Characteristics of tundra forest

For most of the year, the tundra biome is a cold, frozen landscape. This biome has a short growing season, followed by harsh conditions that the plants and animals in the region need special adaptations to survive. Tundra form in two distinct cold and dry regions.

The tundra is a treeless polar desert found in the high latitudes in the polar regions, primarily in Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland, Iceland, and Scandinavia, as well as sub-Antarctic islands.

Importance of the Tundra

The Tundra plays a large role in the temperature regulation of the planet. As warm air rises from the tropical zone it is cooled in the Tundra causing it to sink back down to the equator. This causes weather and air currents. the tundra is a key factor in global biodiversity.

One unique characteristic of the Arctic tundra is permafrost–ground that is permanently frozen. Because the permafrost has no breaks or pores, nothing can penetrate it–neither plant roots nor water. The surface layer above the permafrost thaws each summer. This layer is called the active layer.

On the tundra, human activity includes residential, recreational and industrial uses Many of the permanent residents of tundra regions are indigenous people, such as Alaska’s Aleut and Inuit tribes, and rely on subsistence hunting and gathering in order to survive.

‘ The extremely cold temperatures of the tundra, combined with the lack of precipitation makes for a rather barren landscape. But there are a number of plants and animals that still call this unforgiving ecosystem their home.

: a level or rolling treeless plain that is characteristic of arctic and subarctic regions, consists of black mucky soil with a permanently frozen subsoil, and has a dominant vegetation of mosses, lichens, herbs, and dwarf shrubs also : a similar region confined to mountainous areas above timberline.

Animals found in the Arctic tundra include herbivorous mammals (lemmings, voles, caribou, arctic hares, and squirrels), carnivorous mammals (arctic foxes, wolves, and polar bears), fish (cod, flatfish, salmon, and trout), insects (mosquitoes, flies, moths, grasshoppers, and blackflies), and birds (ravens, snow buntings

Living in the Tundra

Animals found in the tundra include the musk ox, the Arctic hare, the polar bear, the Arctic fox, the caribou, and the snowy owl.

Examples of Plants found in the Tundra:

Tundra means treeless, therefore most of the plants in the tundra are low growing plants. Arctic Moss, Arctic Willow, Caribou Moss, Labrador Tea, Arctic Poppy, Cotton Grass, Lichens and Moss.

Not many kinds of animals live year-round in the Arctic tundra. Animals need to find ways to stay warm and to provide nourishment for themselves in order to survive the long, cold, winter months. Animal adaptations. Migration and hibernation are examples of behavioral adaptations used by animals in the Arctic tundra.