The Tundra

1. The tundra biome is the coldest of all the biomes and is quite big.  It is located in the arctic circle, which is a circle that surrounds the north pole, but this is not the only place we can find freezing cold temperatures and few animals.  In Antarctica and other cold environments, there are areas that are part of the tundra biome.

2. The tundra is the coldest and driest of all the biomes on Earth.  There is very little rainfall in the tundra, it rains less than ten inches a year.  Winters there are long and summers are short.  In the winter the temperature can reach -50 degrees Fahrenheit and in summer temperatures rarely get above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. That's cold!

3. Many lichens, mosses and small shrubs survive in the arctic tundra.  The plants here are short and grouped together to avoid harsh winds and have adapted to low temperatures and low light intensities.

4. You can find lemmings, caribou,  arctic hares and polar bears in the tundra.

5. The tundra may seem tough, but it is a sensitive environment.  More people have been moving to the tundra to work in mines and the oil industry.  New towns and roads are being built to support the increased population. This has interrupted many animals migrations and feeding patterns.  Also the pollution  from the mines may ruin the fragile ecosystem.

                 

http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/games/TundraCrossword.pdf