THE ARCTIC TUNDRANUUK, GREENLAND

A tundra is a vast, level, treeless Arctic section of North America, Asia, and Europe in which the subsoil is always frozen. The Tundra covers most of countries such as Russia, Alaska, Sweden, and Greenland. A synonym for tundra is a steppe.

You will fly from Serengeti to Nuuk, Greenland.

Why the Arctic Tundra

The Arctic Tundra is the most unique biome there is. It is so cold there that the ground is frozen, under the top soil. Most trees can’t grow here because the ground is permanently frozen. The Northern Lights are seen here and, many whales have made the Arctic Tundra their environment. The Arctic Tundra is also the youngest biome on Earth. It has only been here for about 10,000 years. Although it is very cold, there are many interesting, fun, once in a lifetime opportunities to encounter here.We chose to send you to the Arctic Tundra for this very reason. It isn’t every day that you get to see colorful, amazing sights in the sky, at night! In Nuuk, Greenland, you can! You will go whale watching, hiking, skiing, and river fishing! You can also go souvenir shopping and guided sightseeing. We want for you to experience unique adventures on this trip, and the Arctic Tundra is surely one of them.

Climate

Very cold place with strong winds and very little vegetation

Precipitation includes snow rain and hail It is winter most of the year. Average

temp. is -1.11°C The summer season lasts 6-10 weeks and can reach

10°C The sun shines all day long in the summer moths This biome is considered an extreme weather biome

Animals

Mountain Goat- This is not like most goats it is a mix of a goat and antelope. It eats grass, shrubs, and lichen. They are slow runners so they live on high ledges to stay away from predators.

Musk ox- This ox can weigh up to 700lbs and grow up to 7ft long. It uses its horns to kill and fight other males. These oxen eat crowberry, bearberry and willow.

Endangered animals

Leopard seal- They are endangered because of humans hunting them for their skin. This is a threat to most seals but especially the leopard seal because of its large size.

Caribou-They are endangered due to loss of their diet. Increased precipitation due to rising temperatures have caused the mosses which are an important part of their winter diet, to be buried in thick layers of snow. The availability of food in summer has also decreased, which threatens their existence.

How does the climate effect the wild life?

Animals have put on heavy coats to keep warm in the cold winter days

The musk ox has fur that grows to 24in.

Penguins huddle to stay warm Plants in the tundra have been

known to grow shorter to stay away from the strong winds

Pictures of Animals

Musk ox Mountain Goat

Leopard Seal

Caribou

Major plants

Lichen -type of fungus -usually green in color -grows in extreme weather like the

tundra Cotton grass -have slender grass like leaves -their seed heads are covered in

fluffy cotton

HistoryIn 1728, Nuuk Greenland was home to 12

families. And possibly even less after the Smallpox disease in 1736 decreased the already low population. Since then, the population has increased, and so has pollution, hunting, and global warming. Pollution increased from people drilling for oil and from construction on roads and buildings. The purpose for hunting has also increased in the tundra. People used to hunt for reasons such as food, clothing, and occasionally sport. Now, hunting is done less for survival and mostly for sport. Global warming is a theory that the increased use of electricity and pollution has cause the temperature to rise over time. These are negative impacts on the Greenland tundra over time.

You will stay in The Guardian hotel for 3 nights and 4 days.

Things to do in the Tundra Whale Watching Souvenir Shopping Hiking Skiing Guided Sightseeing River Fishing See the Northern Lights

Interesting Facts

It only has one 1 tree called a willow that grows to only 4inches tall

“Land of the midnight sun” (northern lights) Tundra is the youngest of all biomes Greenland is the most known Tundra Summer brings a burst of wild flowers Tundra is the coldest biome Tundra gets as much precipitation as the desert The ground is frozen under the top soil Only 48 land mammals are found on the tundra

The Total Cost for this trip is $2,987.71

Including food, activities, hotel, and flight

Bibliography

Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet, n.d. Web. 20 May 2013. <http://www.lonelyplanet.com/greenland/nuuk-town-godthab/history>.Born Free. Born Free Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 May 2013. <http://www.bornfree.org.uk/wild-crew/habitat-conservation/habitat/ arctic-tundra/>"Things to do." Greenland Be a Pioneer. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2013. <http://www.greenland.com/en/explore-greenland/capital-region/nuuk/things-to-do.aspx>http://blueplanetbiomes.org/tundra.htm