2.2.6

Tundra

Test yourself

Overview of Tundra

Tundra have the following general characteristics:

Illustrative background for Where are tundra biomes?Illustrative background for Where are tundra biomes? ?? "content

Where are tundra biomes?

  • Alaska, Finland, and Siberia are examples of tundra biomes.
Illustrative background for What is the tundra climate like?Illustrative background for What is the tundra climate like? ?? "content

What is the tundra climate like?

  • Temperatures in tundra biomes are very low:
    • Tundra regions are always colder than 10oC and in the winter average about -35oC.
  • Levels of rainfall are low in both polar and tundra regions, but it rains more in tundra regions.
  • There are four different seasons in the tundra biome.
Illustrative background for What is the soil like in tundra biomes?Illustrative background for What is the soil like in tundra biomes? ?? "content

What is the soil like in tundra biomes?

  • In tundra regions, permafrost covers the ground with a tiny layer of infertile, acidic soil on top of it.
Illustrative background for Which plants live in tundra environments?Illustrative background for Which plants live in tundra environments? ?? "content

Which plants live in tundra environments?

  • Plant life is rare in tundra regions.
  • The same plants exist in tundra regions but can grow more, such as grasses, shrubs, and flowering plants. Some trees are able to survive in the tundra.
Illustrative background for Which animals live in the tundra environments?Illustrative background for Which animals live in the tundra environments? ?? "content

Which animals live in the tundra environments?

  • In the tundra, there is a little more biodiversity than in polar regions, with animals like wolves, small mammals (like the Arctic fox and Arctic hare), reindeer, owls, and mountain goats.
Illustrative background for PeopleIllustrative background for People ?? "content

People

  • Nobody lives permanently in Antarctica. But some scientists do stay there for stints to do research.
  • Very few people live in polar or tundra regions.
  • The indigenous Inuit people live in the tundra in Canada and because of the fossil fuel supply, some people who work for oil companies like Shell or Exxon will work on oil fields in Canada or Siberia.

Jump to other topics

1Physical Geography

1.1River Environments

1.2Coastal Environments

1.3Hazardous Environments - Tropical Cyclones

1.4Hazardous Environments - Earthquakes & Volcanoes

2Human Geography

3Global Issues

Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium

  • Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions

  • Mini-mock exams based on your study history

  • Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books

Get started with Seneca Premium