The Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. Tundra comes from the Finnish word Tunturia, which means barren land. The Tundra is basically like a desert. The main seasons are winter and summer while spring and fall are short seasons. The Tundra is a major carbon dioxide sink. It takes more carbon dioxide than it can release which contributes to global warming. It is the youngest biome.
There are two main types of tundra biomes: Arctic and Alpine Tundra.
Arctic Tundra has top layer of soil is permafrost, a layer of permanently frozen ground just below the surface. Seasons range from 50 to 60 days. There is barely any vegetation in the Tundra, only about 1700 species.
Alpine Tundra is not restricted to certain latitudes. It is not determined by temperature or rainfall gradations either. Instead, this biome can be found at any latitude on earth. It is only dependent on elevation.
Arctic Tundra is located in Antarctica, North Pole, Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and the United States.
Alpine Tundra are scattered in all regions throughout the world such as Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Baffin Island in North Eastern Canada, Northern Scandinavia and Northern regions of Russia and Siberia, Colorado Mountain and Pikes Peak in Colorado.
The Alpine Tundra is one of the coldest biomes in the world. It is so cold because of its high altitudes. Summer temperature range between -12 degrees Celsius to 10 degrees Celsius. The average precipitation is 30 centimeters per year.
Arctic Tundra plant life includes:
Cotton grass, dwarf heath, mosses, lichens, cushion plants, low shrubs, sedges, reindeer mosses, liverworts, and grasses.
Arctic Tundra animal life includes:
Polar bear, caribou, musk ox, wolf, wolverine, arctic fox, ermine, lemming, arctic hare, arctic ground squirrel, arctic tern, snow geese, whales, harp seal, and the walrus.
Alpine Tundra plant life includes:
Tussock grasses, dwarf trees, small-leafed shrubs, and heaths. Some animals in the alpine biome are mountain goats, sheep, elk, beetles, grasshoppers, and butterflies.
Alpine Tundra animal life includes:
Alpaca, Andean condor, chinchilla, llama, mountain goat, snow leopard, vicuna, and yak.
