Temperatures are frequently extremely cold, but can get warm in the summers. Tundra winters are long, dark, and cold, with mean temperatures below 0°C for six to 10 months of the year. The temperatures are so cold that there is a layer of permanently frozen ground below the surface, called permafrost.

37 to 54 °F

Tundra climate areas experience a a very harsh winter and a cool summer. During the summer, much of the snow and ice melts and forms soggy marshes and bogs. However, some of the deeper parts of the soil stays frozen even through the summer–a layer called permafrost, as in permanent-frost.

Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. Tundra comes from the Finnish word tunturi, meaning treeless plain. It is noted for its frost-molded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients, and short growing seasons. The two major nutrients are nitrogen and phosphorus.

First, the permafrost prevents them from taking root, then those that do manage it have shallow root systems that are not an ideal anchor to withstand the high winds. Finally, low precipitation means there is not enough water to support trees. For most of the year, the tundra biome is a cold, frozen landscape.

Tundra

• It’s cold – The tundra is the coldest of the biomes.
• It’s dry – The tundra gets about as much precipitation as the average desert, around 10 inches per year.
• Permafrost – Below the top soil, the ground is permanently frozen year round.
• It’s barren – The tundra has few nutrients to support plant and animal life.

Earth’s carbon sink The rain-forest is often called the earth’s lungs, because the extremely high plant density is responsible for converting a lot of the world’s carbon dioxide into oxygen. A similar claim can be made about the tundra—it is the earth’s carbon sink.

Importance of the Tundra The Tundra plays a large role in the temperature regulation of the planet. As warm air rises from the tropical zone it is cooled in the Tundra causing it to sink back down to the equator. This causes weather and air currents. the tundra is a key factor in global biodiversity.

And toxic mercury, sent into the atmosphere by coal-burning and industrial activity, is accumulating in the Arctic tundra, threatening both humans and animals who live in the region. Air pollution can also harm or kill the important food source of lichen.

Land with underlying permafrost is called tundra. A mass-melting of permafrost would contribute significantly to rising sea levels. It might also accelerate global warming by releasing greenhouse gases into the air. Rich in organic material, the soil in the Arctic tundra will begin to decay if it thaws.

Oddly enough, an Ice Age has gripped the Earth for most of the last 2.6 million years, and we’re currently experiencing an unusually warm break from this so-called Quaternary glaciation, which temporarily lifted around 12,000 years ago. By itself, this will delay the next Ice Age by at least 50,000 years.

Humans have been part of the tundra ecosystem for thousands of years. The indigenous people of Alaska’s tundra regions are the Aleut, Alutiiq, Inupiat, Central Yup’ik and Siberian Yupik. Originally nomadic, Alaska Natives have now settled in permanent villages and towns.

Northern people found many different ways to adapt to the harsh Arctic climate, developing warm dwellings and clothing to protect them from frigid weather. They also learned how to predict the weather and navigate in boats and on sea ice.

They include, but are not limited to, whale, seal, musk ox, polar bear and reindeer, something of a national delicacy. Thinly sliced into steaks, reindeer is an extremely lean and tender meat that is at once delicate, slightly sweet and gamy — a combination I’d never previously encountered.

There are five major types of biomes: aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, and tundra, though some of these biomes can be further divided into more specific categories, such as freshwater, marine, savanna, tropical rainforest, temperate rainforest, and taiga.

The world’s major land biomes include tropical rain forest, tropical dry forest, tropical savanna, desert, temperate grassland, temperate woodland and shrubland, temperate forest, northwestern coniferous forest, boreal forest, and tundra.

The Earth’s biomes are categorized into two major groups: terrestrial and aquatic. Terrestrial biomes are based on land, while aquatic biomes include both ocean and freshwater biomes.

Biomes of the World

• Tropical Rainforest.
• Temperate Forest.
• Desert.
• Tundra.
• Taiga (Boreal Forest)
• Grassland.
• Savanna.

The world’s major land biomes include tropical rain forest, tropical dry forest, tropical savanna, desert, temperate grassland, temperate woodland and shrubland, temperate forest, northwestern coniferous forest, boreal forest or taiga, and tundra.

Deserts

Taiga

Tundra

Air pollution can also harm or kill the important food source of lichen. Industrial activity. The oil, gas, and mining industries can disrupt fragile tundra habitats. Drilling wells can thaw permafrost, while heavy vehicles and pipeline construction can damage soil and prevent vegetation from returning.

Earth Floor: Biomes. Arctic tundra is found across northern Alaska, Canada, and Siberia. This biome has long cold winters and short cool summers. The Arctic tundra has low precipitation (less than 10 inches per year) and dry winds.

Why are plants and animals able to survive in the tundra? Plants and animals have developed specific adaptations that allow them to survive the extreme climate of the tundra. These adaptations include thick fur, dense hair, retention of dead leaves, and feathered feet. Tundra means “treeless land.”