Tundra
The tundra is one of the coldest biome, tundra means a place without trees.
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landscape photography of mountain with snow
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Arctic Tundra
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By Sasha Sashina on unsplash
Characteristics
- Extremely cold climate.
- Low biotic diversity.
- Simple vegetation structure.
- Limitation of drainage.
- Short season of growth and reproduction.
- Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material.
- Large population oscillations.
Distribution of the Tundra Biome
The Tundra is a place with very low temperatures and precipitation meaning that it has very little nutrients and a very short season for growing.
Tundra Types
- Arctic Tundra: land near the North Pole.
- Alpine Tundra: above the trees on tall mountains.
The two Tundra types take up about one fifth of the earths surfaces.
World Population density
Landforms
Did you know that the Arctic Tundra is the world's youngest biome? It was formed 10,000 years ago.
the tundra is a vast and treeless land which covers about 20% of the Earth's surface, circumnavigating the North pole. It is usually very cold, and the land is pretty stark. Almost all tundras are located in the Northern Hemisphere. Small tundra-like areas do exist in Antarctica in the Southern Hemisphere, but because it is much colder than the Arctic, the ground is always covered with snow and ice.
Glaciers
Patterns of Rivers and Lakes
The tundra is home to many rivers, lakes , streams, and ponds. The tundra is home to the biggest as they get their water from runoff that comes down from the mountain tops, highlands and glaciated areas.
They do not support large amounts of diversity or population on the other hand due to the large amounts of water and how cold it can be.
Climate types in the Tundra Biome
The tundra is changing due to climate change and because of this animals from other regions are either moving to or from the tundras making the food chain change dramatically.
Climate Change
This map shows the major regions where tundras are most common; tundras are in yellow. Tundras are often located near permanent ice sheets where during summer the ice and snow recede to expose the ground, allowing vegetation to grow
Physical Environment
The tundra is the worlds youngest biome, it was formed only 10,000 years ago. The biome covers almost 20% of the earths surface.
The tundra temperatures are normally very low because tundras don't have tree and are usually near a mountain. Because tundras dont have trees they are home to over 1700 animal species and 400 plant species.
Because of these factors the tundra is a very fragile place for plants and animals and they have to be very careful because of the terrible temperatures the tundra endures.
Plants and Animals in the biome
Animals:
- Musk Ox
- Arctic Hare
- Polar Bear
- Arctic Fox
- Caribou
- Snowy Owl
- Arctic ground Squirrel
- Semipalmated Plover
Plants:
- Arctic Moss
- Arctic Willow
- Bearberry
- Caribou Moss
- Diamond-leaf Willow
- Labrador Tea
- Pasque Flower
- Tufted Saxifrage
Plants in the Tundra
There are thousands of species of plants in the Arctic tundra. The plants tend to be small and close to the ground. This protects them from strong winds and cold temperatures. Some plants that grow in the tundra include lichen, short shrubs, sedges, grasses, flowers, birch trees and willow trees. Cushion plants, which, also grow in the tundra, are types of plants that grow low to the ground in tight places. They are called cushion plants because they are soft and cushiony.
Living in the Tundra
Animals that live on the tundra must be able to adapt to very cold temperatures. They must also be able to raise their young during the very short summer months.
Animals found in the tundra include the musk ox, the Arctic hare , the polar bear , the Arctic fox , the caribou , and the snowy owl. Many animals that live in the tundra, like the caribou and the semipalmated plover , migrate to warmer climates during the winter. Others, like the arctic ground squirrel , hibernate during the winter months. There are very few reptiles and amphibians found in the tundra because the temperatures are so cold.
Food Web
Food Chain
Human Population Density
Different Biomes
Where Humans live in the Tundra Biome
Management Issues with Biome
As our climate warms, larger plants are colonizing the southern edges of the tundra. The tundra is a major carbon sink, it is believed that as much as 1,000 gigatons of carbon could be tied up as plant material in the world’s permafrost, as the permafrost thaws with climate change, these plants will decompose, releasing the carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, that they are storing into the atmosphere.