Arctic & Alpine Tundra Soil - 45°53'44.85"N 68°54'28.39"W

Location: Mount Katahdin, Maine, US; alpine tundra

The soil of the tundra has certain traits that make it very difficult for plants to thrive in.
The little precipitation that falls in the tundra is often snow. The snow will then collect of the surface of the soil and when it melts the layer of permafrost beneath the soil will prevent it from being absorbed. This leaves the surface of the soil wet and soggy with little of the water evaporating because of the frigid air of the tundra.



The previously mentioned characteristics are generalized to fit both types of the tundra, though they do characterize the arctic tundra more so than the alpine tundra.

The alpine tundra is made up of ever changing mountains formed either by volcanoes, the collisions of continental plates, or retreating glaciers and are altered by earthquakes, strong winds, mud slides, and avalanches. Because of these mountains, the active layer of soil in the alpine tundra is not as soggy as in the arctic as the water runs off the mountain sides.

Abiotic Features of the Tundra - 72°58'39.67"N 110°39'25.76"W

Permafrost layer

 Location: Northern Canada


Nonliving factors that shape the tundra biome include:

• strong winds
• very little percipitation
• short growing season
• long cold winters
• poor soil
• permafrost layer

Alpine Tundra - Inari, Finland 68°55'25.15"N 27° 3'6.37"E



Finnish Lapland Tundra

                                          Average Monthly Precipitation & Temperature

                       Inari, Finland (Alpine Tundra)

  

                                            Month            Temp (C)          Precipitation (mm)

             Jan                -53                            5  

           Feb               -49                            5

         March             -39                            3

          April              -23                            5

          May               -5                              8

           June                 9                             23

           July                  8                             28

          Aug                  4                             25

          Sept                -3                             13

         Oct               -19                             8

        Nov               -40                             8

        Dec               -49                             5

Data Courtesy of BBC Weather

Arctic Tundras-Verkhoyansk, Russia 67°33'6.16"N 133°22'38.46"E

Verkhoyansk Arctic Tundra

                  

                        Average Monthly Precipitation & Temperature

                        Verkhoyansk, Russia (Arctic Tundra)

  

                                            Month            Temp (C)          Precipitation (mm)

             Jan                -53                            5  

           Feb               -49                            5

         March             -39                            3

          April              -23                            5

          May               -5                              8

           June                 9                             23

           July                  8                             28

          Aug                  4                             25

          Sept                -3                             13

         Oct               -19                             8

        Nov               -40                             8

        Dec               -49                             5

Averages Courtesy of BBC Weather

Unique Characteristic- Permafrost - 35°21'48.52"N 138°43'47.59"E

Location: Mt. Fuji, Japan , Alpine Tundra

Permafrost

            Permafrost is classified as soil that remains below zero degress celsius for two consecutive years.
In summer, it traps a layer of water close to the surface, keeping many tundra soils soggy. It cools the soil and the roots of tundra plants, slowing decomposition and growth. Its presence influences freeze-thaw cycles, forming unique tundra landforms.

Animals of the Tundra - 76°25'16.52"N 110°56'42.76"E

 Location: Taymyr Peninsula, Siberia, Arcitc Tundra

The animals of the Arctic Tundra have adapted to bear through the harsh long winters.

• breed and raise young quickly
• ave an extra layer of fat for insulation
• hibernation when food is not abundant
• reptiles and amphibians are rare because of cold temperatures
• constant emigration and immigration

Ermine: white in the winter and creamy brown-white in the summer. They make their dens in the old roots of trees or in the crevice of a rock.
Genus: Mustela
Species: erminea

Snowy Owl: their eyes take up more space in their skull than their brains. Their hearing is so sensitive that they can hear vole and lemmings deep beneath the snow. The owl is a predator and keeps the environment from overpopulating.
Genus: Nyctea
Species: scandiaca

Arctic Fox: makes its home in small burrows in mounds or rock piles. They are scavengers and often follow behind polar bears to feed off the left behind remains.
Genus: Lagopus
Species: alopex


Winter coat



Summer Coat

Caribou: large members of the deer family. Both males and females have antlers, unlike deers. Caribou have large hooves to help them maneuver through the snow. During harsh winters, they have the ability to go into partial hibernation by lowering their metabolism.
Genus: Rangifer
Species: tarandus

Harlequin Duck: has a buoyant, compact body, with strong webbed feet, which give the duck the power to swim through torrent waters. Diet consists of mussels, shellfish, aquatic insects, crustaceans, and small fish.
Genus: Histrionicus
Species: histrionicus