THE TUNDRAAngela Duncan

Geography Located above the Arctic

Circle Stretches from northern

Scandinavia, across Russia, Siberia, Northern Alaska, and finally to Canada.

Hugs the northern most ring of the planet

Climate Generally cold and very dry Short summers

6 to 10 weeks long Never gets warmer than 50°F Cold winds continuously blow across

the landscape Average temperature is around -

30°F

Soils Topsoil composed mostly of humus

due to slow decomposition rates Layer of permafrost underneath Constant freezing and thawing of the

soil brings rocks to the surfacePolygonal pattern of stones on the

surface

Biology Vegetation: Lichens, Mosses, Grasses,

Herbaceous Plants, Small Shrubs

Land Animals: Grizzly Bears, Gray Wolves, Caribou, Oxen, Weasels, Lemmings, Arctic and Red Foxes, Moose

Sea Animals: Walruses, Orcas, Beluga Whales, Sea Lions

Birds: Snowy Owls, Golden Eagles, Bald Eagles, Arctic Geese, Puffins, Arctic Loons

Human Influence Used to be the only biomes

untainted by humankind Drilling for Oil Pesticides from nearby

civilization Chernobyl Disaster

1986 Ukraine Great explosion of the

power plant Massive amounts of

radiation released (cesium-137)

Covered the Norwegian tundra in the form of rainfall

Damage to the food chain

THE TUNDRA