Where in the World? A Biome Virtual Field Trip VFT prepared by Tammy Hanson--CVHS

Tundra Deciduous Forest Savanna TaigaRainforest GrasslandsDesert

THE TUNDRA Let’s take a trip! We’ll begin at the North Pole and travel south. The first biome we encounter is the tundra. To learn more about the tundra, click on the links below! CHARACTERISTICSANIMALS VEGETATION

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TUNDRA The tundra is located mostly north of the Arctic Circle. Summers in the tundra are so short that only the first few inches of soil can thaw out. Underneath the soil is a permanent layer of frozen ground called permafrost. The temperature ranges from -30°C in the long winter to around 23°C in the short summer. The tundra is like the desert because it gets very little precipitation—usually less than 10 inches (30 cm) per year. An example of the tundra is Alaska. The coldest part of the tundra is in NE Siberia where temperatures can get as low as -69°C (-92°F)!!

ANIMALS OF THE TUNDRA The arctic fox has sharp teeth and claws. It eats fish, young birds, deer, and seal pups. In the summer the arctic fox is more of a brown color. It turns white in the summer so that it blends in with the snow.

Animals of the tundra This is a harp seal and her pup. They live by the seas and eat fish.

Animals of the tundra The polar bear is one of the most well-known animals of the tundra. Polar bears usually have white fur. Their skin is black. Their favorite food is any kind of seal, but they will eat other animals when the seals are scarce. The paws of the polar bear are very large and act as snowshoes. Polar bears prefer to travel on ice. Polar bears are very endangered. Mother bears only have one or two cubs every four years. Return to Tundra Return to start

Plants of the tundra The arctic willow or rock willow has net-like veins and long hairs that cover its green leaves. This plant has shallow, branching roots that are adapted to the permafrost. The arctic willow produces a natural pesticide to keep insects from eating it.

Plants of the tundra Caribou moss is not actually a moss at all. It is a lichen. Lichens are two separate organisms that live together in in a mutualistic type of symbiosis. The two organisms that make up a lichen are fungi and algae. The fungi provides the minerals and the algae makes the food. Lichens are important pioneer species because of their ability to break down rock. Reindeer and caribou eat the lichen in the coldest months of the winter.

Plants of the tundra