Description
What is a tundra?
A Tundra is
a
vast, flat, treeless Arctic region of
Europe, Asia, and North America in which the subsoil is permanently frozen.
What is the Climate?
The tundra is freezing for almost all of the year with no
traditional seasons, only a very long winter. Winter conditions in the tundra
exist most of the year, with the exception of a very short mild season which
passes for summer.
The average temperature per year is 16 degrees°F. The highest temperature can get to 45° F and the coldest temperature can get to 10° F below 0. That makes it one of the coldest regions on earth. This biome feels freezing most of the year.
The average temperature per year is 16 degrees°F. The highest temperature can get to 45° F and the coldest temperature can get to 10° F below 0. That makes it one of the coldest regions on earth. This biome feels freezing most of the year.
What are some abiotic factors?
Some factors would be the strong winds, little rainfall, short summer days, long and cold winter days, and the poor soil.
The soil has two layers:
The first layer is about 2-5 inches think that defrosts in the spring and summer and the rest is permafrost, ground that stays frozen all year long.
This is why no trees can grow there, mosses do though and they create an acidic soil.
The second layer is permafrost that is a layer of soil that is under the 2-5 inches of soil that thaws and is frozen all year round and is unusable. There is almost no life in this layer and the life that is there is dormant.
The soil has two layers:
The first layer is about 2-5 inches think that defrosts in the spring and summer and the rest is permafrost, ground that stays frozen all year long.
This is why no trees can grow there, mosses do though and they create an acidic soil.
The second layer is permafrost that is a layer of soil that is under the 2-5 inches of soil that thaws and is frozen all year round and is unusable. There is almost no life in this layer and the life that is there is dormant.
Natural disasters?
The Tundra is susceptible to blizzards, earthquakes, floods, and volcanos
Wildlife
Plants
Arctic Moss
Animals
Polar Bear:
Diet: Polar Bears' diets consist mainly of seals. Polar Bears will use a variety of tactics while hunting seals, and these tactics will usually involve stealth and patience. Polar Bears will occasionally feed on other animals including walruses. Polar Bears will also sometimes feed on the carcases of dead whales.
Habitat: Polar Bears are often located near areas of water and ice floes where their favorite food - seals - can be found. Polar Bears have dens in which they will sleep and where the females will give birth to cubs. Polar Bears do not enter true hibernation in the winter as this is a period of hunting, however, some Polar Bears and pregnant females in particular will enter a deep sleep where their heart rates will drop.
Description: Polar Bears are among the largest land mammals on earth. Males can weigh between 700 - 1400 pounds and stand between 8 - 10 feet tall. Females are smaller than males, with weights averaging 350 - 700 pounds. Polar Bears appear to have a white coat; however, the actual hairs are translucent and clear. The skin of the Polar Bear is black. The coat and skin are adapted to absorb sunlight and retain heat. Like many animals of the tundra, Polar Bears have short ears to minimize heat loss.
Arctic Fox:
Diet: Arctic Foxes' diets consist of small mammals including voles and lemmings, as well as on birds and their eggs. Arctic Foxes are opportunistic and will sometimes scavenge on dead carcasses of animals, and they are often seen following Polar Bears to feed on the leftovers the bears leave behind. Arctic Foxes will also eat some vegetation such as berries.
Habitat: Like many foxes, the Arctic Fox builds a den. For the Arctic Fox the den can sometimes be in a hillside or river bank, and will usually have multiple entrances and exits. The Arctic Fox can be found in arctic or alpine tundra.
Description: The Arctic Fox measures 3 - 3.5 feet in length from head to tail. The weight of the Arctic Fox can range from 6 - 9 pounds, with females being smaller than males. Like many animals of the tundra, Arctic Foxes have special adaptations to help them survive in extremely cold climates. These adaptations include fur on its paws to help keep them warm, a thick, dense coat of fur around its body, short ears, a small body, and a large and bushy tail that it uses to curl around its body.
Snowy Owl:
Diet: Snowy Owls will most often feed on small rodents including lemmings and voles. Rabbits are another staple of the Snowy Owl's diet. The owls are opportunistic and will also feed on other types of birds such as ptarmigans as well as bird eggs of larger birds.
Habitat: Snowy Owls will build their nests on the ground, typically in a higher place than the surrounding land so that they will have good visibility to predators and prey.
