1. Tundra
Alison Emmons

2. Also found on the tops of mountains…called Alpine tundra

3. Defining Characteristics
Cold, windy, and little precipitation
Long winters, short summers
Low biotic diversity
Permafrost
Precipitation is greater than evaporation
50-60 days of summer with 24 sunlight
-34 degrees average in the winter
3-12 degrees in the summer

4. Permafrost Permanently frozen rock or soil Close to melting point
Remains frozen for at least two years
Close to melting point
Surface layer melts
during the summer
Bogs and shallow lakes
Talik—soil that remains unfrozen because it lies under a body of water
Fragile, easily disturbed by climate changes or human influence
Summer brings plant and animal life
About 450 meters

5. Vegetation Moss, lichens, low shrubs 400 wildflowers Adaptations
Shallow root systems
Grow short and group together
Short growing season
Small leaves
Fuzzy hairs
Lichens and moss can grow on bare rock
Small leaves to retain moisture

6. Animal Life
Arctic fox, polar bear, caribou, gray wolf, arctic hares, ground squirrels
Migratory birds—snow geese, falcons, loons
Insects—mosquitoes, arctic bumble bees
Insects flock in the summer when there are pools of water

7. Animal Life Adaptations Fat insulation and thick fur coats Migration
Hibernation
Breed and raise young quickly

8. Threats—Global Warming
Permafrost melting
Changing of habitat
Invasive species
New carbon contributor
Rising sea levels
Red fox from the south is competing with the Arctic fox for food and territory
11% of the Earth’s carbon
Releasing of carbon stored in the dead organic material that was once frozen

9. Threats—Human Disturbance
Air pollutants—DDT and PCB
Oil and gas development
Roads create heat
Tire tracks
Chernobyl deposited contaminated meats
Tire tracks leave permanent scars
Roads create heat that melt the permafrost beneath them