Introduction to abiotic factors of the tundra
Tundra means land without trees and its come from the Finnish word tunturia, meaning treeless plain. This is found in the poles. Here plants grow only in summer when there is sunlight. Plants grow very close to the ground level. Examples of Tundra plants are moss, lichen and algae. During winter this region is completely covered by ice and snow. Here animals like arctic rabbits, arctic fox, reindeer, migratory birds, penguins and polar bears are seen. During warm season flies and mosquitoes are found.
The tundra has a low temperature and short growing season and during winter time everything is frozen but at the summer time the top layer of soil thaws. The layers that remain frozen are called permafrost. There are three types of tundra as follows artic tundra (found in artic region), alphine tundra (found at high elevation), and antartic tundra.
Characteristic features of Tundra
Tundra means land without trees and its come from the Finnish word tunturia, meaning treeless plain. This is found in the poles. Here plants grow only in summer when there is sunlight. Plants grow very close to the ground level. Examples of Tundra plants are moss, lichen and algae. During winter this region is completely covered by ice and snow. Here animals like arctic rabbits, arctic fox, reindeer, migratory birds, penguins and polar bears are seen. During warm season flies and mosquitoes are found.
The tundra has a low temperature and short growing season and during winter time everything is frozen but at the summer time the top layer of soil thaws. The layers that remain frozen are called permafrost. There are three types of tundra as follows artic tundra (found in artic region), alphine tundra (found at high elevation), and antartic tundra.
Characteristic features of Tundra
- cold climate
- small biotic diversity
- plain vegetation structure
- Short season of growth and reproduction
- Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material
- Large population oscillations
Abiotic Factors-Physical, or nonliving, factors that shapes an ecosystem
- Strong Winds
- little precipitaion (rainfall)
- short summer days
- very long and cold winters
- poor soil
- permafrost-a layer of permanently frozen subsoil