Tundra Biome

1
Tundra Biome

• F-Block
• By Christina Chen and Emily Eldridge-Ingram

2
Temperature

• Tundra regions are extremely cold throughout the
  year, averaging at -28

3
Precipitation

• Tundra regions receive very little precipitation,
  only 15-25 cm annually.

4
Location

• found beyond the tree line
• occupy 11,563,300 square km (20 of Earth's land
  surface)
• found between 60 and 70 degrees latitude
• most tundra regions are near the North Pole

5
General Description

• harsh environment that sustains little life (low
  biodiversity)
• a layer of permafrost in the subsoil
• lack of tall plants
• experience only two seasons, summer and winter
• most precipitation during the summer
• animal species include caribou, arctic hares, and
  snowy owls
• no significant human activity

6
Plants

• arctic moss
•  
• aquatic plant inhabiting bottoms of lake beds
• stores nutrients during winter to produce leaves
  during summer
• protected from wind and cold air by low height
  and water

• tufted saxifrage
•  
• blankets the ground
• has short hollow stems
• leaves are covered with silky hair for insulation
•  well-developed root system for storing
  carbohydrates

7
Animal Life

• arctic fox
•  
• scavenge for necessary nutrients
• burrow underground for shelter
• bushy tail and fur-padded feet conserve body heat
• developed sharp predatory senses over time to
  hunt prey

• snowy owl
•  
• hunt arctic animals such as voles and lemmings
• hunt during the day  
• thick plumage
• heavily feathered taloned feet
• their white feathers camouflage them in tundra
  regions

8
Two Abiotic Factors

• low temperature
•  
• only hardy plants can survive
• most animals have thick fur
• insignificant human activity

• scarce precipitation
• plants are not as nourished 
• mostly shrubs, mosses, and lichens
• few large grazing animals

9
Ecological Disturbances

• global warming has recently melted some of the
  permafrost in tundra areas
• warmer climate will cause tundras to sustain more
  vegetation
• growth of taller shrubs
• this will increase risk of fire and warmth of
  climate
• this will reduce dominance of mosses and lichens
  and maybe introduce trees to the landscape

10
Bibliography

• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/tundra_plant_page.
  htm (arctic moss and tufted saxifrage)
• http//www.marietta.edu/biol/biomes/tundra.htm
  (general information)
• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/tundra_animal_page
  .htm (arctic fox and snowy owl)
• http//www.newscientist.com/article/dn13408-global
  -warming-may-raise-tundra-wildfire-risk.html
  (ecological concerns)
• http//www.arthurmag.com/tags/trees/
  mossicechunk.jpg (moss picture)
• http//biomef.wikispaces.com/Tundra (tundra
  picture)
• http//animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mamm
  als/arctic-fox/ (arctic fox picture)
• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/tundra.htm tundra
  location map 001 gif (location picture)
• http//images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-liv
  e/photos/000/007/cache/snowy-owl_714_600x450.jpg
  (snowy owl picture)
• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/tufted_saxi
  frage.jpg (tufted saxifrage picture) 
• http//scioly.org/w/images/6/65/Tundra_Climagraph.
  jpg (temp graph) 
• http//earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Experiments/Biome
  /Images/precipsouthafrica.gif (rain graph)