The Tundra Biome

1
The Tundra Biome

• By Josh Mellits
• Eric Schorr

2
What is a tundra?

• Vast, nearly level, treeless plains of the arctic
  regions of Europe, Asia, and North America
• Coldest of all biomes
• A.K.A - Polar grasslands

3
Where is it found?
The tundra ecosystems can be generally found
along the upper portions of the northern
hemisphere
4
Hows the weather?
As one can see, the general temperature of the
tundra climate during the year is well below
00C. During the summer, temperatures rise up to
5-60C
5
Whats Growing?

• Tufted SaxifrageCommon Name SaxifrageGenus
  SaxifragaSpecies caespitosa
• Saxifraga comes from the Latin word "rock
  breaker".
• Pasque Flower
• Common Name Pasque Flower
• Genus AnemoneSpecies patens
• Caribou MossCommon Name Caribou Moss, Reindeer
  LichenGenus CladoniaSpecies rangiferina

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Whats Growing?(Continued)

• Arctic WillowCommon Name(s) Rock WillowGenus
  SalixSpecies arctica
• BearberryCommon name Bearberry, Foxberry, and
  KinnikinicGenus ArctostaphylosSpecies
  uva-ursi
• Leaves of the berry are somtimes added in tobacco
  or substituted in its place. Tea from the leaves
  can treat kidney or bladder issues

7
What lives here?

• Predators of the tundra the carnivores and
  secondary consumers
• Prey of the tundra the herbivores and
  omnivores the primary consumers

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Predators of the Tundra

• Snowy Owl small hunt in daytime and nighttime.
• Adaptation to 24 hour daylight of tundra in
  summer
• Change color - brown in summer, white in winter
• Prey on lemmings around 12/day
• They nest on ground on highest and driest
  portions of biome
• Arctic Fox -
• Size of a cat
• the warmest fur of any mammal
• Colors change through seasons ? brownish in
  summer and white in winter.
• Hunt lemmings
• Tough animals will travel long distances for
  food
• Arctic foxes ? very well adapted to the cold -
  have fur on the bottom of feet

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Prey of the Tundra

• Musk Oxen
• Small herds - 10 or 12
• Eat small plants and lichens
• Very hardy covered with thick, soft, very warm
  fur
• Common prey of non-tundra wolves
• Horns for protection.
• When attacked - form a circle with adults facing
  out and young calves in center.    
• Insects
• Arctic fly only seen on days above freezing and
  with no wind
• Dark in color and hairy to stay warm
• Some contain antifreeze agents in bodies to
  prevent freezing of cells and body fluids
• Lemmings -
• small rodents
• eat plants
• look like hamsters
• brownish or dark gray in summer
• in winter lemming fur turns white
• Burrowers and tunnel makers

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Food Web
Caribou
Arctic lichens
Saxifrage
Arctic willow
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Soil

• Permafrost - frozen portion of ground (can be up
  to 2000ft thick)
• Plants and microorganisms grow within
• Incapable of absorbing surface water
• Earth soil forms slowly gravel, rocks and dirt
• Build-up of surface water leads to bogs and
  ponds moisture for plantlife
• Landscape formed through freezing process of
  soil

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Symbiotic Relationship

• Symbiotic Relationship
• Lichens dominate tundra primary producer
• Covered in ice ? 3 years but still live
• Symbiotic between alga and fungus
• Mutualistic relationship ? Alga gives food
  fungus gives water
• Alga avoids dehydration and fungus avoids
  starvation
• Dual-relationship between alga and fungus allows
  lichen to survive in an area where life naturally
  struggles

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Abiotic Factors

• Abiotic
• Cold and dry winds
• Land formations
• Pingos hills formed by trapped ponds of water
  from permafrost
• Frost boils - widening circles of stones caused
  by thawing and freezing of water
• Bumpy ground - variations in ground thawing and
  freezing
• Polygons - geometric land forms filled by water
• Stripes division of rocks by thawing and
  freezing
• Earthquakes
• Volcanoes
• Gravity

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The human Factor

• Damage to the Tundra
• Mines and oil industry cause damage to the land
  and soil loss of fossil fuels and draining of
  resources
• Development of human civilization interrupts
  animal migration and food patterns
• Damage to permafrost by vehicles and rigs
• Pollution affects delicate ecosystem
• Pesticides affect migration of insects which
  leads to changes in eating habits of birds in the
  tundra
• Extreme hunting efforts by humans of musk oxen
  and caribou have led to possible extinction of
  both animals

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What can we do?

• Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
• Wildlife foundations and reserves
• Federal parks and preservations
• Drilling for Oil is causing major damage to
  wildlife and environment
• Lobbying for better ways of getting fossil fuel
  oil
• Beyond petroleum solutions new energy sources

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Works Cited

• http//www.cedcc.psu.edu/khanjan/best_alaska_pix/b
  est_of_alaska.htm
• http//dictionary.reference.com/browse/tundra
• http//www.openlands.org/midewin/sampleclimat.pdf
  
• http//ths.sps.lane.edu/biomes/tundra5/tundra5.htm
  l
• http//www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome
  /tundra.html
• http//library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/main.php?se
  ctionbiomestopictundrasubtopicsoilland
• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/tundra_plant_page.
  htm
• http//www.biosbcc.net/ocean/marinesci/04benthon/a
  rclife.htm
• http//www.angelfire.com/ult/sciproj5/abfeatures.h
  tml
• http//library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/main.php?se
  ctionbiomestopictundrasubtopicsoilland
• http//www.nceas.ucsb.edu/nceas-web/kids/biomes/tu
  ndra.htm
• http//library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/main.php?se
  ctionimpacttopictundrasubtopicenvironmentals
  ubsubtopicair_pollution
• http//library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/main.php?se
  ctionimpacttopictundrasubtopicenvironmentals
  ubsubtopichunted