TUNDRA

FOREST
LOWLAND DESERT COASTAL M ARINE

climatically and geographically defined as contiguous areas with similar climatic conditions on the Earth, such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems.

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tundra
Tundra is the cold, treeless region around the poles that has permafrost as one of its defining features. Even at the height of summer, the soil a few centimeters under the surface remains frozen. The tundra therefore lacks animals that dig deep burrows and plants that require deep root systems. The permafrost, plus the short summer and seasonal waterlogging, also explains why trees don't grow here.
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FOREST

Referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees

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LOWLAND

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dESERT
Is a barren area of land where little precipitation occurs and consequently living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to the processes of denudation. About one third of the land surface of the world is arid or semi-arid. This includes much of the polar regions where little precipitation occurs and which are sometimes called "cold deserts". There are a number of ways of classifying deserts including by the amount of precipitation that falls, by the temperature that prevails, by the causes of desertification or by the geographical location of the desert. HOME

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COASTAL

Land next to the sea; the seashore

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mARINE

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tundra

Introduction
Definition
CHARACTERISTICS

Factors
Classifications
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INTRODUCTION
T U N D R A

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DEFINITION
T U N D R A

Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. Tundra comes from the Finnish word tunturia, meaning treeless plain. It is noted for its frost-molded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients, and short growing seasons. Dead organic material functions as a nutrient pool. The two major nutrients are nitrogen and phosphorus. Nitrogen is created by biological fixation, and phosphorus is created by precipitation. Tundra is separated into two types: arctic tundra and alpine tundra.

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CHARACTERISTICS
T U N D R A

1. Extremely cold climate 2. Low biotic diversity 3. Simple vegetation structure 4.Limitation of drainage 5. Short season of growth and reproduction 6.Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material 7. Large population oscillations
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INFLUENCING FACTORS
T U N D R A

Vegetation Climate Edaphic controls

Soil Distribution Fauna

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T U N D R A

ANTARCTIC

ARCTIC

ALPINE

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Antarctic tundra occurs on Antarctica and on several Antarctic and subantarctic islands, including South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and the Kerguelen Islands. Most of Antarctica is too cold and dry to support vegetation, and most of the continent is covered by ice fields. However, some portions of the continent, particularly the Antarctic Peninsula, have areas of rocky soil that support plant life. The flora presently consists of around 300400 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.

ANTARCTIC

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T U N D R A

Antarctic hair grass

Antarctic pearlwort

ANTARCTIC
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T U N D R A

Arctic tundra is located in the northern hemisphere, encircling the north pole and extending south to the coniferous forests of the taiga. The arctic is known for its cold, desert-like conditions. The growing season ranges from 50 to 60 days. The average winter temperature is -34 C (-30 F), but the average summer temperature is 3-12 C (37-54 F) which enables this biome to sustain life. Rainfall may vary in different regions of the arctic. Yearly precipitation, including melting snow, is 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 inches). Soil is formed slowly. A layer of permanently frozen subsoil called permafrost exists, consisting mostly of gravel and finer material. When water saturates the upper surface, bogs and ponds may form, providing moisture for plants.

ARCTIC

Classifications
T U N D R A low shrubs, sedges, reindeer mosses, liverworts, and grasses 400 varieties of flowers crustose and foliose lichen

ARCTIC

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