II. Tundra

A. Characteristics/Climate

1. Only found in the northern hemisphere

2. Make up 10 % of the Earth3. Very unstable because of a lack of biodiversity4. Receive less than 25 cm of rain

5. Rarely above 10 C (40 F)a. This is the tundra’s limiting

factor6. The soil has an active zone of 8cm deep to grow in7. Below that it is always frozen= permafrost8. Slow growth is why it is fragile

B. Organisms

1. Plantsa. Close to the ground with

shallow rootsb. Trees are 1 meter tall or less

1. Dwarfed by the cold

2. Animalsa. Mostly migratoryb. Birds and large mammals during the summer1. Feed on mosquitos and plants2. Caribou main food are lichensa. Dieing b/c lichens are dieingc. Permanent residents are foxes bears, wolves wolverines oxen and hares