TundraFound in parts of Canada, Alaska, and Siberia
Tundra –
“The Cold Desert”
• Found at latitudes around the North Pole
• Less than 25 cm precipitation yearly
• Very cold year round (-40ºC in winter)
• Cold, dry, treeless region
Tundra –“The Land of the Midnight Sun”
• Winter lasts 6 to 9 months (with partly no daylight)
• Summer is short and cold (with mostly 24 hours of sunlight a day)
Tundra-
• Soil is poor
• Permafrost
– Layer of permanently frozen soil
Plants of the Tundra
Tundra plants are resistant to drought and cold
Examples:
• Reindeer moss (a lichen!)
• Lichens
• True mosses
• Grasses
• Small shrubs and flowers
Plants of the TundraTundra plants are resistant to drought and cold.
AdaptationsTundra plants are small (usually less than 12 inches tall) and low-growing due to lack
of nutrients, because being close to the ground helps keep the plants from freezing, and
because the roots cannot penetrate the permafrost.
Plants are dark in color—some are even red—this helps them absorb solar heat.
Some plants are covered with hair which helps keep them warm.
Some plants grow in clumps to protect one another from the wind and cold.
Some plants have dish-like flowers that follow the sun, focusing more solar heat on the
center of the flower, helping the plant stay warm.http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/
Plants of the Tundra• Reindeer moss – It’s a lichen!
Plants of the Tundra• Lichens
Plants of the Tundra• Lichen
Plants of the Tundra
• True Mosses
Plants of the Tundra
• Small shrubs and flowers
Plants of the Tundra
• Small shrubs and flowers
Plants of the Tundra
• Small shrubs and flowers
Plants of the Tundra
• Grasses
Animals of the Tundra
Many animals of the tundra migrate there during the short summer
Examples:
• Biting insects
• Snowy owls
• Arctic hares
•Caribou•Musk oxen•Lemmings
Animals of the Tundra• Biting insects
Mosquito Blackfly
Animals of the Tundra• Snowy owl
Animals of the Tundra• Arctic hare
Animals of the Tundra• Caribou – “Reindeer”
Animals of the Tundra
• Musk oxen
Animals of the Tundra
• Lemmings
Animals of the Tundra
• Lemmings
Animals of the TundraADAPTATIONS
• Migration and hibernation are examples of behavioral adaptations.
• Many animals do not live year-round in the tundra. This means they leave or
migrate for a length of time to warmer climates.
• Hibernation is a combination of behavioral and physical adaptations.
• Thick fur and two layers of fur (one long and one short)
• Large size and short appendages are adaptations that help tundra animals
keep warm.
• shorter ears
• Tundra organisms use color to increase heat absorption or to hide from
predators.
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