Tundra

TUNDRA
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
Joshua John Alvia

STRUCTURE
• Tundra biomes arean ecosystem
found at “poleward” positions
resulting in very low temperatures
• Rain falls average at a measely
200mm/year
• Precipition at 100mm/year mostly
from snow
• Tundra soils are permanently frozen
to great depths but during summer
at thin layer from few centimeters
to a meter thick melts and is
available for rooting plants

P.J. Richerson- http://www.des.ucdavis.edu/faculty/Richerson/ESP30/Lecture

Separated into two types:
• Artic tundra
• 50-60 days of growing season
• Average winter temp -34°C but summer is 3°C – 12°C
• Permafrost exists (layer of permanently frozen subsoil:
gravel and fine material)
• Deep root systems do not exist
• Wind speeds: 48-97 km/hr
• Plants: adapted to sweeping winds and soil
disturbances, and are short and grouped together
to resist cold temp.
• Animals: are adapted to handle long cold winters as
well as breed and raise young during short summers
• hibernations

STRUCTURE
• Alpine tundra
• Mountains worldwide at high altitudes
where trees cannot grow
• 180 days growing season
• Temperatures usually below freezing
• Unlike arctic tundra, soils are well
drained

• Southward migrations
• Reptiles and amphibians do not exist
• Due to immigration and emigrations: populations
continually oscillate
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/tundra.htm
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/tundra.php

STRUCTURE-BIOTIC COMPONENTS

http://www.acia.uaf.edu/PDFs/ACIA_Science_Chapters_Final/ACIA_Ch07_Final.pdf

STRUCTURE – BIOTIC
COMPONENT

https://www.blendspace.com/lessons/BSw__UGuhx6cyA/food-webs

FUNCTION