The tundra is a biome located north of the Arctic Circle where the soil remains frozen except for the top few inches in summer. Summers are short, allowing only low-growing plants like mosses, lichens, grasses, sedges, and flowering herbs to survive. These plants have adapted to the harsh climate by having wide, shallow roots and growing close to the ground to withstand wind and absorb sunlight. When the top soil thaws, it creates boggy areas that provide breeding grounds for insects and habitat for birds.

2. LOCATION

3. TUNDRA
• TUNDRA IS A BIOME WITHOUT TREE, WHERE GRASSES AND TOUGH SHURBS
GROW IN THE FROZEN SOIL THAT CIRCLES THE EARTH NORTH OF ARCTIC
CIRCLE.
• SUMMERS ARE SHORT IN MUCH OF THE TUNDRA SO THAT ONLY THE TOP FEW
INCHES OF SOIL THAW. UNDERNEATH LIES THE PERMAFROST IS
IMPERMEABLE, THE TUNDRA BECOMES DOTTED WITH BOGS AND SWAMPS
WHEN THE TOP LAYER OF SOIL THAWS. IN SUMMER, THESE IDEAL BREEDING
GROUNDS FOR HUGE NUMBER OF SWARMING INSECTS SUCH AS MOSQUITOES
AND BLACKFLIES AND FOR THE MANY BIRDS THAT FEED ON THEM.

7. • LICHEN
• HARDY
GRASSES
• SEDGES
• RUSHES
• FLOWERING
HERBS
• HEATHERS

8. VEGETATION CHARACTERISTICS
• MOSSES AND LICHENS: CAN GROW WITHOUT SOIL, COVER ACRES OF ROCKS
IN SUMMER
• PLANTS: WHERE SOIL EXISTS, IT IS THIN, PLANTS HAVE WIDE, SHALLOW
ROOTS THAT ALSO ANCHOR THEM AGAINST STRONG WINDS. MOSS CAMPION &
GENTIAN, ARE TINY. HUGGING THE GROUND KEEP THEM OUT OF THE WIND
AND HELPS THEM ABSORB HEAT FROM SUNLIT GROUND. WOODY PLANTS &
PERENNIALS SUCH AS WILLOW & JUNIPER ADAPTED DWARF FORMS,
GROWING FLAT OR TRAILING ALONG THE GROUND.

9. TUNDRA- SUMMARY
LOCATION
• LATITUDES 660 OR ABOVE
• ONLY EXIST IN NORTHERN
HEMISPHERE
• SAME TRYPE OF CLIMATE COULD
BE OBSERVED ON HIGH
ELEVATIONS SUCH AS HIMALYAS
CLIMATE
• AVERAGE SUMMER
TEMPERATURE BELOW100C
• WINTERS AVERAGE BELOW
300C
• ANNUAL PRECIPITATION UNDER
300mm
• PRECIPITATION IN THE FORM OF
SNOW
• STRONG WINDS
VEGETATION
• COLD CLIMATE RESTRICTS
VEGETATION GROWTH
• TREE LESS BIOME
• LESS THAN 3 MONTHS OF
GROWING SEASON,
• 30-60 DAYS PLANT LIFE CYCLES

10. REFERENCES
• ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT BY JOHNPALLISTER
• ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE BY KAREN ARMS
• BBC.CO.UK
• PICTORIAL AIDS: FROM GOOGLE IMAGES