The Tundra Biome Science Project By Jaylin Henry

The Tundra Biome Science Project By Jaylin Henry and Daniel Set Location: Northern Russian Tundra The Tundra biome is a unique biome where tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and a small assortment of animal types and animal types.

Average annual Precipitation/Temperature Annual Precipitation- Yearly precipitation, including melting snow, is 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 inches). Temperature. 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.

Animals That Live In The Tundra • Polar Bear-Polar Bears can be found in the northern areas of Canada, Alaska, Russia and Norway. They are also located in various parts of Greenland. Polar Bears' diets consist mainly of seals. Polar Bears are often located near areas of water and ice floes where their favorite food - seals - can be found. Arctic Fox -The Arctic Fox is circumpolar and can be found throughout the Arctic region. Arctic Foxes' diets consist of small mammals including voles and lemmings, as well as on birds and their eggs.

Animals • Arctic Hare -The Arctic Hare is located in extreme northern Canada and various parts of Greenland. The Arctic Hare's diet consists of buds, berries, twigs, mosses, woody plants and other types of vegetation that can be found in the tundra. Arctic Hares can be found in various tundra areas of Greenland northern Canada. Rock Ptarmigan- The rock ptarmigan is circumpolar and can be found in many areas north of the Arctic Circle, including countries such as Russia, Sweden, Canada, Iceland Greenland. Adult ptarmigans will feed on leaves, flowers, berries, buds, twigs and other types of vegetation. Young ptarmigan chicks will also be fed insects in addition to vegetation.

Animals • Snowy Owl -The Snowy Owl is circumpolar and can be found in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia, and many areas north of the Arctic Circle. It has a wide distribution area and will at times migrate to areas south of the Arctic Circle. Snowy Owls will most often feed on small rodents including lemmings and voles. Snowy Owls will build their nests on the ground, typically in a higher place than the surrounding land so that they will have good visibility to predators and prey.

Plants That Survive In The Tundra • Diamond-Leaf Willow- The twigs on a willow are soft, slender, and they bend easily. A willow has thin branches. The leaves are narrow and grow alternately on the branch. Some leaves have serrated edges. • Labrador Tea- The Labrador tea plant grows to be 4 to 5 feet. It has woolly branches with narrow 1 to 2 inch leaves which are smooth on the upper side, with rusty hairs underneath. They droop slightly and edges are rolled under, and are a leathery green in color. At the ends of the branches are tiny clusters of white flowers with protruding stamen, which bloom in June and July. • Caribou Moss- Caribou moss grows in arctic and northern regions around the world. It grows on the ground and on rocks. It looks like a foamy, gray-green spongy mass, and grows to be 1 to 4 inches high. The stems, or stocks, are hollow, and branch out many times. Although it is called caribou moss, it is actually a lichen. • Pasque Flower- Pasque flower is a pretty tundra plant. It is a member of the Ranunculaceae family, which is Latin for little frog. The name was given to the family because a group of plants in this family grow where frogs live.

Plants • Bearberry- Bearberry is a low growing evergreen. It has a stem that rises 2 -8" off the ground and is covered in a thick bark and fine silky hairs. On the stem are many oval-shaped, leathery leaves that are _" to 1" long. The flowers have five petals and are pale pink or white. The petals are only _" long and are curled around the narrow center. They bloom anywhere between March and June. The fruit is a red berry 3/8" in diameter. Bearberry gets its name because bears like to feast on these berries.

Unique Adaptations of Plants • Bearberry is a low growing plant that uses that adaptation to stay out of the way of the ripping Tundra wind. It also favors places like behind rocks to again stay out of the wind. The leathery leaves keeps moisture and heat inside the plant. • Caribou Moss can go a long time without water. They just grow dry and go dormant when there isn't water and/or light. They can grow again after being dormant for a very long time. • Labraor Tea has fuzz on the underside of the leaves and it is believed to be an adaptation to retain moisture. • Arctic willow grows close to the ground, to get out of the way of the wind It also has fuzz to retain heat for the plant. It has little hairs on its leaves to help with insulation.

Unique Adaptations of Animals • The Polar bear- They have long stiff hair in between their feet that provide them traction. This also protects their feet from the cold. • Arctic Fox- They have short heavily furred, rounded ears (to protect from the cold). This limits the escape of body heat from the fox. • Caribou- In the winter the fleshy pads of their hoofs shrink and the hair between their toes covers the pads to keep the caribou warm.

Mapping There a small number of countries that are actually have tundra biomes, which include Russia, Sweden, Canada, Iceland Greenland. Picture from The Animal Stop Blue is the world span of the Tundra Characteristics= Extremely cold climate. -Low biotic diversity. -Simple vegetation structure. -Limitation of drainage. -Short season of growth and reproduction. -Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material. -Large population oscillations.

The Tundra and the Desert • Location • The arctic tundra is located in northern latitudes. • Hot and dry deserts are often found closer to the equator. • Climate • Tundra are very cold. The average temperature of the tundra is -34 degrees Celsius, while the summer months average between 3 -12 degrees Celsius. Therefore, the ground of the tundra stays permanently frozen and is called the permafrost. • Deserts have hot and dry climates. The rainfall of a desert averages less than 25 centimeters annually! • Vegetation • Tundra and deserts both face a scarcity in water. Therefore, the vegetation found in either biome are adapted to live in such water-barren environments. • The vegetation of the tundra is also resistant to cold temperatures and winds. Therefore, more vegetation found in the tundra are low to the ground. Examples of vegetation found in the tundra are low shrubs, mosses, liverworts, grasses, and lichens. • Many succulents are found in a hot and dry desert. These plants, such as cacti, have thick cuticles that aid in the prevention of water loss. Many leaves of desert plants are also “replete”, which means that they are full of nutrients. As in the tundra, low shrubs are also common in the desert. Other examples of plant-life found in the hot and dry desert include prickly pears, yuccas, and agaves. • Wildlife • The animals found in the arctic tundra are adapted to withstand the cold. Many animals in the tundra breed rapidly in the short summer months. Some may hibernate or migrate south during the winter, which results in large population oscillations throughout the year. Examples of animals that inhabit the tundra include fox, wolves, bear, caribou, snowbirds, blackflies, salmon, and trout. • The animals found in a dry and hot desert must be able to withstand the hot temperatures and lack of water. Two ways in which animals of a hot and dry desert to this is by being nocturnal or creating burrows in the ground. Examples of organisms that can be found in a hot and dry desert include reptiles, kangaroo rates, arachnids, and insects.