TUNDRA BIOME

The tundra can be found in the high northern latitudes of the world. Some plants and shrubs bloom in early autumn. During this short period of time, the blooms are brilliant. The growing season in the tundra is very short due to the frozen permafrost that only begins to thaw in mid-summer. Some prehistoric animals have been found preserved in the thick permafrost. The most common animals found in the tundra are the caribou, reindeer, and the lemming.

CLIMATE/LOCATION

The tundra is the coldest and the driest of all the biomes on Earth. This biome lies above the Arctic Ocean in the world's highest northern latitudes. The tundra covers about one fifth of the land surface found on Earth. These low swampy plains are found in Northern Europe, Siberia, Northern most part of North America, and a few places in the southern hemisphere.

All locations reach low temperatures that can freeze on any night, even in the tropical locations. The summers in the tundra are short. The tundra experiences 24 hour long days. In the summer the soil becomes very soggy because of the melted permafrost. In the winter the weather can reach -50 degrees fahrenheit. The precipitation received in this biome is less than ten inches a year. There is very little evaporation. This causes the moisture to be absorbed into the ground which is called premafrost. The permafrost lies six inches below the ground. The permafrost prevents drainage of excess moisture. Trees and plants have a hard time growing in these conditions. The growing season is short and can last up to 60 days.

VEGETATION

Vegetation or plants are in abundunce in the tundra. Some of the major ones are the lichen which grows on rocks and is made of fungus and algae living and growing together. Other types are the dwarf willow that are small tundra shrubs and the cushion plants that grow in low, tight clumps to protect them from the cold.

Plants in the tundra biome have many adaptations such as being small and able to grow close to the ground to protect from the cold and harsh temperatures. Also they absorb more heat from the sunshine than they get from other plants.

Many of the animals in the tundra biome are mostly vegetarians. This helps the animals to get more food with there being so many plants.

ANIMALS

The animals of the tundra are found in various cold regions throughout the world, such as the high mountains of western Mexico. Since the weather in the tundras is cold and dry, the animals of the biome have special adaptations so that they can live in their areas and provide for their needs.

The arctic fox is a canine carnivore who lives in the arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. The arctic fox can grow up to 46-68 cm long (18-26 3/4 in.) with a tail of 35 cm long (13 3/4 in). The arctic fox is one of six of the tundra animals that eat birds, lemmings, marine life, and any leftover animals. This mammal has well furred paws, small rounded ears, and white fur. Every May or June they have a litter of 4-11 puppies.

The grey wolf is another canine carnivore, but he lives in eastern Europe, east India, Russia, Canada, and some of the northern United States. They also live in the high mountains of the western population of Mexico. The grey wolf has a body size of 1-1.4 m (3 1/4-4 1/2 ft.) and a tail that is 30-48 cm long (11 3/4-18 3/4 in). Due to their large size, the grey wolf hunts and feeds on the larger animals that inhabit the tundra. Like the arctic fox, the grey wolf has a litter of 3-8 puppies in May or June.

The musk ox and the caribou live in Northern Canada, Greenland, Northern Europe and Asia, Scandinavia, Siberia, and Alaska. Both the caribou and the musk ox are herbivores that belong to the deer family. Both eat plants like grass, low shrubs, and lichen. The caribou can grow up to 1.2-2.2 m with a tail of 10-21 cm. The musk ox grows up to 1.9-2.3 m, their tails 9-10 cm. The musk ox has long shaggy hair that keeps them warm in the subzero temperature. The caribou has short hair that can either be black, brown, gray, or off-white. The caribou migrate many hundreds of miles in between their breeding. When they do breed, the females produce one to two young. However, the musk ox only has one young at a time.

Another animal in the tundra would be the polar bear. They belong to the group of mammals called the carnivore. They love to eat fresh meat, such as salmon, seals, and birds. They will also eat berries and eggs. They can smell their food even when it is 20 miles away. After eating 90 pounds of food a day, they can still be hungry. Polar bears have distinct white fur that helps them blend into their snowy surroundings.

Arctic Fox This small, white fox lives farther north than any other land animal.

Arctic Hare This white hare lives in the Arctic and has huge hindfeet.

Arctic Tern A small bird that flies from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back again each year.

Arctic Wolf Arctic wolves are carnivores that live in Northern Canada.

Bighorn Sheep The bighorn sheep is a wild brown sheep from mountains and deserts of North America.

Caribou Caribou are herbivores that live in Arctic regions.

Dall Sheep A wild, white sheep from the Arctic and sub-Arctic of North America.

Ermine Also known as stoat or short-tailed weasel, this tiny, ferocious mammal lives in cold areas.

Grasshopper Grasshoppers are insects that can hop, walk, and fly. There are about 10,000 different species of grasshoppers.

Hare Hares have very long hind legs and long ears. Unlike rabbits, the young are born fully haired.

Lemming Lemmings are small, short-tailed rodents from North America and northern Eurasia.

Moose The moose is the largest member of the deer family.

Mosquito A small flying insect that is a carrier of disease.

Musk Ox Musk oxen are large, hairy mammals that live in the far north.

Polar Bear Polar Bears are meat-eaters who live in the Arctic.

Quoll The Quoll is a cat-sized carnivorous marsupial from the islands of Tasmania and Australia.

Reindeer Reindeer are herbivores that live in Arctic regions.

Snow Goose Snow Geese are migratory birds from North America.

Snowy Owl A white owl that lives in the North American tundra.

Squirrel Squirrels are rodents. They live in a variety of biomes, including the tundra.

Wolf Wolves are carnivores that live in packs and howl.

Wolverine The Wolverine is a large, ferocious weasel that lives in cold areas.

Woodland Caribou A rare caribou from Canada that eats lichens.

Woolly Rhinoceros The Woolly Rhino is an extinct rhinoceros from the Ice Ages.