Arctic Tundra

               "Tundra is believed to come from the Finnish word "tunturia" which refers to a treeless plain." This definition or historic term helps define what the arctic tundra is. Stunted trees and shrubs are all that grows. The permafrost is a layer that is permanently frozen ground just below the surface and this helps vegetation. The arctic tundra is found in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be found in the Southern Hemisphere and it can be found on isolated islands off the coast of Antarctica and Antarctic peninsula. Tundra seems to fall between two other major biomes, the taiga and ice caps. Another thing is that in the arctic tundra, there are two seasons; winter and summer. When it is summer time, the sun is up for almost 24 hours a day. In the winter, the light conditions are different because there are several weeks where the sun never rises. This causes very cold temperatures. The average temperature is 32 degrees Fahreinheit and no greater than 50 degrees fahreinheit. In celcius temperatures, the temperature is 28 degrees celcius and it can drop down to -70 degrees celcius. Every year, the precipitation levels in the tundra are 6 to 10 inches a year. Most of the precipitation falls as snow. There are at least 1700 species of plants that live in the arctic tundra biome. Almost no reptiles or amphibeans. There are only 48 land mammals. The animals migrate to the tundra for food in the summer months. These are all of the things that I have learned about the arctic tundra.

Resources: Science class