Arctic & Alpine Tim, Taylor, and Anna Tundra Arctic & Alpine Tim, Taylor, and Anna

Where is the tundra located? The tundra is located in the northern hemisphere, encircling the north pole and extending south to the coniferous forests of the taiga.

Tundra: In general! The tundra covers between one tenth and one fifth of the earths land area. Human-wise, it is the least inhabited biome in the world. Tundra comes from the Finnish word tunturi, meaning treeless plain. The nutrients on the tundra come mainly from dead organic matter. The two major nutrients are nitrogen and phosphorus. Nitrogen is created by biological fixation, and phosphorus is created by precipitation. The Arctic Tundra is the world's youngest biome. It was formed only 10,000 years ago.

Climate: Rainfall! This shows us that in comparison to the other biomes, the tundra gets the smallest amount of rainfall a year, being less than 10 inches, and this includes the melting snow.

Climate: Temperatures! Arctic! Alpine! It is by far the coldest biome in the world, with winter temperatures reaching as low as -25° F, and summer highs only hitting about 40°. In the summer average temperatures range from 50 to 60° F. In the winter the temperatures are below freezing.

Land! Arctic Alpine Permafrost soil which results in very little water drainage. The growing season only lasts 50-60 days. Some plants include low shrubs, sedges, reindeer mosses, liverworts, grasses, and over 400 varieties of flowers The soil is well drained. The growing season lasts about 180 days. Some plants include tussock grasses, dwarf trees, small-leafed shrubs, and heaths. Most plants have become perennial due to the short growing season, meaning it lives for more than two years. During the colder seasons, some have learned to actually shrink in order to take up less nutrients and heat to help themselves survive. So to shield themselves from harmful wind, some plants produce with tiny layers of fur, which are normally made up of thousands of hairs. Some plants have adapted to the lack of nutrients by keeping their old leaves rather than dropping them to extract the left over nutrients left in the dead part of the organism.

Animals! Arctic Alpine Herbivorous mammals: lemmings, voles, caribou, arctic hares and squirrels. Carnivorous mammals: arctic foxes, wolves, and polar bears. Migratory birds: ravens, snow buntings, falcons, loons, sandpipers, terns, snow birds, and various species of gulls. Insects: mosquitoes, flies, moths, grasshoppers, blackflies and arctic bumble bees. Fish: cod, flatfish, salmon, and trout. Mammals: pikas, marmots, mountain goats, sheep, elk. Birds: grouse-like birds. Insects: springtails, beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies.

Tundra Biomass and Productivity Biomass – The tundra is one of Earth's three major carbon dioxide sinks. A carbon dioxide sink is a biomass which takes in more carbon dioxide than it releases. Produced by plants and other photosynthetic producers The amount of plants and animals that can be support at each trophic level of a food chain or web Measured in dry weight, meaning the organic matter is dead, dried out, then weighed Energy is stored in biomass and is transferred from trophic level to trophic level Productivity - deals with how fast an ecosystem creates biomass The tundra has the third lowest amount of productivity

Threats to the tundra Global warming is melting the permafrost, changing the land and eliminating homes for numerous species. Buildings and roads also put hear and pressure on the permafrost, causing it to start melting. Ozone depletion at the North and South Poles means stronger ultraviolet rays that could harm the tundra. Air pollution from mining and drilling for oil can cause smog clouds that contaminate lichen, a significant food source for many animals. It can also pollute lakes and rivers. Exploration of oil, gas, and minerals and construction of pipelines and roads can cause physical disturbances and habitat fragmentation. Oil spills can kill wildlife and significantly damage tundra ecosystems. Invasive species push aside native vegetation and reduce diversity of plant cover.

Lichen Lichens are unusual organisms that often grow on exposed rock surfaces. They are composed of a fungus and an algae living and growing together. Lichen can tolerate hostile environments like deserts and polar regions. They do not handle pollution well, and are killed very easily by it. This is why lichen are well adapted to the tundra because not many people live there and that means that there is not much pollution caused by humans.

Caribou These amazing creatures have adapted in many ways to survive the long, cold winters in the tundra. Their long hair is hollow and provides good insulation, keeping them very warm.  Their legs have two crescent shaped hooves which grow longer in the Fall. This ensures that the exposed pad between their hooves stays above the snow which also helps them stay warmer. Also, because their long legs are often submerged in the deep snow, they have had to adapt their circulation system to prevent their legs from freezing and to keep the cold from spreading up to their bodies.  The arteries and veins in their legs are very close together.  The outward flowing blood (arteries) warms the inward flowing blood (veins), and this allows their body temperature to remain warm while their legs are colder.