Transcript Document
The tundra ground can only support hardy, low growing plants, such as mosses, heaths and lichens giving it a greenish brown appearance. The lack of soil in a tundra region may be due to erosion from wind and ice. During the Ice Ages more than 10,000 years ago, glaciers scraped any soil leaving only bare rock. Less than 18 inches of soil thaws during the summer. Ice forms : Pingo: is a small circular or Located in Northern oval hill formed when a pool Pingos, hammocks or Europe, Siberia, of water under the ground hummocks, and polygons. Northern most part freezes and pushes the soil up of North America, and out. and a few places in Hammock: is when large the southern blocks of ice meet and one hemisphere. goes over the top of the other Plains and they meltare and low, the ground located about 1,000 is uneven. feet above sea level. Tundra Polygon: are cracks in the ground that take on geometric shape. Seasonal frost heaves Hairy stems help to keep some disrupts root systems plants warm. preventing support for tall Plants do not come alive until vegetation. the summer when conditions Plants are small. are just right for growth. They are near to the ground to avoid the strong The growing season is short and can last up to 60 days. wind and cold temperatures. Common plant colors are Examples of vegetations yellow, orange and red, this are lichen and dwarf helps the plants absorb more willow. heat from the sun. The soil in the Artic has two layers, the active layer and the inactive layer. The active layer Ranges from ten inches to 3 feet. About 15% of it is well drained. The inactive layer Commonly called the permafrost layer. Stays frozen all year. Made of gravel, bedrock, clay or silt. Prevents the water captured in the active layer from draining. Poor in nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. The above pictures are the Aurora Borealis, more commonly known as the “Northern Lights”. It occurs when energy enters the earth’s atmosphere and creates flashes of light. The next picture is a ray traced JPG image of N. Lights. It is the coldest and driest of all the biomes on Earth. In the winter the temperature can reach –50 degrees F. The average temperature in the summer is 30-60 degrees F. The precipitation is less than 10 inches per year. There is very little evaporation, which results in moisture being absorbed into the ground, called permafrost. Average Artic temperature in the summer is 30-60 degrees F. The strong winds can cause “white outs”, which can last for days. Primary Producer Plants Primary Consumers Lemmings Secondary Consumers Predator Artic Fox, Wolves gryfalcons Snowy Owls Animals adapt to snowy conditions by hibernating, such as the artic ground squirrel. This means that they remain in a motionless state, with reduced body function and a lowered body temperature that may be close to freezing. Animals raise their young quickly in the short summer due to the cold winters. Their fur has two layers. One is long and black protective hair on the outside. Soft warm underfur (which they shed in the summer) called the qiviut. Fur can reach lengths of one meter long! Herbivore (belongs to the deer family. Eat grass, lichen, and low shrubs. Stands 1.9-2.3 m, their tails 9-10 cm. Migratory Spends their summers in the Artic & their winters in the forest at the tundra’s edge. Some travel over 1200 miles each year. Fur Winter coat is long and thick which protects them from freezing. Hooves Wide & flat to allow them easier access Slide Show of the Artic The following is a slide show of the tundra’s landscape, animals and plants. So…How does the climate effect the animals and the plants?? I need some volunteers!