TUNDRA
C H R I S B A U T I S TA
TUNDRA MEANS MARSHY
PLAIN. THE GEOGRAPHICAL
DISTRIBUTION OF THE
T U N D R A B I O M E I S L A R G E LY
P O L E WA R D O F 6 0 ° N O RT H
L AT I T U D E . T H E T U N D R A
B I OM E I S C HARAC TERI Z ED
BY AN ABSENCE OF TREES,
T H E P R E S E N C E O F DWA R F
PLANTS, AND A GROUND
S U R F A C E T H AT I S W E T, A N D
S P O N G E Y.
W H AT A R E I T S A B I O T I C F A C T O R S ?
T H E A B I O T I C F A C T O R S T H AT
INFLUENCE TUNDRA ARE STRONG
WINDS, RAINFALL, SHORT SUMMER
D AY S , L O N G A N D C O L D W I N T E R S ,
S O I L , P E R M A F R O S T L AY E R . T H E
AV E R A G E W I N T E R T E M P E R AT U R E O F
ARTIC TUNDRA IS -34 DEGREE
C E L S I U S A N D AV E R AG E S U M M E R
T E M P E R AT U R E I S 3 - 1 2 D E G R E E
C E L S I U S . R A I N FA L L VA R I E S I N
DIFFERENT REGIONS AND
P R E C I P I TAT I O N ( M E LT I N G S N O W )
L E S S T H A N 1 5 I N C H E S A N N U A L LY. A
FROZEN SUBSOIL CALLED
PERMAFROST WHICH EXIST IN
ARTIC TUNDRA, CONSISTING OF
G R AV E L A N D F I N E S O I L .
N AT I V E P L A N T S A N D T H E I R
A D A P TAT I O N S . .
TUNDRA PLANTS ARE SMALL
( U S U A L LY L E S S T H A N 1 2 I N C H E S
TA L L ) A N D L O W- G R O W I N G D U E T O
LACK OF NUTRIENTS, BECAUSE
B E I N G C L O S E TO T H E G RO U N D
HELPS KEEP THE PLANTS FROM
FREEZING, AND BECAUSE THE
R O O T S C A N N O T P E N E T R AT E T H E
P E R M A F R O S T.
• PLANTS ARE DARK IN COLOR —
SOME ARE EVEN RED—THIS
HELPS THEM ABSORB SOLAR
H E AT.
• S O M E P L A N T S A R E C OV E R E D
WITH HAIR WHICH HELPS KEEP
T H E M WA R M .
• S O M E P L A N T S G ROW I N C L U M P S
TO P R OT E C T O N E A N OT H E R
F R O M T H E W I N D A N D C O L D.
• S O M E P L A N T S H AV E D I S H - L I K E
F L O W E R S T H AT F O L L O W T H E
SUN, FOCUSING MORE SOLAR
H E AT O N T H E C E N T E R O F T H E
F L OW E R , H E L P I N G T H E P L A N T
S TAY WA R M .
N AT I V E A N I M A L S
AND THEIR
A D A P TAT I O N S . . . . .
SOME ANIMALS YOU
WOULD FIND IN THE
ARCTIC TUNDRA
WOULD BE DEER,
FOXES, BEARS,
WOLVES, RODENTS,
HARES, AND
SHREWS.
ADAPTATIONS THAT
THESE ANIMALS
NEED TO SURVIVE
IN THE ARCTIC
TUNDRA INCLUDE
THICK FUR TO
PROTECT FROM
HARSH
TEMPERATURES
AND INSECTS.
R E C R E A T I O N A L A C T I V I T I E S - E N J O Y S O M E O F T H E W I L D E S T,
M O S T E V O C A T I V E L A N D S C A P E S O N T H E C O N T I N E N T.
T U N D R A R E F E R S T O C O L D , D R Y, M O S T L Y T R E E L E S S
E C O L O G I C A L C O M M U N I T I E S D O M I N AT E D M O S T LY B Y
G R O U N D - C A R P E T I N G M O S S E S , L I C H E N S , G R A S S E S , H E AT H
OR SHRUBS.
P O I N T S O F I N T E R E S T- C O N T A I N S O M E U N I Q U E W I L D L I F E ,
M U C H O F W H I C H C A N N OT B E F O U N D A N Y W H E R E E L S E
O N E A R T H . C U LT U R A L A C T I V I T I E S , T H E C U LT U R E O F T H E
TUNDRA IS RICH AND DISTINCTIVE. LIVING IN
I N C R E D I B L E C O L D , W I T H N O R E L I A B L E A G R I C U LT U R E ,
N AT I V E P E O P L E S O F T H E T U N D R A H AV E B E E N F O R C E D T O
A D A P T T O S E E M I N G LY I M P O S S I B L E S I T U AT I O N S .
AV E R A G E P R E C I P I TAT I O N - T H E AV E R A G E W I N T E R
T E M P E R AT U R E I S - 3 4 ° C ( - 3 0 ° F ) , B U T T H E AV E R A G E
S U M M E R T E M P E R AT U R E I S 3 - 1 2 ° C ( 3 7 - 5 4 ° F ) W H I C H
E N A B L E S T H I S B I O M E T O S U S TA I N L I F E . R A I N F A L L M AY
V A RY I N D I F F E R E N T R E G I O N S O F T H E A R C T I C . Y E A R LY
P R E C I P I TAT I O N , I N C L U D I N G M E LT I N G S N O W, I S 1 5 T O 2 5
C M ( 6 TO 1 0 I N C H E S ) .
W A R N I N G S - A I R P O L L U T I O N F R O M C I T I E S AT L O W
L AT I T U D E S A C C U M U L AT E S AT T H E H I G H
L AT I T U D E S . ( E N D A N G E R E D S P E C I E S ) P O L A R B E A R S ,
A RT I C F OX , A R C T I C P E R E G R I N FA L C O N , E S K I M O
C U R L E W, A N D W O O D B I S O N .
A N A LY S I S / E VA L U AT I O N
T H E T U N D R A P L AY S A L A R G E R O L E
I N T H E T E M P E R AT U R E R E G U L AT I O N
O F T H E P L A N E T. A S WA R M A I R R I S E S
FROM THE TROPICAL ZONE IT IS
COOLED IN THE TUNDRA CAUSING IT
TO S I N K B A C K D OW N TO T H E
E Q U ATO R . T H I S C A U S E S W E AT H E R
AND AIR CURRENTS. WITHOUT THIS
S Y S T E M C L I M AT E A S W E K N OW I T
W O U L D C H A N G E D R A S T I C A L LY
A R O U N D T H E W O R L D. A R E A S T H AT
O N C E C O U L D S U P P O R T L I F E M AY
N OT A N Y M O R E . I T I S A L S O A W I N T E R
HOME FOR MANY SPECIES OF BIRDS.
I F T H E Y W E R E TO D I S A P P E A R F R O M
T H E F O O D C H A I N I T WO U L D C A U S E
D E VA S TAT I N G C H A N G E S TO OT H E R
SPECIES DEPENDENT ON THE. THE
T U N D R A I S A K E Y F A C TO R I N
G L O B A L B I O D I V E R S I T Y.