THE TUNDRA Arctic and Alpine

1. THE TUNDRAArctic and Alpine By Ryanne Mora

2. What is Tundra? • Comes from the Finnish word meaning barren or treeless land • Extreme cold temperatures and frozen, treeless landscapes • characterize the tundra biome • Considered the be coldest of all the biomes • There are two types: Arctic Alpine

3. Geographical Information The arctic tundra is at the top of the world around the North Pole. While alpine tundra is at the tops of cold mountains.

4. Geographical information- Arctic Tundra • Lies between the North Pole and taiga or coniferous forests • The youngest biome in the world • In North America, it occurs in Greenland and North Alaska • In Europe, it is found in Scandinavia • In Asia, it is found in Siberia

5. Geographical information – Alpine Tundra • Can be found at very high frozen mountain regions • In North America, it is found in Mexico, U.S.A., and Alaska • In South America, can be found in Andes Mountains • In northern Europe, can be found in Sweden, Russia, • Norway, and Finland • In Asia, found in Himalayan Mountains and Mt. Fuji • In Africa, can be found in Mt. Kilimanjaro

6. Climate of the Arctic Tundra • Very windy blowing at 30-60 miles/hr • Growing season ranges from 60 to 90 days • Average winter temperature is -30ºF • Average summer temperature s is 37-54ºF • Yearly precipitation including snow is 15 to 25 cm • Permafrost exists – a layer of permanently frozen subsoil Permafrost polygons melting away

7. Climate of the Alpine Tundra • The growing season is 180 days • Nighttime temperature is below freezing • Soil is well-drained • Temperate and tropical regions exist only at high elevations

8. Plants • Arctic • Plants that survive are resilient and roots are close to the surface • consists of shrubbery, lichen, moss, and flowers. Moss

9. Arctic Tundra Plants Rock Willow • Rock willow likes cold climates, which makes the tundra a perfect place for it. Bearberry • Is a very useful plant. All parts of it can be used in some way. The fruit can be eaten and cooked with other foods.

10. Arctic Tundra Plants Caribou Moss • Grows in arctic and northern regions around the world. • It can survive for long periods of time without water.

11. Alpine Tundra Plants • Because trees cannot grow at high altitudes most of the alpine tundra plants • consist of shrubbery and small leafy plants Alpine Phacelia

12. Alpine Tundra Plants Wild Potatoes • These Potatoes can have four different colored skins, reddish-brown, brown, white or pink. It can be cultivated and eaten. Pygmy Bitteroot • Is a low growing perennial with long, skinny, fat leaves that are about 4 inches long.

13. Arctic Animals Arctic Fox Caribou Grizzly bear

14. Arctic Animals Snowy owl Ermine

15. Alpine Animals Vicuña Snow leopard Alpaca

16. Alpine Animals Chinchilla Mountain goat

17. Summary Characteristics of Tundra • Extremely cold climate • Low biotic diversity • Simple vegetation structure • Limitation of drainage • Short season of growth and reproduction • Large population oscillations

18. Conclusion Arctic tundra Alpine tundra • Is not a useless and cold wasteland • Its nature makes the environment very fragile • Many plants and animals have made their home • incredibly to its short summer and cold, long winters