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Tundra

Tundra

The tundra is the largest continuous tract of wilderness and wildlife habitat remaining in the northern hemisphere. It forms a huge ring around the top of the world. And it is an extremely fragile ecosystem. Tundra soil develops slowly. Tundra plants grow slowly. A footprint on a tundra moss bank may remain visible without plant regrowth for many years. Tire tracks from vehicles are even worse and leave permanent scars. Animal and plant life in the tundra have adapted to one another, forming tightly-woven communities. What affects one life form affects another.

It is cold on the tundra. This is because as the earth rotates, the sun's rays never shine strongly on either of the pole regions. As the earth orbits the sun, it is tilted on its axis. Because of this tilted position, the north and south poles are not really at the top or bottom, but are slightly to the sides. So for 6 months, from September to March, the area of the north pole faces away from the sun and is in almost continuous darkness. It is cold when it is dark. Yet even when the situation is reversed from March to September and the north pole is almost always in light, it is still cold. This is because there is usually a huge cloud cover at the poles and little direct sun reaches the land. It is also because much of the heat and light of the sun is reflected off of bright surfaces like ice. So it's kind of like the poles are big ice mirrors that reflect the sun's heat and light back into the atmosphere. This phenomenon is called the albedo.

The following internet sites can help you learn more about the tundra.

Tundra Topics
http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/tundra/index.htm
  1. According to this site, there are 2 types of tundra. What are they and where are they?
  2. What is the range of temperatures in the tundra?
  3. From the menu on the left, click on "Tundra Facts". How much of the earth's surface does the tundra cover? What are trees like in the tundra? How is the tundra similar to a desert? What animal have the Lapp people of the tundra in northern Scandanavia domesticated that provides them with meat, milk, and hides? What is another name for this animal? What happened to these animals in 1986? What is the avarage temperature in the Tundra?
  4. From menu on the left, click on "Tundra Plants". Then click on "A Stark and Barren Place". What do most plants on the tundra look like? Then click on "In Between Rocks". Why are many parts of the tundra covered with small rocks? Then click on "Lichen". What are lichen plants composed of? Then click on "Dark Red Leaves". Why do many of the plants on the tundra have dark leaves? Then click on "Cushion Plants". In what fashion do cushion plants grow?

A General Description of the Arctic Tundra
http://www.shorelin.wednet.edu/North_City/HigginsClass/Biomes/tundra/tundra.html

  1. The word tundra is derived from a Finnish word that means what?
  2. Where is the Arctic tundra located?

Arctic Tundra
http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/biogeography/biomes_tundra.html

  1. What are the dominant forms of vegetation in the tundra?
  2. This site says that the tundra looks like a "treeless plain". Why won't tundra support the growth of tall vegetation?
  3. What is permafrost?
  4. How does permafrost create a barrier to root development?
  5. How does permafrost impact the construction of buildings and other structures?
  6. How do musk oxen protect their calves?
  7. Musk oxen used to inhabit much of Eurasia and North America. Where do they live now?

Tundra Plants
http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/tundra/plants/index.htm
  1. How do hairy stems help tundra plants?

Tundra Animals
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/text/biomes/biomes.tundra.animals.adaptations.html?tqskip1=1&tqtime=0214

  1. What are some of the adaptations that animals in the tundra have made to help them survive?

Arctic Animals : Collared Lemming
http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/html/lemming.html

  1. About how long is this animal and what color is it?
  2. This lemming is the only true rodent to do what in the winter?
  3. How do lemming burrows make walking on the tundra difficult?

Arctic Animals : Wolverine
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/weasel/Wolverineprintout.shtml

  1. Is a wolverine related to a wolf? What animals IS it related to?
  2. What do wolverines eat?
  3. What interesting method do wolverines use to kill an animal that is larger than they are?

Arctic Animals : Narwhal Whales
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Narwhal.shtml

  1. The name "narwhal" means corpse whale. Explain why.
  2. Describe a narwhal's tusk.

Arctic Animals : Polar Bear
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/bear/Polarbearcoloring.shtml.htm

  1. About how long and how heavy are polar bears?
  2. The skin of a polar bear is actually black. Why?
  3. What do polar bears mostly eat?
  4. How do polar bears drink water when most fresh water is frozen and the sea water is too salty?
  5. What is the purpose of a polar bear's hollow guard hairs?
  6. Do all polar bears hibernate?
  7. How do polar bears catch seals?

Tundra
http://ths.sps.lane.edu/biomes/tundra5/tundra5.html#Animals

  1. List some reasons why the tundra exosystem is so fragile and vulnerable to disturbance.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
http://www.nrdc.org/land/wilderness/anwr/anwr1.asp

  1. How might industrial activity in the tundra add to the world's environmental problems?
Teacher Resources

Tundra Land of Lemmings is a slideshow and project created by 8th/9th grade students.

Bibliography

Forman, Michael. Arctic Tundra. Children's Press : New York, 1997.

Sayre, April. Tundra. Twenty-first Century Books : New York, 1994.

Silver, Donald. Arctic Tundra. W.H. Freeman : New York, 1994.

Stone, Lynn. Arctic Tundra. Rourke : Vero Beach, Florida, 1989.

Weller, Dave, and Hart, Mick. Arctic & Antarctic. Thunder Bay Press : San Diego, California, 1996.

Author: LINDA MOSBACKER - Email linda.mosbacker@slc.k12.ut.us