The characteristics of the tundra have led to this ecosystem being classified as a polar desert, characterized by very cold temperatures, strong winds, and very little rainfall. We'll tell you what the tundra is like, its geographical location , and much more about this biome.
What is the tundra?
The tundra is a bioclimatic landscape, it has its own beautiful vegetation, with a cold climate and can be located in different places around the planet. The different types of tundra have characteristics in common depending on their class, that is, it will depend on the type of flora and fauna that extends through these spaces, as well as their temperature and sedimentation.
The tundra biome often resembles a desert due to its cold climate, sparse vegetation, and generally low biodiversity; shrubs are not typically found there. The tundra is also known as the plains in some countries of the Americas.
Likewise, we can say that the tundra is a landscape that is observed in regions that have a cold climate, extensive valleys and mountains where the land usually freezes. Statistically it covers the tenth fraction of the planet earth.
Tundra Characteristics
The tundra is a plain that has no trees or very few, because its vegetation is of little growth, it is a type of biome with its frozen subsoil and this is covered by thin layers of snow, which is capable of covering all the sediment and it even covers the mountains that occur there.
Tundra floor
The ground of the tundra is frozen, this is mainly due to its cold climate and strong winds. In the tundra the ground is partially frozen, these frozen temperatures usually range above or below 0º, as long as the air temperature is cold.
The sediment of the tundra tends to be a layer of soil soaked with water and contains a lot of iron, which is why they tend to have a greenish-gray hue.
Although the sediment of the tundra has a lot of water, on many occasions the flora and fauna cannot benefit from it, because it is not easily found on the surface. Depending on the type of tundra, the ice cap thaws in hot weather.
In another order of ideas, the sediments of the tundra lack the necessary natural nutrients, for this reason it becomes a less suitable place to fertilize.
It should be noted that the soil of the tundra has a large amount of carbon and this is trapped in its frozen soils, when the sediments are removed, the carbon is released as carbon dioxide.
Tundra Climate
For each type of tundra, the winter seasons are extremely cold, which is why their soils are always frozen. During winter, tundra temperatures can reach -28°C.
On the other hand, in the summer season, the alphine and arctic tundra have a lot of water and this makes it possible for a variety of living beings to grow. Because the climate can reach 10 degrees, because of this situation, the environment attracts species that migrate.
Types of Tundra
There are three kinds of tundra that can be found in different parts of the world.
tundra alpha
They are the ones located in high mountains, consequently the blizzards are very strong and the atmospheric pressure is heavier. Water tends to flow through the ground more easily, but the tallest plants are still shrubs.
Antarctic Tundra
These are located in the south pole of the Antarctic continent and its surroundings, in some very limited places a considerable density of vegetation can be found, in addition to mosses, algae and lichens.
The flora of this place is achieved in the water and the land. The animals that inhabit it are seals and penguins.
arctic tundra
These are located in the northern hemisphere, with an extreme frozen sedimentation that descends to the subsoil with a temper that can reach -50ºC in winter seasons. During the summer, the biome receives species that migrate to that place.
The Flora of the Tundra
The tundra has at least 400 different types of plants, among these you can find large amounts of mosses, shrubs and lichens. Trees do not grow in this environment, it is due to the cold that occurs in these places.
The environment of the tundra is suitable for the growth of mosses, since they can measure approximately up to a maximum of 10cm above the sediment and are capable of withstanding the strong winds of the tundra.
Due to the infertility of the soil in the tundras and thanks to the fact that there is not enough decomposed organic matter in them, the flora is born only in some points, more specifically in those where there is a greater amount of water and a little more natural nutrients, these are those that help in the fertilization and growth of the existing vegetation in the tundras.
The Fauna of the Tundra
Tundra animals are accustomed to the environmental conditions of the place, thanks to many of the characteristics they possess, among them is the body musculature with a lot of fat that allows them to tolerate the humidity of the environment.
In other cases we can see that they are prepared to withstand the environmental conditions, such as; Some animals make huge tunnels in the ground or in the snow to cover themselves in very cold seasons of the year, as is the case with reindeer and foxes.
In the tundras, there is a great diversity of fauna that feed on grasses, such as the hare, the lemming, the reindeer and the musk ox, but there are also hunting animals that feed on other animals, for example the falcon, the white bear, wolf and owls.
Importance of Tundra Features
The increase in temperature in the summer season thaws the soil, however, the large amounts of carbon are deposited in the subsoil, they do not allow it to lose the cold.
That is, if the carbon is still trapped, it does not represent a risk of contamination, this is the reason why it is said that the tundra is protecting the planet earth from a possible release of carbon dioxide, which represents an extremely toxic and harmful gas. for our planet.
In the Arctic tundra and the Antarctic tundra, there is a solar phenomenon where the sun remains on the horizon for a longer period of time, and when it sets, it creates this phenomenon called white nights or midnight sun.
Unlike the manifestation other than that of the midnight sun, in the winter season in places near the poles the sun hides for days and even months, consequently the nights increase, this favors the freezing of the surface in the tundra.
There are certain threats to this landscape, it is due to nothing more and nothing less than global warming, due to the melting of polar ice, the tundra is also threatened with a possible release of carbon dioxide that exists in them. It is important to note that pollution generally affects our entire planet earth.
The ozone layer also suffers, which could weaken in the places closest to the poles, giving entrance to the ultraviolet rays that cause so much damage.
There is a different species of tundra called lichen, which is super sensitive to any type of pollution, because it can only survive in huge supply of oxygen. This subtle species is the food of a large number of the animals that inhabit the tundra.