Presentación del paisaje tundra

1. Morgan Roger ▪ Kenzi Abou-Sabe
Lindsey Kim ▪ Chris Frezza ▪ Lani Mohan

2.  There are two types of tundra: arctic and
alpine.
◦ Arctic tundra are located in the northern
hemisphere.
◦ Alpine tundra are found at tops of mountains above
tree line (where trees can’t grow).

3. Arctic Tundra
Western Andreafsky Wilderness, Alaska
Alpine Tundra
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

4.  Arctic
◦ Average winter temperature of -4ºF to -22ºF.
◦ Average summer temperature of 20ºF to 60ºF.
◦ Little precipitation, usually less than 10 inches.
 Alpine
◦ More moderate temperature, but changes
depending on latitude and altitude.
◦ Rarely drops below 0ºF during the winter.
◦ Average summer temperature of 50ºF.
◦ Receives more rain than arctic tundra, but the
water runs rapidly off the mountains.

5. Arctic Tundra Alpine Tundra

6.  Arctic
◦ Surface/Active Layer
 Freezes in winter and thaws when warmer.
 Depth of 10 inches to 3 feet.
 Doesn’t retain water well, so when snow melts, the soil
is soggy.
◦ Lower/Inactive Layer
 Permafrost which remains frozen at all times.
 Depth of 300 to 2000 feet.
 Made of gravel, bedrock, clay, or silt.
◦ Poor in nutrients, which affects vegetation.

7.  Vegetation in the
tundra is comprised
of patches of sedges,
mosses, grasses and
lichens that grow
between bare rock
and pools
 Species include:
Heather Family
Plants, conventional
Mosses and Lichens,
Marsh Grass, and
Cotton Grass
 Nearly all tundra
plants are perennials

9.  Few woody plants, exceptions are: Dwarf Birch,
Dwarf Willow, Alpine Bearberry, and conventional
shrubs like Bilberry and Crowberry
 Tundra plants are low-growing to survive strong,
winter snow-blasting
 On rocks: lichens grow atop the rock, while
mosses/algae/fungi grow in the rock’s crevices
 On ground, grasses grow on drier areas, whereas
sedges grow on wetter land, closer to pools
 In summer, perennial flowers appear, reproductive
cycles resuming as daylight hours increase

10.  Flowering plants are
small because
permafrost contains few
nutrients
 Flowers of the tundra
are very colorful and
emerge quickly
 With scarce pollination,
some plants use
alternative reproduction

11.  Alpine
◦ Has a layer of permafrost, but its active layer is dry
because drains water well.
◦ Soil freezes and thaws.
◦ Stratified (layered) .
◦ Some regions are covered in material so weathered
an thin it can’t be classified as soil.

12.  Polar Bears
 Caribou
 Arctic Fox
 Arctic Hare
 Snowy Owl
 Musk Ox
 Rock Ptarmigan
 These animals live in the
northern hemisphere,
which includes; Canada,
Russia, Greenland,
Norway, and other
locations.
 They feed on a variety of
animals and plants that
also live in the biome.

13.  Humans have had to adapt to the very cold and harsh
conditions of the tundra- these adaptations are mainly
behavioral.
 Groups are forced to be creative and resourceful.
 North American Inuits, also known as “Eskimos,”
have adapted special bodies that can digest raw
meat.
 Inuits use caribou meat for food, the skin for tents,
bedding, and clothes, antlers to make harpoons (a
hunting spear), needles/tools are made from the
bones, and tendons are used to make string

14. • The tundra has limited
resources for building
houses.
 Shelters are made from
materials available- blocks
of snow, sod, animal skins,
or stone.
 Sherpas of the Himalayas
build thick stone walls, and
live on top of the yak
stables to use the animals'
warmth to heat the houses.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

15. • Inuit used sleds made of animal bones and skins
pulled over the ocean and ice by dogs, mainly
huskies.
• On the waters of the Arctic Ocean small boats called
“kayaks” were used for hunting while larger boats
called “umiaq” transported people, dogs, and
supplies.
 The Kohistani people of Pakistan travel based on
season- they move below the tree line (2,000 ft)
during winter and live on the tundra (14,000 ft)
during summer.

16. • Plant populations are not sustainable to grow as a food
source due to a short growing season.
 Some societies are herders- the Sami (Russia) herd reindeer,
other groups use llamas and yaks. South American Indians
raise llamas for milk.
 Others are hunters and gatherers- hunt for meat and fish,
plants supplement the diet and may be used medicinally.
 Barley and potatoes may be grown in more moderate alpine
climates.

17.  Worn in layers to survive
cold environment.
 Often made of animal skins,
such as caribou (warm and
light). eg. parkas (hooded
jackets), lined often with
wolf or wolverine hair.
 Sealskin is waterproof and
used for boots, and lined for
additional warmth.

18.  Traditionally, societies focus on finding food,
and making clothing, weapons, and tools-
instead of wealth or possessions.
 Mining minerals, natural gas, and oil are
modern economic elements. The Arctic
tundra is also a site of military activity (eg.
Distant Early Warning Line- a series of radar
stations).

19.  Although beautiful, the Tundra landscape
does not offer many resources for human
settlers due to limited species diversity and
harsh climate.
 Either: low population density.
 PRO: the existence of a successful mining
industries provides jobs and natural gas.
 PRO: moving to the tundra can create jobs for
natives.
 CON:modern society may threaten traditional
ways of life.

20.  CON: the difficulty to dispose waste. Garbage
will not decompose due to cold and cannot
be buried to to frozen ground.
 CON: the negative impact of human
settlement on the tundra environment. For
example, use of pesticides, pollution,
interference in migration patters, and causing
change in the landscape.

21.  They are found in most of the earth's
northern terrain
◦ Above timberline in the high mountains of
the world, as well as the Antarctic

22.  The tundra
climate spans
from most of
Greenland to
parts of Alaska,
northern Canada,
and northern
Russia. The
latitudinal range
is 75° N to 60° N.