The youngest biome on earth is the tundra. The tundra is a biome formed about 10,000 years ago and covers twenty percent of the earth’s surface. It is located in the Arctic Circle, Antarctica, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia, Siberia, and Russia. The tundra covers about three million square miles. The average temperature is -18 degrees Fahrenheit, the low is -94 degrees Fahrenheit, and the high is at 54 degrees Fahrenheit. There is only six to ten inches of precipitation per year with most of it being snow. Underneath the surface of the tundra lays a layers of permafrost. The permafrost prevents plants from growing to large sizes since the layer of frozen ground prevents their roots from growing to be bigger. The tundra is host to many …show more content…
The lemming is an example of a species from the tundra that has adapted to survive there. Lemmings are small mouse like rodents with reddish brown coats. There is an untrue myth that lemmings will jump off cliffs committing mass suicide to prevent overpopulation. People have this confused with when lemmings will herd together and cross rivers and lakes at the same time with some of population not making it across and dying in the waters. Another adaptation lemmings have are that they will resort to cannibalism when food is scarce throughout the winter months. Lemmings will also grow longer claws in the winter to be able to dig in snow that is packed tightly. During the winter lemmings are sometimes also able to change the color of their coats from reddish brown to snowy white to blend in to their surroundings from their predators. Like other organisms lemmings have changed their behaviors and have characteristics to live in the …show more content…
Lemmings, the arctic bumblebee, and the Labrador tea-plant are all examples of organisms that live in the tundra. They have all had to adapt to continue their species. However, the cold temperatures are not the only unforgiving things in the tundra. Over hunting in the tundra is leading to many species and organisms becoming endangered. Because there is permafrost in the ground of the tundra global warming will reach its tipping point. Once the permafrost melts in the tundra it will release methane gas speeding up the global warming process exponentially. The thawed permafrost also allows for nonnative plants to grow in the tundra. Although, the tundra is the second most deadly environment on earth it holds the most vital place in global
The muskox can survive in the tundra due to its large coat of rough hair on its body. It lives in the tundra to find what it needs to stay sustained such as roots, mosses and lichens.Next the Arctic Hare survives in the tundra because it has shortened ears and limbs, a wad small nose, fat that makes up 20% of its body, and a thick coat of fur. It live in the Tundra because that is its place of origin.Third the Polar Bear survives in the tundra because it has a big fur coat over a thick warm coat of fat. It stays in the arctic or tundra due to those locations have the food source they need to survive.Fourth the Arctic fox survives in the Tundra because the furry soles, short ears and short muzzle which are good for chilly climates. They stay
The Earth's rise in temperature is melting ice in its colder regions. Many animals who live in the Arctic Circle, the lands surrounding
The tundra is one of the cooldest land biomes on the planet. Due to the high winds and the permafrost there are no trees becuase it dosent allow the growth of deep roots. All the producers and othe need to get adapted to the cold temperatures, little sun and short growing season to stay alive. The tundra is considered a poor enviroment thats low in resources. The dead minerals get recycled by othe decomposers like the slime molds, fungi, and bacteria. Rain increases photosynthesis and decomposition. Air pollution kills lichen in the cold tundra. The warmer climates allow trees to invade the shade out the small tundra plants. And warmer temperatures can increase decompositon, while releasing more CO2 into the air causing mor global
The tundra has a specific climate. The temperature is about -50 to -10 degrees fortnight. That pretty cold! The cold climate brings in snow all year round. During the summer, temperature can rise and last up to six weeks, most of the snow will melt.
The arctic Tundra is normally around 10 to 29 degrees fahrenheit. Rainfall may vary in different regions of the arctic. Yearly precipitation, including melting snow, is 6 to 10 inches. Soil is formed slowly. The biggest threat to the Tundra is global warming. Many scientists believe global warming caused by greenhouse gases may eliminate Arctic regions, including the tundras there, forever. Another concern is that about one third of the worlds soil-bound carbon is in the tundra permafrost. Cutting greenhouse gas emissions by switching to alternative energy uses is key to protecting Earth's tundra habitats. The Tundra is located at the top of the earth by the North Pole. Switch to alternative energy
The Beringia Upland Tundra is split into three separate parts in Alaska. The two major parts consist of the upland and mountainous areas from the Seward Peninsula, and the other has Kilbuck and Ahklun mountain ranges. These parts of land are very similar in vegetation and land makeup (Hagenstein). Summer temperatures range from 40 degrees fahrenheit to 60 degrees fahrenheit. The land is a treeless, flat area with mountain ranges. The climate In the Beringia Upland Tundra is -20 fahrenheit to 5 degrees farenheit in the winter. In the summer, the climate is usually around 30 degrees fahrenheit to 40 degrees fahrenheit (Ricketts). Climate change has affected the animals, permafrost, and sea ice of the Beringia Upland Tundra.
This tundra region spans an area of 26 million hectares. Around 24.2% of the land is covered by slow-growing forest. The remaining area is dominated by bogs, fens, and thousands of small lakes and ponds. Two-thirds of the area in this region is covered by muskeg, a type of acidic soil.
