Location
Tundra biomes are most commonly found in the Northern hemisphere. Tundra covers approximately 20% of the Earth, situated at latitudes 55° to 70° North.
Tundra biomes appear in cold areas, and tundra are usually barren treeless places. Specific tundra areas are the Arctic, Antarctica, areas in Northern Canada, Greenland, and areas in Northern Russia.
Climate
Tundra is the coldest and driest biome in the world. In the winter -50˚ F and in the summer it rarely reaches over 50˚ F, just enough to thaw the surface. It hardly ever rains, and the rainfall can be about 10” every year. It is usually very cloudy, and so the tundra is not exposed to much sunlight.
CaribouScientific Name: Rangifer TarandusCommonly Called: Caribou, Reindeer.
Caribous are sturdy animals with short legs and unlike the deer species, both male and female
Caribous have antlers. Average adults weigh
up to 350-400 pounds, but even 700 lb is possible.
Caribous live in
Mountain
tundras, Arctic
tundras, and
some areas in
Northern
Russia and
Scandinavia.
They have adapted to the tundra very easily, as the way their body structures assist them in
cold climates and conditions. Their thick hooves give them support when walking on the snow, and they are great swimmer; they use
their legs as paddles. They are able to change their metabolic rate and descend into a semi-hibernation when they wish to.
Snowy OwlSnowy Owls are
regarded as one of
the most elegant,
beautiful, and strong
members of the owl
family. It got it’s
name from it’s
astonishingly white
feathers.
Different genders have different markings. Males are usually pure white all round, while females and some gray-brown lines on their wings.
These owls can
weigh up to 4-6
pounds, and
measure up to
21-26 inches in
length.
Snowy owls are one of the top predators. They feed on arctic foxes, lemmings, ermines, and voles.
ErmineScientific Name: Mustela ErmineaCommonly Called: Short tailed weasel, Stout, Royskatt
Ermines live in Northern Biomes,
like taigas or tundras. They are well adapted to
harsh conditions.
They can weigh between 3-15 ounces. Their height ranges
from 7-13 inches, and their tail grows 5 inches. Males are
longer than females.
Ermines are
carnivores. They
have 34 very sharp
teeth. Because of
these, they can eat
animals larger than
themselves. They
eat rabbits, insects,
rodents. In different
habitats they eat
birds, small
mammals, and
some amphibians.
Ermines are prey
to snowy owls,
lynx, hawks,
arctic foxes, and
other larger
mammals and
birds of prey.
Their coats change color with the
changing season to camouflage. During winters, their coats are white, like
snow, and during summers, they
have a new brown coat to match with
the new environment.
Ermines reproduce once a year. They can
have 3 – 13 babies each mating season. The
mothers are the sole responsibility for
raising the young.
BearberriesBearberries have adapted well by growing fairly low to avoid wind chills. They are used to low sunlight and use very little energy compared to plants in the rainforest.
Bearberries are a low
growing evergreen. The
stem grows to about 2-
8” off the ground and is
blanketed with thick bark
and minute silky hairs.
The stem has many oval-
shaped leaves that grow
approximately 1” long.
The flowers have five
pale pink or white petals.
They bloom during
March and June. The fruit
is a small red berry that
is about 3/8”.
Bearberries are named after the liking that bears have for these fruits.
Arctic Moss Arctic Poppy
This moss does not need that much sunlight to survive. The Calliergon giganteum (arctic
moss) is an underwater plant that lives in bogs and damp areas. It is a bryophyte, and has tiny rootlets instead of roots. The leaves are
about one cell thick.
Amazingly, the barren tundra land has produced amazing yellow
flowers. This is an arctic poppy, and over the yeas of living in the tundra it has learned to adapt well. It can bloom for a short period of time in
the summer.
Factors of TundraAbiotic Biotic
• Temperature: -50˚ F to 50˚ F• Rainfall• Mineral composition • Season • Altitude • Cloud coverage• Angle of sunlight• Wind (strong in the tundra)• Permafrost (only top layer of soil thaws in summer; so trees cannot grow)• Rocks
• Plants like Arctic Mosses, bearberries, willows, etc.
• Animals in the tundra include Arctic Foxes, polar bears, lemmings, ermines, snowy owls, caribous, voles.
Resources
• Some resources include mining. There is a lot of mining in the tundra, and substances like coal and gold are found. The tundra is very rich in mineral resources.
• Oil drilling is very popular. The Tundra is full of oil, and oil drilling is done in the tundra a lot.
Benefits Limitations
Science has located where the oil and mining areas are, so as to find them quicker. Also, if they didn’t have science and just tried mining or drilling in random areas, a lot of the tundra would have been destroyed by now.
Unfortunately, science still doesn’t know how to restore the tundra areas once they have destroyed it. Many of the tundras are getting ruined and polluted, and science doesn’t know how to solve this problem.
How has Science Helped?
• Major human activities include oil drilling. When we drill for oil, we destroy the surrounding environment. Many plant life and animals are also killed, and habitats are ruined. This also effects the food chain.
• When mining, acids and other forms of pollution are wasted, and that also pollutes the surrounding environment. It pollutes the air considerably, as well as the land. The noise drives animals away from their habitats, and population decrease.
Affect of Human Activity
ENVIRONMENT
As mentioned before, when mining and oil drilling, there is tons of pollution. Dusts and toxic gases are released that cause air pollution. These dusts also settle on neighboring lakes, ponds, (there aren’t many) and this makes in inhabitable for fish, plants, and other water creatures. It also produces loud noises, which drive animals away from their homes. They do not have a habitat, and some die. In addition, when one animal is killed, the whole food chain is affected. One of the greatest threats are oil spillage. This can damage tundra to a great extent.
MONEY
When the oil is drilled, and the minerals are mined, they are sold and a lot of money is made. In addition, while working for the oil/minerals, workers are needed. This causes for people to be employed, and get paid. In conclusion, by drilling oil and mining, a lot of money is made for a variety of people.
SOCIAL (PEOPLE)
The oil drilled is used in many various ways, for cooking, cars, and without it the world would be really different. Minerals mined are also used for medicine, and this helps people’s health. A lot of cures have been made.
Interactions
BiblioGraphyPICTURES• http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YZK1E_LNzfA/TATKBQxkH5I/AAAAAAAABB0/0nLf9YkQ0s4/s1600/Tundra.JPG
• http://www.petersonspointlake.com/photography/tundra_scape01.jpg
• http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/data/media/17/tundra-damage_4357.jpg
• http://www.ri.net/schools/West_Warwick/manateeproject/Tundra/images/Tundra%20yellow%20flower.jpg
• http://ths.sps.lane.edu/biomes/Images/flower.jpg
• http://edu.glogster.com/media/4/18/28/65/18286549.jpg
• http://www.animalstown.com/animals/e/ermine/coloring-pages/ermine-coloring-page-1-s.jpg
• http://www.clipartreview.com/_gallery/_TN/r_213.gif
• http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hGIzWPci30k/SmZcsbEYUpI/AAAAAAAAALA/b4ipUrYNYG0/s400/lemming.png
• http://www.picturesof.net/_images/Bushy_Arctic_Fox_Royalty_Free_Clipart_Picture_090121-131413-864048.jpg
• http://www.justanimal.org/images/caribou-2.jpg
• http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/birds/snowyowl.jpg
BiblioGraphyINFORMATION
• http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/text/impact/impact.tundra.environment.oil.html
• http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/tundra.html
• http://www.ehow.com/info_8005700_yellow-tundra-flower.html
• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/tundra.htm - Plants, Animals, Climate
• http://www.arkive.org/arctic-poppy/papaver-laestadianum/
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