What is a Tundra Biome?

A tundra biome is a cold, treeless ecosystem mostly with permafrost (ground stays below 0°C for more than 2 consecutive years), shorter growing seasons, and flora and fauna adapted to that specific condition.  Most receive very low rainfall (less than 25mm) annually, and a lot (e.g. Antarctica) are considered to be deserts.

The soil present in tundra biomes is suboptimal for most plants and as tundra biomes have really short growing seasons, it does not allow for common plants (e.g. wheat) to grow well or at all.

There are two main forms of Tundra biomes found around the world. These are

• Arctic Tundra

• Alpine Tundra

The Arctic tundra is found at higher latitudes near the Arctic, such as Alaska, Canada, Russia, and Greenland. Alpine tundra is found on mountains above the tree line. However, both share a treeless landscape.

Water is very scarce in tundra biomes because of the permafrost not permitting water to penetrate the soil. The active layer thaws seasonally when the weather is warmer, however this leads to poor drainage and most of the time this water is unsafe for animals to drink. However, this allows very limited growth of plants as this happens at the same time as the growing season.