The biggest threat to the tundra is from oil and gas development that results in global warming. As the planet warms the permafrost melts and tundra ecosystems will collapse. Another, threat comes from airborne pollutants, which have brought measurable levels of pollutants such as DDT and PCB's to even remote areas because it is a great technical challenge to effect efficient sewage treatment in a cold environment. Lastly, the overpopulation of Canadian geese pose a threat to the tundra because the balance of the biome will be offset.
Each day in the United States, there is some type of event that illustrates prejudice and discrimination. This is not a good thing for our country and needs to be put to an end. In Huntsville, Alabama there are several things that have happened over the past year that involve discrimination. Two main stories that come to mind are an Indian grandfather who was attacked by a Madison City police officer and the Department of Justice rezoning the Huntsville City schools.
It contains an expanse of tundra with many marshes and lagoons with rivers situated between foothills of the Brooks Range and the wide, icy waters of the Beaufort Sea. Environmentalists said that this area “is the most biologically productive part of the Arctic Refuge for wildlife and is the center if wildlife activity.” The importance of these resources is not measurable. The Arctic is home to such animals as caribou, polar bears, grizzly bears, musk oxen, whales, wolves and snow geese. This area is full of wildflowers and contains water of excellent, unpolluted quality and quantity. The Arctic Ocean costal plain is an area critical to the survival of many birds and mammals (‘Alaska Wild’).
The tundra, which comes from the Finnish word, tunturi, which means treeless, is the coldest terrestrial biome known to biologists (University of California Museum of Paleontology). Located in the northern hemisphere, between 55° and 70° North, the Tundra covers about 20% of Earth’s surface (S). Although tundras can be found in many of the continents, most notably, the Northern Alaska, Canada and Greenland Tundra and the Scandinavian Montane Birch forest and grasslands stand out the most (Gardella). They are all large tourists attractions disply nature’s ability to thrive in the harshest environments. Winters in the tundra have an average temperature of -30° F, due to its high altitude. However, the average temperatures in the tundra during
Environmental changes due to our climate warming is causing terrible effects on the Marten population in the northern reaches of Wisconsin. What climate change is doing to the habit in which the Marten is living in is changing the amount of snowfall the regions in which the Martens are living in are acquiring. Looking at figure 3 you can see that the total snowfall in the two regions where Martens were reintroduced showed significantly less snowfall accumulation in present day compared to the 1980’s. This is extremely important to note because this change in snowfall can deteriorate the critical zone called the subnivium. The subnivium is the seasonal microenvironment underneath the snow (Pauli et al., 2013). This is a small zone where plants and small mammals thrive during the winter. It should be stated that the subnivium insulates the ground creating a pocket of warmth that allows these organisms to survive the harsh Wisconsin winters. The way a subnivium is formed is based on snow duration, density and depth (Pauli et al., 2013). But this is where climate change comes into play. It is causing snowfall to decrease, the time snow is present is decreased and the density of the snow is lower (Pauli et al., 2013). Having these three factor decline is getting rid of the refuge of the subnivium and killing organisms that thrive there. One such organism is the American Marten. These mammals are small enough to crawl down tree trunks where the snow is melted to gain access to the subnivium. This is where the Marten hunts mice and other small mammals to its heart's content. But with the loss of the subnivium Martens can’t hunt in their little paradise. They will have to find other places to hunt and find prey to satisfy their caloric needs. This is where the Fisher has the advantage, since they are too large to access the subnivium. The Fisher
In the northern part of the earth and the upper slopes of all mountains all over the world, a unique biome called tundra exists. Tundra is one of the coldest and harshest biomes of the world. The winters are long and cold, and the summers are short and cool. Tundra is far from the equator; therefore, Tundra soil is generally poor in nutrients. Since the biome is covered in snow throughout the year, the arctic tundra doesn’t seem like a place where plants and animals can survive. Yet, plants and animals are able to survive, thanks to their special adaptations. In fact, it isn’t the freezing temperature that they fear; it is us, human. Today, tundra faces lots of threats and problems because of human. One of the major problem is Global
Animals of the tundra have had to adapt to the long cold winters and to having to raise their young quickly in the summer. Some other adaptations of animals include thick insulating cover of feathers or fur; large, compact bodies; pelage and plumage that turns white in the winter and brown in the summer; the ability to accumulate thick deposits of fat during the short growing season; hibernation; and migration. Some of the animals that are found living in the tundra are lemmings, voles, caribou, artic hares, squirrels, artic foxes, wolves, polar bear, ravens, snow buntings, falcons, loons, ravens, sandpipers, terns, snow birds, mosquitoes, flies, moths, grasshoppers, black flies, artic bumble bees, cod, flatfish, salmon, and trout. Some of these animals are shared with other neighboring biomes but some are only home to the tundra. The tundra is the simplest biome in terms of species composition and food chain. The neighboring biome of the tundra is the boreal forest (taiga).
I chose the song Tundra by Ola GJeilo because of its unique sound. The song sounds like no other song, and it is very original in my perspective. The song is performed beautifully by this choir, and it has a lot of potential. This song is a short, yet sweet piece that shows the beauty of Norway. This song exemplifies how poetry can be turned into music.