TUNDRA UNIT 4.4: BIOMES

LOCATION

TUNDRA• TUNDRA IS A BIOME WITHOUT TREE, WHERE GRASSES AND TOUGH SHURBS

GROW IN THE FROZEN SOIL THAT CIRCLES THE EARTH NORTH OF ARCTIC CIRCLE.

• SUMMERS ARE SHORT IN MUCH OF THE TUNDRA SO THAT ONLY THE TOP FEW INCHES OF SOIL THAW. UNDERNEATH LIES THE PERMAFROST IS IMPERMEABLE, THE TUNDRA BECOMES DOTTED WITH BOGS AND SWAMPS WHEN THE TOP LAYER OF SOIL THAWS. IN SUMMER, THESE IDEAL BREEDING GROUNDS FOR HUGE NUMBER OF SWARMING INSECTS SUCH AS MOSQUITOES AND BLACKFLIES AND FOR THE MANY BIRDS THAT FEED ON THEM.

WINTERS IN TUNDRA

TUNDRA VEGETATION• LICHEN • HARDY

GRASSES• SEDGES• RUSHES• FLOWERIN

G HERBS• HEATHERS

VEGETATION CHARACTERISTICS• MOSSES AND LICHENS: CAN GROW WITHOUT SOIL, COVER ACRES OF ROCKS

IN SUMMER

• PLANTS: WHERE SOIL EXISTS, IT IS THIN, PLANTS HAVE WIDE, SHALLOW ROOTS THAT ALSO ANCHOR THEM AGAINST STRONG WINDS. MOSS CAMPION & GENTIAN, ARE TINY. HUGGING THE GROUND KEEP THEM OUT OF THE WIND AND HELPS THEM ABSORB HEAT FROM SUNLIT GROUND. WOODY PLANTS & PERENNIALS SUCH AS WILLOW & JUNIPER ADAPTED DWARF FORMS, GROWING FLAT OR TRAILING ALONG THE GROUND.

TUNDRA- SUMMARYLOCATION

• LATITUDES 660 OR ABOVE

• ONLY EXIST IN NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

• SAME TRYPE OF CLIMATE COULD BE OBSERVED ON HIGH ELEVATIONS SUCH AS HIMALYAS

CLIMATE• AVERAGE SUMMER

TEMPERATURE BELOW100C

• WINTERS AVERAGE BELOW 300C

• ANNUAL PRECIPITATION UNDER 300mm

• PRECIPITATION IN THE FORM OF SNOW

• STRONG WINDS

VEGETATION• COLD CLIMATE RESTRICTS

VEGETATION GROWTH

• TREE LESS BIOME

• LESS THAN 3 MONTHS OF GROWING SEASON,

• 30-60 DAYS PLANT LIFE CYCLES

REFERENCES

• ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT BY JOHN PALLISTER• ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE BY KAREN ARMS• BBC.CO.UK• PICTORIAL AIDS: FROM GOOGLE IMAGES

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