LocationThe Tundra is located in the northern regions of North America,
Europe, Asia, as well as a few regions of Antarctica. The Tundra is the
second largest vegetation zone in Canada. It can be divided clearly into
three different sections: the High Arctic Tundra, the Low Arctic Tundra
and the Alpine Tundra. The latter Alpine Tundra occurs in higher altitudes
such as mountains whereas the first two are mainly based in plains and
lowlands of some kind. The Low Arctic Tundra is the transmission point to
the north. It is located above Canada's Boreal forests and is followed by
the High Arctic Tundra. The High Arctic Tundra is located farther north
and encompasses the Arctic circle as well as most of the western
Northwest Territories. Generally though since climate more or less
corresponds to vegetation zones, the Tundra is located in Arctic climate
areas. TemperatureThe Tundra suffers a very harsh climate. Because
of this fact most of the area remains barren save for a few shrubs and
lichens. It's winters last from 8-10 months and the summers are cool and
short. Also due to the fact that much of it's territory is located within the
northern pole a lot of the Tundra receives alternating 6 month periods of
light and dark. This is also the reason why the Tundra receives cold
weather; at it's degree of latitude the suns rays end up hitting the region
obliquely, thus causing less solar heat. Here are the temperatures of the
Tundra in general:Average January temperature: -32.1 degrees
CelsiusAverage July temperature: +4.1 degrees Celsius Temperature
range: 36.2 degrees CelsiusAverage annual temperature: -17 degrees
CelsiusLowest temperature recorded: -52.5 degrees CelsiusHighest
temperature recorded: +18.3 degrees CelsiusAfter seeing these
temperatures you can see the reason why barely anyone lives up there
and why there is rather little natural vegetation. Seasons And Moisture
ContentThe main seasons of the Tundra are summer and winter. The
winter will last 8 to 10 months followed by the short and much less cold
summer. During the summer some lower areas of the Tundra will defrost
at which point most of the flora and fauna will start to creep out of hiding.

The few summer months are used by many animals such as the polar
bear, to mate and to prepare for the once again oncoming winter. During
the winter months most everything remains frozen. Many of the animals
migrate south for the winter whereas some stay behind or even group
together for ritual group suicide (lemmings). There is little precipitation all
year long in the Tundra. The average yearly total is 136 mm, out of which
83.3 mm is snow. This low amount is due to the fact that there is very
little evaporation. Since the average temperature is below freezing, it give
little or no time for any of the snow and/or ice to melt. This is the reason
that the Tundra is often referred to as a polar desert. FertilityThe Tundra's
fertility is very low. It has An average growing season of about 60 days
(1.5 to 3.5 months) which is not really enough time to allow anything to
grow. This is also compounded with the fact that the soil is mainly thin
and rocky. But, the main problem is that most of the ground in the Tundra
region is permafrost (soil which stays frozen perennially). These 3
aspects of Tundra fertility make the Tundra all but useless for use to grow
anything of value.Forest FloorThe Tundra forest floor really depends on
where you are. The further north that you go the less there is anything but
snow, ice, and rocks. In the more temperate Tundra where there is plant
life one could find more interesting floors. They contain once again mainly
rocky soil which is most likely permafrost. Also there are many different
kinds of mosses and lichens scattered along the ground or on bigger
rocks along with possibly some short grasses.Diversity of PlantsThere are
not very many species of plant life in the Arctic Tundra, nor is their growth
rate giant or are they abundant but somehow they do survive. Most of the
plant life occurs in the lower areas of the Tundra although there are
sometimes a few "pockets" of vegetation as you move further north.
There is also a bit more vegetation in the Alpine Tundra. During the few
short summer months, the vegetation is able to grow, as opposed to
winter where only a few cold resistant trees can survive the harsh climate

and temperatures. The plants reproduce by division and by budding
rather than by pollination since there is little time and little other plants.
The Vegetation is often divided into two distinct regions. The change from
one to another is quite surprising. They are:
The low arctic Tundra which supports a nearly
complete plant coverage. There are many low and dwarf shrubs which
include willow, birch, and Heath. There is a large quantity of mosses and
lichens in this area. The high arctic Tundra is a place where it is obviously
much more difficult to locate as many plants. Once again mosses and
lichens are found but in smaller proportions. Scattered "patches" of willow
and sedge occur as well. Diversity of AnimalsEven though the arctic
Tundra is not seeping with wildlife, there are more than a few different
kinds of animals. The arctic Tundra wildlife is closely related all around
the world, but the variety is limited because of the difficult environment
that they have to adjust to. There are of course the large herbivores,
which include such species as the caribou, the musk-ox , and the
reindeer. These eat the mosses and dwarf shrubs which they may come
across as they cross the arctic. As for predators, they include the wolf and
the arctic fox. These play a most crucial role in the Tundra by killing and
eating several herbivores. Without this service the herbivores would eat
all the plants and end up starving to death. There are also many birds
which nest in the tundra during the summer months and then migrate
south for the winter. Polar bears as well as brown bears are not
uncommon to the arctic Tundra as well. Many other animals include: the
snowy owl, the lemming, jaegers, the weasel, and the arctic hare to name
a few. But perhaps the most annoying of all is the mosquitoes and
blackflies which roam around in huge groups.Symbiotic RelationshipThe
relationship of the Tundra is a delicate one; any slight faltering could
result in massive repercussions. To survive, the herbivores need to eat
what little dwarf shrubs and mosses that they can find and in turn the

meat eaters need to eat them. Eventually when the animals die, they
become the little earth that will perhaps allow some plant to grow. Without
this earth the plants will not grow and all will die.Structure Adaptations
Since the Arctic Tundra has such a harsh climate everything has had to
adapt or be wiped out. The most common adaptation among animals is
rather thick and white fur or feathers. Many animals such as the snowy
owl have grown to use this to camouflage themselves to escape
predators or as a predator themselves to catch their prey. Among Plants
there are many changes. Many plants have adapted to contain most of
their biomass in their roots so as to protect themselves from the winds.
Also another common plant adaptation has been to develop a more
aerodynamic and stronger frame to withstand the winds. Among insects
the mosquitoes and blackflies have evolved into darker black colors so as
to capture and save most of the days heat.Other factsWhen a vehicle
passes in the Tundra area, the tracks cause deep ditches that can last
not for days but for years. Also what could happen is that if a piece of the
Tundra's permafrost is melted, it will cave in a large area. The Tundra is
very fragile and we must take care not to destroy it for it is very frail.