Tundras

1. Tundras • Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. Tundra comes from the Finnish word tunturia, meaning treeless plain. • The two major nutrients are nitrogen and phosphorus.  • Nitrogen is created by biological fixation, and phosphorus is created by precipitation. • Tundra is separated into two types: Arctic Tundra and Alpine Tundra.

2. Arctic Tundra • Arctic tundra is located in the northern hemisphere, encircling the north pole and extending south  • When water saturates the upper surface, bogs and ponds may form, providing moisture for plants. • There are about …. (How many?) • 1,700 • kinds of plants (usually group together) in the arctic and subarctic, and these include: low shrubs, sedges, reindeer mosses, liverworts, and grasses • 400 varieties of flowers: crustoseand foliose lichen • Animals are adapted to handle long, cold winters and to breed and raise young quickly in the summer. They are good at storing fat to keep warm. • Hibernation

3. Alpine Tundra • Alpine tundra is located on mountains throughout the world at high altitude where trees cannot grow.  • The plants are very similar to those of the arctic ones and include: tussock grasses, dwarf trees, small-leafed shrubs, and heaths • Animals living in the alpine tundra are also well adapted: Mammals: pikas, marmots, mountain goats, sheep, elk Birds: grouselike birds Insects: springtails, beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies

4. QUIZ!! • In Bold = What is in the test for next week! • What does tunturia mean? • 2 types of tundra • How do animals adapt to these conditions • This Power point can be found under yr9 at www.mrschulz.weebly.com

5. Referencing Pullen, S Ballard, K , 2004, The Worlds Biomes, http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/tundra.html , cited July 23rd 2013