the tundra. tundra located north of the arctic circle
TRANSCRIPT
The Tundra
Tundra
• Located north of the Arctic Circle
Tundra
• Frigid temperatures in the winter - with little or no sunlight.
• Temperatures range from 0 to 10 C year round!
• Precipitation less than 100 mm (10 cm) per year
• The frozen desert!
Summer in the tundra
• A few weeks above freezing – short summers!• 24 hours of daylight/day– Plants must act fast!
Tundra - conditions
• Only the top few centimeters of soil thaw• Underneath = permafrost, a layer of soil that
is permanently frozen• Trees cannot grow here
Tundra
• Dominated by tough grasses, shrubs, lichens and herbs.
Tundra
• Dotted with bogs and swamps during summer• Wet areas = breeding grounds for swarming
insects such as……..
Mosquitoes
Blackflies
And the birds that eat them
And the birds that eat other things
Vegetation of the Tundra
• Mosses and lichens• Grow without soil
Vegetation - adaptations
• Plants– very shallow roots – Help anchor them against the icy winds
Vegetation of the Tundra
Examples: Campion and gentian
Vegetation of the Tundra
• Grow close to the ground– Absorb heat from the soil– Keeps out of the wind
Woody plants and perennials
Willow and juniper – but in dwarf forms• Grow flat or along the ground
Animals of the Tundra
• Abundant food – especially insects• NO reptiles or amphibians!
Animal adaptations
• Burrow underground• Camouflage• Well insulated!• Avoid bad conditions by– Migration– Hibernation
The tundra swan
The tundra swan
• Migrates : Breeds in the tundra during the summer
Animals of the Tundra
• Caribou• Migrate throughout the tundra in search of
food and water
Animals of the Tundra
• Hunters - wolves, ermine, fox, owl – camouflage!
Musk ox
Musk ox
• Grows two layers of fur – one short and one long
• Air gets trapped in the short layer of fur and is warmed by the body
• The trapped air acts as insulation• The long fur protects against wind and
water
Musk ox
• Layer of fat• Hooves that are large and hard to break
through ice.
The Musk Ox – leftover from the ice age
The Musk Ox (from Planet Earth)
lemmings
• Small rodents• Can give birth every
5 weeks!• Live in burrows
under or in the snow in winter
lemmings
• Food for plenty of predators!
……..like the ermine
But – don’t always believe what you hear!
lemmings
Threats to the Tundra
• One of the most fragile biomes• Relatively simple food chains – easy to disrupt• Land is easily damaged and slow to recover
Oil – Prudhoe Bay in northern Alaska
Oil exploration
• Transportation damages the permafrost
Pollution
• Caused by spills, leaks of oil or other toxic materials