The Tundra

Tundra Located north of the Arctic Circle

Tundra Frigid temperatures in the winter - with little or no sunlight. Temperatures range from 0 to 10 C year round! Precipitation less than 100 mm (10 cm) per year The frozen desert!

Summer in the tundra A few weeks above freezing – short summers! 24 hours of daylight/day Plants must act fast!

Tundra - conditions Only the top few centimeters of soil thaw Underneath = permafrost, a layer of soil that is permanently frozen Trees cannot grow here

Tundra Dominated by tough grasses, shrubs, lichens and herbs.

Tundra Dotted with bogs and swamps during summer Wet areas = breeding grounds for swarming insects such as……..

Mosquitoes

Blackflies

And the birds that eat them

And the birds that eat other things

Vegetation of the Tundra Mosses and lichens Grow without soil

Vegetation - adaptations Plants– very shallow roots Help anchor them against the icy winds

Vegetation of the Tundra Examples: Campion and gentian

Vegetation of the Tundra Grow close to the ground Absorb heat from the soil Keeps out of the wind

Woody plants and perennials Willow and juniper – but in dwarf forms Grow flat or along the ground

Animals of the Tundra Abundant food – especially insects NO reptiles or amphibians!

Animal adaptations Burrow underground Camouflage Well insulated! Avoid bad conditions by Migration Hibernation

The tundra swan

The tundra swan Migrates : Breeds in the tundra during the summer

Animals of the Tundra Caribou Migrate throughout the tundra in search of food and water

Animals of the Tundra Hunters - wolves, ermine, fox, owl – camouflage!

Musk ox

Musk ox Grows two layers of fur – one short and one long Air gets trapped in the short layer of fur and is warmed by the body The trapped air acts as insulation The long fur protects against wind and water

Musk ox Layer of fat Hooves that are large and hard to break through ice.

The Musk Ox – leftover from the ice age

The Musk Ox (from Planet Earth)

lemmings Small rodents Can give birth every 5 weeks! Live in burrows under or in the snow in winter

lemmings Food for plenty of predators! ……..like the ermine But – don’t always believe what you hear!

lemmings

Threats to the Tundra One of the most fragile biomes Relatively simple food chains – easy to disrupt Land is easily damaged and slow to recover

Oil – Prudhoe Bay in northern Alaska

Oil exploration Transportation damages the permafrost

Pollution Caused by spills, leaks of oil or other toxic materials