The Tundra Biome

Tundra Biome Tundra comes from the finnish word tunturi, which mean treeless plain. The tundra is the coldest of all biomes. They are found in the arctic, on the tops of mountains and are mostly found in North America. However tundra biomes are all over the world. The Tundra biome separates into two types. - Alpine tundra - Arctic tundra

Characteristics Climate The tundra is very cold and receives less than 10 inches of precipitation a year, mostly in the form of snow. It has temperatures averaging below -35 degrees Celsius. The short summer last only 6-10 weeks. Despite the cold climate 1700 different kind of plants grow in the tundra. The only difference between the arctic and alpine is that the soil in the alpine tundra is well drained. Extremely cold climate Little amount of trees Limitation of drainage (Arctic) Short growth season Covers a lot of the earth

Wildlife Some tundra animals include: Polar bear Caribou Arctic fox Animals in the tundra biome all have special adaptation skills to adapt to the cold climate. There is low biodiversity in the tundra so if one species population changes it will affect others. Some tundra animals include: Polar bear Caribou Arctic fox Killer whale Reindeer Moose Sea lion Bald eagle

Plant Life The tundra contains over 1700 different kinds of plants. These plants are useful resources for the animals and even humans. Plants in tundra's have adapted by growing low to the ground to avoid the high winds. The Bearberry is the most common plant found in the biome and it only grows in the tundra.

Mosses