3 Tundra Biome Facts for Kids
Not all regions of the world have the same climates, which means that some are more unique than others. The Tundra Biome is a plain where temperatures are extremely cold and this impacts the type of plant life and animals that can survive in this region. The tundra Biome makes up more of the world than you might expect. In fact, about 20% of the earth’s surface is actually covered with tundra. The main fact that you should take away concerning the Tundra Biome is that it is very cold.
1. What Characteristics Makeup the Tundra Biome?
Besides being extremely cold and having average temperatures that hover around -18 degrees, there are other noticeable characteristics of the Tundra Biome that you can observe. The temperature in the Tundra Biome does change during the different seasons, but it still stay cold year round. In addition to being cold the Tundra is also very dry. It is so dry that the Tundra Biome sees about as much rainfall each year as a typical desert. This might be a bit surprising, but the precipitation that is seen in the Tundra is primarily snow and not rain. Permafrost is another characteristic of the Tundra Biome and is what covers the ground. Since the ground is frozen year round, the top soil is called permafrost.
2. Plants Living in the Tundra Biome
Plants that live and grow in the Tundra Biome are few and far between. What you see growing in the Tundra is primarily grasses, shrubs, herbs and lichens. These plants actually grow in large groups and stay close to the ground. Their roots are often times extremely shallow and these plants will only flower during the short summer season when temperatures are slightly higher. Many of the plants that grow in the Tundra Biome are classified as perennials and grow each year.
3. What Types of Animals Live in the Tundra Biome?
Just like plant life, the animals that live in the Tundra Biome must be resilient and adapt well to the cold temperatures. Many of the animals that live in the Tundra Biome actually migrate only to this region during the summer months. This is when temperatures are most bearable. Animals that you can find living in the Tundra Biome include some insects, birds, caribou, snowy owls, musk oxen and ptarmigans. The summer months is when the most birds and insects migrate to this region.
