Tundra Biome Types & Characteristics

The Tundra biome is a polar, cold, and frozen desert with extreme climatic conditions. The word Tundra came from “tunturi” a Finnish word meaning treeless plain. It will be difficult for plants and animals to survive here. Organisms in such ecosystems get their nutrients from dead organic matter. Biological nitrogen fixation helps get nitrogen and precipitation brings in phosphorous.

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Characteristics of Tundra Biome

Frost-covered landscapes are the characteristic of such a biome.
It is the coldest of all the biomes.
This region has low precipitation
The temperature is extremely low and has strong winds.
Shortage of water: Water in these areas is scarce and will not be available for longer periods.
The population size varies from time to time.
The growth and reproduction season of the plants and animals here is short.
This biome gets below 10 inches of annual precipitation.
The vegetation here lacks trees and thus the name.

Types of Tundra Biome

These are Alpine tundra and arctic tundra biomes.

Arctic Tundra

The Arctic tundra is in the northern hemisphere near the Arctic Pole. It is closer to Alaska, Greenland, Canada, Scandinavia, Iceland, and Russia. The species in this biome has a short growing season. There will be a low amount of precipitation.

Most importantly, the land here is more or less permanently frozen as it stays frozen for 6-10 months a year. The soil here is deeper soil which is known as permafrost. The plant life here includes lichen, grass, sedges, etc while trees are absent.

Alpine Tundra

On the other hand, alpine tundra is on the high mountains of the polar region. Its characteristic features are the fluctuating temperature, snow, strong winds, and a thin atmosphere.

Threats to Tundra Biome

Invasion of people and their activities such as drilling to extract oil and for research has become a major threat to this ecosystem. The changing climate has caused the thawing of the permafrost. This has released greenhouse gases that are gaslighting the global warming phenomenon.