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LOCATION AND CLIMATE The tundra is located throughout the upper northern hemisphere, below the ice covered polar seas. Its climate ranges from -3°C and 12°C in the summer, and -20°C and -30°C in the winter, making the tundra the second coldest biome, only warmer than permanent ice. The tundra's approximate precipitation is 25cm, yearly. PHYSICAL ADAPTATIONS The tundra is covered in a layer of permanent ice, called permafrost. thanks to the permafrost and the flat terrain, there is poor drainage. The permafrost doesn't allow water to be absorbed in the ground and the flat terrain allows the water no where to go, creating marshes and pools in the summer. It also has a low biotic diversity, meaning at there isn't much selection of plants and animals, because of the cold winters and the short growing season. But when it is growing season, during the summers, there are 24 hour days, but the rest of the year is cold and dark. PLANTS With the low biotic diversity, there aren't many plants that can survive the tundra, but the Labrador Tea plant and the Bear Berry Plant have adaptations to help them survive the tundra. The Labrador Tea plant is very hairy. Its hairy stem helps the plant keep the heat. Its leaves are very fuzzy, helping prevent water loss. The plant grows sideways to keep away from the high winds, as the winds are worse the higher you are. This plant doesn't lose its leaves when they get old, but keep them on to protect the plant from the cold. It also is able to thrive in non-nutrient soils, which it would definitely have to as the tundra's soils have minimal nutrients. The bear berry plant is a short, edible plant that is eaten often by bears. The plant stays short and quite close to the ground to avoid winds. The thick bark surrounding it helps the keep the wind out too. It's leathery leaves help keep the cold out. And it's ability to thrive in non-nutrient soils allows it to thrive in the tundra. ANIMALS To live in the tundra, animals have to have specific adaptations to survive this cold biome. Two animals that are able to do this are polar bears and ermines. The polar bear is able to keep a warm temperature thanks to its heavy fur coat. Under its skin, a layer of blubber that can be as thick as 11cm helps to keep out the cold too and maintain a warm body temperature. Often female polar bears, especially pregnant bears, hybernate during the winter to stay out of the cold and to give birth. The polar bear's white coat blends in with the snow, creating a good camouflage for hunting. The ermine is a small rodent that resembles a ferret. It's soft and warm fur provides cover and warmth for this rodent. The fur turns white in the winter and brown in the summer, helping it camouflage and stay away from predators. Its small body helps it avoid winds and get closer to warmth, which is near the ground. The ermine's sharp claws make the ermine good diggers to get through the snow |