TUNDRA CHRIS BAUTISTA

TUNDRA MEANS MARSHY PLAIN. THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE TUNDRA BIOME IS LARGELY POLEWARD OF 60° NORTH LATITUDE. THE TUNDRA BIOME IS CHARACTERIZED BY AN ABSENCE OF TREES, THE PRESENCE OF DWARF PLANTS, AND A GROUND SURFACE THAT IS WET, AND SPONGEY.

WHAT ARE ITS ABIOTIC FACTORS? THE ABIOTIC FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE TUNDRA ARE STRONG WINDS, RAINFALL, SHORT SUMMER DAYS, LONG AND COLD WINTERS, SOIL, PERMAFROST LAYER. THE AVERAGE WINTER TEMPERATURE OF ARTIC TUNDRA IS -34 DEGREE CELSIUS AND AVERAGE SUMMER TEMPERATURE IS 3-12 DEGREE CELSIUS. RAINFALL VARIES IN DIFFERENT REGIONS AND PRECIPITATION (MELTING SNOW) LESS THAN 15 INCHES ANNUALLY. A FROZEN SUBSOIL CALLED PERMAFROST WHICH EXIST IN ARTIC TUNDRA, CONSISTING OF GRAVEL AND FINE SOIL.

NATIVE PLANTS AND THEIR ADAPTATIONS.. TUNDRA PLANTS ARE SMALL (USUALLY LESS THAN 12 INCHES TALL) AND LOW-GROWING DUE TO LACK OF NUTRIENTS, BECAUSE BEING CLOSE TO THE GROUND HELPS KEEP THE PLANTS FROM FREEZING, AND BECAUSE THE ROOTS CANNOT PENETRATE THE PERMAFROST. PLANTS ARE DARK IN COLOR— SOME ARE EVEN RED—THIS HELPS THEM ABSORB SOLAR HEAT. SOME PLANTS ARE COVERED WITH HAIR WHICH HELPS KEEP THEM WARM. SOME PLANTS GROW IN CLUMPS TO PROTECT ONE ANOTHER FROM THE WIND AND COLD. SOME PLANTS HAVE DISH-LIKE FLOWERS THAT FOLLOW THE SUN, FOCUSING MORE SOLAR HEAT ON THE CENTER OF THE FLOWER, HELPING THE PLANT STAY WARM.

NATIVE ANIMALS AND THEIR ADAPTATIONS..... 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.

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES- ENJOY SOME OF THE WILDEST, MOST EVOCATIVE LANDSCAPES ON THE CONTINENT. TUNDRA REFERS TO COLD, DRY, MOSTLY TREELESS ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES DOMINATED MOSTLY BY GROUND-CARPETING MOSSES, LICHENS, GRASSES, HEATH OR SHRUBS.

POINTS OF INTEREST- CONTAIN SOME UNIQUE WILDLIFE, MUCH OF WHICH CANNOT BE FOUND ANYWHERE ELSE ON EARTH. CULTURAL ACTIVITIES, THE CULTURE OF THE TUNDRA IS RICH AND DISTINCTIVE. LIVING IN INCREDIBLE COLD, WITH NO RELIABLE AGRICULTURE, NATIVE PEOPLES OF THE TUNDRA HAVE BEEN FORCED TO ADAPT TO SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS.

AVERAGE PRECIPITATION - THE AVERAGE WINTER TEMPERATURE IS -34° C (-30° F), BUT THE AVERAGE SUMMER TEMPERATURE IS 3-12° C (37-54° F) WHICH ENABLES THIS BIOME TO SUSTAIN LIFE. RAINFALL MAY VARY IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE ARCTIC. YEARLY PRECIPITATION, INCLUDING MELTING SNOW, IS 15 TO 25 CM (6 TO 10 INCHES).

WARNINGS - AIR POLLUTION FROM CITIES AT LOW LATITUDES ACCUMULATES AT THE HIGH LATITUDES. (ENDANGERED SPECIES) POLAR BEARS, ARTIC FOX, ARCTIC PEREGRIN FALCON, ESKIMO CURLEW, AND WOOD BISON.

ANALYSIS/EVALUATION THE TUNDRA PLAYS A LARGE ROLE IN THE TEMPERATURE REGULATION OF THE PLANET. AS WARM AIR RISES FROM THE TROPICAL ZONE IT IS COOLED IN THE TUNDRA CAUSING IT TO SINK BACK DOWN TO THE EQUATOR. THIS CAUSES WEATHER AND AIR CURRENTS. WITHOUT THIS SYSTEM CLIMATE AS WE KNOW IT WOULD CHANGE DRASTICALLY AROUND THE WORLD. AREAS THAT ONCE COULD SUPPORT LIFE MAY NOT ANYMORE. IT IS ALSO A WINTER HOME FOR MANY SPECIES OF BIRDS. IF THEY WERE TO DISAPPEAR FROM THE FOOD CHAIN IT WOULD CAUSE DEVASTATING CHANGES TO OTHER SPECIES DEPENDENT ON THE. THE TUNDRA IS A KEY FACTOR IN GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY.