plants that grow in low, tight
clumps to protect them from the cold.
Plants in the tundra biome have many adaptations such as
being small and able to grow close to the ground to
protect from the cold and harsh temperatures. Also they
absorb more heat from the sunshine than they get from
other plants.
Plants

Probably the most unique thing about the arctic
moss Calliergon giganteum is that it grows in
freshwater arctic lakes and in fens (wetlands with a
constant high water level).
Plants
Arctic willow or rock willow can be found in the North
American tundra. The North American tundra consists
of Northern Alaska and Northern Canada.
Plants



Bearberry is a low growing evergreen. It has a stem that rises
2-8" off the ground and is covered in a thick bark and fine silky
hairs. On the stem are many oval-shaped, leathery leaves.
Since bearberry is a low growing plant it can stay out of the
wind chill. It's fine silky hairs also help to keep it warm.
Leathery leaves are also an adaptation to the cold of the
tundra.
Bearberry is a very useful plant. All parts of it can be used in
some way. The fruit can be eaten and cooked with other foods.
The roots can be made into a tea that can treat a constant
cough.
Animals of the Tundra


Many of the animals in the tundra biome
are mostly vegetarians. This helps the
animals to get more food with there being
so many plants.
Since the weather in the tundra is cold
and dry, the animals of the biome have
special adaptations so that they can live
in their areas and provide for their needs.
Arctic Fox

The arctic fox is a canine carnivore who lives in
the arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North
America. The arctic fox can grow up to 46-68 cm
long (18-26 3/4 in.) with a tail of 35 cm long (13
3/4 in). The arctic fox is one of six of the tundra
animals that eat birds, lemmings, marine life, and
any leftover animals. This mammal has well
furred paws, small rounded ears, and white fur.
Every May or June they have a litter of 4-11
puppies.
Caribou

The musk ox and the caribou live in Northern Canada,
Greenland, Northern Europe and Asia, Scandinavia,
Siberia, and Alaska. Both the caribou and the musk ox are
herbivores that belong to the deer family. Both eat plants
like grass, low shrubs, and lichen. The caribou can grow
up to 1.2-2.2 m with a tail of 10-21 cm. The musk ox grows
up to 1.9-2.3 m, their tails 9-10 cm. The musk ox has long
shaggy hair that keeps them warm in the subzero
temperature. The caribou has short hair that can either be
black, brown, gray, or off-white. The caribou migrate many
hundreds of miles in between their breeding. When they
do breed, the females produce one to two young. However,
the musk ox only has one young at a time.
Grey Wolf

The grey wolf is another canine carnivore, but he
lives in eastern Europe, east India, Russia,
Canada, and some of the northern United States.
They also live in the high mountains of the
western population of Mexico. The grey wolf has
a body size of 1-1.4 m (3 1/4-4 1/2 ft.) and a tail
that is 30-48 cm long (11 3/4-18 3/4 in). Due to
their large size, the grey wolf hunts and feeds on
the larger animals that inhabit the tundra. Like
the arctic fox, the grey wolf has a litter of 3-8
puppies in May or June.
Polar Bear

Another animal in the tundra would be the polar
bear. They belong to the group of mammals
called the carnivore. They love to eat fresh meat,
such as salmon, seals, and birds. They will also
eat berries and eggs. They can smell their food
even when it is 20 miles away. After eating 90
pounds of food a day, they can still be hungry.
Polar bears have distinct white fur that helps
them blend into their snowy surroundings.
Other Animals
of the Tundra

Musk oxen, migrating caribou, arctic
foxes, weasels, snowshoe hares, owls,
hawks, various rodents, occasional
polar bear.