THE Tundra it is a biome which is located in the Northern Hemisphere, in the northernmost lands of the planet. It lies immediately south of the polar ice caps, above the Arctic Circle, although it can also occur in high altitude environments. We can then classify the tundra between arctic and alpine.
Winters in this environment are harsh and it's cold all year round. For this reason, the soil has a frozen layer and the characteristic vegetation is low-lying and small.. Animals such as foxes, polar bears, snow owls, reindeer and insects live on the Tundra.
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Main features of Tundra
Tundra Location
Tundra is a characteristic biome of extreme north of planet earth. Thus, it is located at high altitudes, above the parallel of 60º N, which demarcates the Arctic Circle. To the south of this domain is the Taiga or boreal forest (of conifers), while to the north are located the polar ice caps, which are nothing more than areas covered exclusively by ice. The characteristic coverage of the Tundra
it can also appear at high elevations, such as in alpine regions..The biome covers areas:
at Russia
at Scandinavia (especially in the Finland, Sweden and Norway)
in greenland
at the Canada
at the Alaska
Tundra climate
The climate in the areas of occurrence of the tundra is of the type FORhello. Average temperatures are around 0°C, which marks the absence of a warmer season and long periods of extreme cold, which can be intensified by great incidence of winds. The highs usually do not exceed 10 °C, while the lows can fall below -30 °C. In the alpine tundra, conditions are slightly milder than in the arctic.
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It is a predominantly dry climate, in which precipitation occurs mostly in the form of snow. The volumes are quite variable depending on the area considered, and there may be a incidence of strong storms from snow during the Winter, which makes it even more difficult for sunlight to reach the surface. Rains are not uncommon and tend to occur in the months when temperatures are at their highest.
Tundra Soil
In much of the tundra, notably in the lands further north, the soils meet frozen for a long period of time. This defines what we call a permafrostor pergelsol, which are soils made up of a frozen layer (below 0 ºC), in addition to sediments and rock.
are usually soils poors in nutrients and shallow, which affects the appearance of its vegetation. In lowered areas, the melting of the surface layer in the short, milder period can lead to formation of swamps and bogs that solidify again when there is a new fall in the temperatures. Melting also favors the development of vegetation.
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Tundra Vegetation
The characteristics previously listed for the tundra are directly associated with its vegetation cover, since the low temperatures, snow and frozen soils during most of the year are impediments to the development of vegetation large. Thus, the tundra is marked by the sparse coverage composed of shrubs that reach up to one meter in height, on average, and by vegetation pothole. There are no trees present in this biome.
Tundra flora
When compared to other terrestrial biomes, the tundra's floristic diversity is reduced. Predominate species of mosses and lichen in the higher areas, grasses, grasss and reeds, which are small flowering plants.
In specific environments, it is possible to observe the growth of willows and small conifers, these in elevated areas where there is greater soil development.
Tundra fauna
Like plant life, tundra animal life is restricted to those animals that have adaptations to extreme environments. Thus, the fauna of this biome is formed by:
insects varied
polar bears
snow owls
wolves and arctic foxes
lemmings (small rodents)
reindeer
arctic hares
ptarmigans (bird) and others
Types of Tundra
As we have emphasized so far, two types of Tundra can be identified:
arctic
alpine
The first extends to areas of high latitudes beyond the Arctic Circle, in the northernmost portion of the planet. The weather conditions found in it are extreme, considerably limiting the development of vegetation and animal life.
THE Talpine undra gets its name for settling in high altitude areas, usually on top of mountains, such as the Alps and the Himalayas. Soils are better developed compared to the first type, and it is also observed some plant species that do not occur in the Arctic tundra.
What are the differences between Taiga and Tundra?
Although both occur in the cold climates of the Northern Hemisphere, there are substantial differences between the tundra and the Taiga. While the first occurs closer to the polar ice caps, thus being much colder, the second is in an intermediate position between the temperate forest and the tundra, offering milder temperatures.
THE Tundra is marked by the absence of trees and the predominance of small vegetation, while the main feature of the Taiga and yours homogeneous vegetation and dense formed by the coniferous forest, such as spruce, pine and cedar. The second biome has a clear soil in which there may or may not be a frozen layer, which occurs in the coldest period of the year. In Tundra, in turn, the permafrost forms most of its substrate.
Read too: Consequences of anthropic actions on the environment
Tundra Summary
Tundra is a dry Polar climate biome located in the Northern Hemisphere, above the Arctic Circle. It also occurs at high elevations, such as in the Alps. It can therefore be divided into arctic and alpine.
Average temperatures are around 0°C, with maximums that rarely exceed 10°C. Precipitation is mainly in the form of snow.
Tundra's soil type is the permafrost, defined by having a frozen layer for a period of time greater than one year.
The vegetation cover is sparse and composed of undergrowth, such as mosses and lichens, and shrubs.
This biome is inhabited by wolves, foxes, polar bears, lemmings, snow owls, insects and some migratory birds.
solved exercises
Question 1 - (Unesp) Read the fragment of the novel Miss's orphanage Pilgrimage for quirky children, by Ranson Riggs, and review the map.
Despite the council's warnings and even threats, in the summer of 1908 my brothers and hundreds of other members from that renegade faction, all traitors, traveled to the Siberian Tundra to carry out their experiment hateful. They chose an old nameless crevice that had been unused for centuries.
(Miss's orphanage Pilgrimage for quirky children, 2015. Adapted.)
(IBGE. School geographic atlas, 2012. Adapted.)
The biome mentioned in the fragment is represented on the map by the number:
TO 1
B) 4
C) 2
D) 5
E) 3
Resolution
Alternative E. The fragment mentions the Tundra located in Siberia, which is in eastern Russia, more specifically in northeastern Russia. Asia, as represented on the map by the number 3.
Question 2 - (UEPB) In an article aired on May 27, 2005, with the title “Siberia, the icy inferno”, O Globo Reporter showed the life of nomadic reindeer herders, who “live and travel in houses on wheels, covered with skins”. This “genus of life” is also a way to preserve the fragile ecosystem, whose vegetation of lichen and mosses only grows in the short Arctic summer. It is, therefore, the domain:
A) of the deciduous forest.
B) of Taiga.
C) from the boreal forest.
D) of the Tundra.
E) from the steppe.
Resolution
Alternative D. The undergrowth of lichens and mugos in an extremely cold environment, located in the arctic, corresponds to the description of the landscape of the Tundra.
By Paloma Guitarrara
geography teacher
