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Tundra climate
The tundra is a biome (the largest ecological unit on Earth) that is characterized by cold climatic conditions, as well as permanently frozen soils. The tundra is present in the arctic and subarctic regions, around the polar circle, in high altitude regions.
The tundra has a cold and dry climate. Temperatures are very low, winters are harsh, summers are short and cool. There is little precipitation. It is mostly snow in winter and light rain in summer. At a certain depth, the soils are permanently frozen. This is called permafrost. Due to these extreme weather conditions, tree growth is limited. The vegetation is low and sparse, with mostly grass, moss, lichens, as well as a few dwarf shrubs.
Permafrost contains a lot of water in the form of ice, called ground ice. It can sometimes be made up of 90% ice. It limits the depth to which vegetation can go and therefore the type of vegetation on the surface. Its thaw can create soil subsidence, as well as changes in regional hydrology.
Tundra wildlife is adapted to extreme conditions. There are many herbivores, such as caribou, reindeer, lemmings. And the following predators: wolves, polar bears, arctic foxes. Several species of migratory birds use the tundra as breeding habitat during the summer. Such as the snow goose, the short-billed goose, the golden plovers, the snow bunting, the white-throated sparrow, the Lappish bunting, the black-legged kittiwakes, the common pipit, the white pipit, the loons which are solitary breeding birds.
Global warming is causing significant changes to the tundra. With the melting of permafrost which has significant impacts on communities and the ecosystem. The remains of mammoths are found on the surface and degrade, the release of greenhouse gases such as sequestered methane aggravates climate change.
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