Biomes Presentation

By: Jonathan, Nick, and Graham

Meteorologist Weather and Climate

The Tundra is one of the driest places on earth, it is so dry that it gets up to only 6-10 in of rain a year, including melted snow. That is how much rain some deserts get. The humidity in the wind is never high and it never gets colder than 45-50%, in the summer. In the summer (which is only 6-10 weeks long) the Tundra is always sunny, so sunny that its nickname is “the land of midnight sun”, but in the winter, it is always dark. The atmospheric pressure is about 40 psi. There are always winds in the tundra, the winds can reach up to 48-97 km/h.

MeteologistSpring

In the Tundra, there is no true SpringFall

In the Tundra, there is no true FallWinter

Winter in the tundra is horrible. The tempeture never reaches any higher than 20 F. The average is actually -10 to 10 F. And the winds blow EXTREMELY hard. Like I said, the sun hardly rises.

Summer

Summer in the Tundra only lasts 6-10 weeks, the sun is always in the sky, but it never gets any hotter than 50% F. The warmer weather causes a layer of permafrost, so ice never goes away.

zoologist

• 3 AnimalsThe first animal we will talk about is the Musk-oxThey are herbivores. Musk-ox stay in the tundra all year

long. They have very thick fur that protects them from the harsh winter weather. Musk-ox have a unique way to defend themselves. They travel in groups of ten to thirty. When they feel threaten, the adults gather in a square with the young in the middle. With their horns facing out, these large animals can protect themselves from carnivores.

Their adaptions The Musk Ox is one of the most distinct animals in the tundra. Unlike the snowy owl, arctic

hare, article fox, and many other arctic animals that blend into the white snow, this massive beast could care less. His fur may be dark, but it is also warm, for a number of reasons: It is thick It is very long It has hollow hairs Air is a wonderful insulator, and the hollow hairs of the Musk Ox keep the air warmed by body heat close by where it is needed. And, when it comes to this citizen of the tundra, there is a whole lot of that hair. It hangs almost to the ground, creating a tent of sorts. The area directly beneath the animal is kept warm. That layer of warm air adds to comfort. Finally, as is true of many arctic animals, the fur is very thick. Relatively warmer air is not only trapped inside the hollow hairs, but all around them as well.Plus, there’s power in numbers. During spells of extreme cold, they huddle together. Collectively, all the body heat they emit helps to warm the surrounding air just a little. Some of us run around in the cold to stay warm; it appears that the sedentary Musk Ox is not too keen on that idea. That huddling is for protection as well. Wolves are always on the prowl for smaller calves. Therefore, the adults form a circle around their young, with their prominent horns pointing outward for protection. Like the Polar Bear, the Musk Ox has one defense after another against the arctic cold, helping them to maintain their core temperature.

Carnivore: arctic fox

• In the summer, the arctic fox is dark gray to bluish brown. Its fur color changes to white or creamy white in the winter. A major food source for the arctic fox is the lemming. Tundra voles are another staple of its diet. Other foods include birds, eggs, insects and carrion. The arctic fox is considered an omnivore since it will feast upon tundra berries if they are available. Their Adaptation: In the winter their coats become white for camo to follow. Also their coats become and thicker.

The arctic hare• The arctic hare lives in the harsh environment of the North American tundra. These hares do

not hibernate, but survive the dangerous cold with a number of behavioral and physiological adaptations. They sport thick fur and enjoy a low surface area to volume ratio that conserves body heat, most evident in their shortened ears. These hares sometimes dig shelters in snow and huddle together to share warmth.Hares are a bit larger than rabbits, and they typically have taller hind legs and longer ears. Like other hares and rabbits, Arctic hares are fast and can bound at speeds of up to 40 miles (60 kilometers) an hour. In winter, they sport a brilliant white coat that provides excellent camouflage in the land of ice and snow. In spring, the hare's colors change to blue-gray in approximation of local rocks and vegetation.Arctic hares are sometimes loners but they can also be found in groups of dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of individuals. Unlike many mammals, arctic hare groups disperse rather than form during mating season. Animals pair off and define mating territories, though a male may take more than one female partner.Females give birth to one litter per year, in spring or early summer. Two to eight young hares grow quickly and by September resemble their parents. They will be ready to breed the following year.Food can be scarce in the Arctic, but the hares survive by eating woody plants, mosses, and lichens which they may dig through the snow to find in winter. In other seasons they eat buds, berries, leaves, roots, and bark.Traditionally, the arctic hare has been important to Native Americans. These fairly plentiful animals are hunted as a food resource and for their fur, which is used to make clothing.