Description: Snowy Owls are among the largest owls in the Arctic as well as North America. They range from 1.75 - 2 feet in length and have a wingspan of 4.5 - 5.5 feet. Snowy Owls are white with dark spots, and the amount of spots will vary from owl to owl. Some Snowy Owls are virtually all white. Snowy Owls have yellow eyes that are fixed in the eye socket, and they have the ability to move their heads approximately 270 degrees in both directions. Snowy Owls have a thick layer of feathers on their body as well as their feet to enable them to survive in the tundra.
Diet: Polar Bears' diets consist mainly of seals. Polar Bears will use a variety of tactics while hunting seals, and these tactics will usually involve stealth and patience. Polar Bears will occasionally feed on other animals including walruses. Polar Bears will also sometimes feed on the carcases of dead whales.
Habitat: Polar Bears are often located near areas of water and ice floes where their favorite food - seals - can be found. Polar Bears have dens in which they will sleep and where the females will give birth to cubs. Polar Bears do not enter true hibernation in the winter as this is a period of hunting, however, some Polar Bears and pregnant females in particular will enter a deep sleep where their heart rates will drop.
Description: Polar Bears are among the largest land mammals on earth. Males can weigh between 700 - 1400 pounds and stand between 8 - 10 feet tall. Females are smaller than males, with weights averaging 350 - 700 pounds. Polar Bears appear to have a white coat; however, the actual hairs are translucent and clear. The skin of the Polar Bear is black. The coat and skin are adapted to absorb sunlight and retain heat. Like many animals of the tundra, Polar Bears have short ears to minimize heat loss.
Arctic Fox:
Diet: Arctic Foxes' diets consist of small mammals including voles and lemmings, as well as on birds and their eggs. Arctic Foxes are opportunistic and will sometimes scavenge on dead carcasses of animals, and they are often seen following Polar Bears to feed on the leftovers the bears leave behind. Arctic Foxes will also eat some vegetation such as berries.
Habitat: Like many foxes, the Arctic Fox builds a den. For the Arctic Fox the den can sometimes be in a hillside or river bank, and will usually have multiple entrances and exits. The Arctic Fox can be found in arctic or alpine tundra.
Description: The Arctic Fox measures 3 - 3.5 feet in length from head to tail. The weight of the Arctic Fox can range from 6 - 9 pounds, with females being smaller than males. Like many animals of the tundra, Arctic Foxes have special adaptations to help them survive in extremely cold climates. These adaptations include fur on its paws to help keep them warm, a thick, dense coat of fur around its body, short ears, a small body, and a large and bushy tail that it uses to curl around its body.
Snowy Owl:
Diet: Snowy Owls will most often feed on small rodents including lemmings and voles. Rabbits are another staple of the Snowy Owl's diet. The owls are opportunistic and will also feed on other types of birds such as ptarmigans as well as bird eggs of larger birds.
Habitat: Snowy Owls will build their nests on the ground, typically in a higher place than the surrounding land so that they will have good visibility to predators and prey.
Description: Snowy Owls are among the largest owls in the Arctic as well as North America. They range from 1.75 - 2 feet in length and have a wingspan of 4.5 - 5.5 feet. Snowy Owls are white with dark spots, and the amount of spots will vary from owl to owl. Some Snowy Owls are virtually all white. Snowy Owls have yellow eyes that are fixed in the eye socket, and they have the ability to move their heads approximately 270 degrees in both directions. Snowy Owls have a thick layer of feathers on their body as well as their feet to enable them to survive in the tundra.
Location?
Arctic Tundra: cold,
vast, treeless area of low, swampy plains in the far north around the Arctic
Ocean
North America - Northern Alaska, Canada, Greenland
Northern Europe - Scandinavia
Northern Asia - Siberia
Alpine Tundra: a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high altitude. The high altitude causes an adverse climate, which is too cold and windy to support tree growth.
North America - Alaska, Canada, U.S.A., and Mexico
Northern Europe - Finland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden
Asia - Southern Asia (Himalayan Mountains)
North America - Northern Alaska, Canada, Greenland
Northern Europe - Scandinavia
Northern Asia - Siberia
Alpine Tundra: a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high altitude. The high altitude causes an adverse climate, which is too cold and windy to support tree growth.
North America - Alaska, Canada, U.S.A., and Mexico
Northern Europe - Finland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden
Asia - Southern Asia (Himalayan Mountains)