The tundra biome is a cold, windy region where tree growth is limited by low temperatures and short growing seasons. It is located near the Arctic and Antarctic circles, and on high altitude mountains worldwide. Plants and animals in the tundra have adaptations like thick fur, camouflage coloring, and compact bodies to withstand the harsh climate. The food web is delicate, with humans as top predators who can disrupt the balance by overhunting. The tundra ecosystem now faces threats from climate change like melting permafrost and pollution.

1. TUNDRA BIOME
Submitted to:
Ar. Meenakshi Singh
Ar. Suman Sharma
Submitted by:
Aakanksha Puranik
B.Arch VII Sem
ECOLOGY
AND
ENVIRONMENT
FOR: SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, IPS ACADEMY, INDORE (M.P.)

2. BIOMES
 The earth has many different environments, varying in temperature, moisture, light,
and many other factors.
 Each of these habitats has distinct life forms living in it, forming complex
communities of interdependent organisms.
 A complex community of plants and animals in a region and a climate is called
a Biome.
 A biome is a large geographical area of distinctive plant and animal groups, which
are adapted to that particular environment.
 Scientists have developed the term “Biome” to describe areas on the earth with
similar climate, plants, and animals.
 Plants and animals that live in a specific biome share similar characteristics with
other plants and animals in that biome throughout the world.

3. Classification of biomes are:
 Terrestrial (land) biomes
Tundra, Deserts, Grasslands, Taiga, Temperate Forests, and Rainforests
 Aquatic biomes (including freshwater biomes and marine biomes)
Factor determining the distribution of terrestrial biomes:
Climate
 Latitude:
Arctic, boreal, temperate, subtropical, tropical
 Humidity:
Humid, semi humid, semiarid and arid
 Elevation:
Increasing elevation causes a distribution of habitat types similar to that of
increasing latitude.

4. MAP SHOWING DIFFERENT BIOMES

5. TUNDRA: Dry, Cold, and Windy
 Tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short
growing seasons. About 1/5 of the Earth is tundra.
 Coldest of all the biomes.
Temperature -40°C to 18°C
Precipitation 150 to 250 mm of rain per year
 The word comes from a Finnish word and means ‘treeless plain.’
 Location: Near the North Pole, between 60° and 75° latitude, mostly around the
Arctic coast of North America and Eurasia.
 Soils: geologically young, formed in the last ice age.
Nutrient poor.
Under the soil the earth is frozen and
never melts.
 There are three types of tundra:
Arctic tundra
Alpine tundra
Antarctic tundra

6. Arctic
 Location
Northern hemisphere, around the north pole, stretching south to the taiga.
 Climate
The summer growing season lasts about 50 to 60 days.
Winter temperatures average -34° C , but the summer temperatures average 3-12°
C, which is warm enough for plants and animals to reproduce and grow.
Average yearly rain and snow is 15 cm to 25 cm.
 Plants
low-growing, low shrubs, sedges, mosses, liverworts, and grasses
400 varieties of flowers
lichens
 Animals
Herbivorous mammals : lemmings, voles, caribou, arctic hares and squirrels
Carnivorous mammals: arctic foxes, wolves, and polar bears
Migratory birds : ravens, falcons, loons, sandpipers, terns and snow birds
Insects : mosquitoes, flies, moths, grasshoppers, black flies and arctic bumble bees

7. Antarctic
 Location
Antarctica and on several Antarctic and sub Antarctic islands, including South
Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and the Kerguelen Islands.
 Climate
Most of Antarctica is too cold and dry to support vegetation, and most of the
continent is covered by ice fields.
Some portions of the continent have areas of rocky soil that support plant life.
 Plants and animals
The flora presently consists of around 300–400 lichens, 100 mosses, 25 liverworts,
and around 700 terrestrial and aquatic algae species, which live on the areas of
exposed rock and soil around the shore of the continent.
Antarctica's two flowering plant species,
the Antarctic hair grass (Deschampsia Antarctica) and Antarctic
pearlwort (Colobanthus quitensis),
are found on the northern and western parts of the Antarctic Peninsula

8. Alpine
 Location
Alpine tundra is found on mountain tops all over the world, at the high altitudes
where trees cannot grow.
 Climate
The growing season is approximately 180 days.
Night temperatures are below freezing.
The soil in the alpine tundra is well drained so bogs and ponds do not form.
 Plants
The plants are similar to those in the arctic tundra and include tussock grasses,
dwarf trees and small-leafed shrubs.
 Animals
Mammals: pikas, marmots, mountain goats, elk
Insects: beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies
Birds : grouse (chicken like bird in northern hemisphere)

9. Flora Adaptations
 Adapted their life cycles to be completed in a single summer season.
 Some grow very low to the ground to protect from frost damage.
 Some grow horizontally and send up many branches to keep away from drying
winds and still absorb as much sunlight as possible.
 They group together to resist cold temperatures and be protected form the snow.
 Many of them develop thick, leathery or waxy leaves that prevent moisture loss.
 Some grow hairs along the stems, leaves, and flowers to hold heat and protect
against the wind.
 The vegetation is composed of:
dwarf shrubs
grasses
mosses
lichens

10. LichenCotton Plants Caribou Moss
Labrador Tea Artic Willow Bearberry

11.  The most common adaption is a thick layer of fur or feathers to hold the heat close
to their bodies.
 Some of the animals fur turns white during the winter to hide in the snow and
protect them from predators.
 Many large animals have compact body shapes that help them retain more heat
than if their bodies were long and thin.
 Many animals avoid the cold by migrating and some animals build up a layer of fat
over the summer, which provide energy and food while also keeping them warm
during the harsh winters.
 Some may burrow into the snow to avoid harsh, frigid temperatures and winds.
 Main animals found : Arctic Fox, Caribou, Ermine, Grizzly Bear, Harlequin Duck,
Musk Ox, Polar Bear, Snowy Owl.
Fauna Adaptations

12. Snowy Owl Artic Hare Musk Ox
Artic / White fox Grizzly Bear Ermine

13. FOOD WEB IN THE TUNDRA BIOME
Tundra Food Web
is something that is so
beautifully well- woven
that it strikes a wonderful
balance in Nature if man
does not interfere.
Man is the top carnivore in
the Tundra Food Web, as he
kills all the animals and
birds for food or for fur.
Decomposers:
Bacteria and Fungi

14. Threats on Tundra
 The melting of the permafrost as a result of global warming could radically change
the landscape and what species are able to live there.
 Ozone depletion at the North and South Poles (stronger ultraviolet rays).
 Air pollution can cause smog clouds that contaminate lichen, a significant food
source for many animals.
 Exploration of oil, gas, and minerals and construction of pipelines and roads can
cause physical disturbances and habitat fragmentation.
 Oil spills can kill wildlife and significantly damage tundra ecosystems.
 Buildings and roads put heat and pressure on the permafrost, causing it to melt.
Solutions
 Switch to alternative energy uses to minimize human-made global warming.
 Establish protected areas and park reserves to restrict human influence.
 Limit road construction, mining activities, and the building of pipelines in tundra
habitat.
 Limit tourism and respect local cultures.

15. en.wikipedia.org
environment.nationalgeographic.co.in
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
Sources