Tundra+period+3

** Tundra period 3 **
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**Facts/characteristics of the Biome:** The tundra is the cold, dry, treeless plains of the Arctic. The tundra has freezing, long winters and brief cool summers. The soil of the tundra is very low in nutrients and frozen year round. The frozen soil is bad for growing plants. The frozen soil is called //permafrost.// Because of the tundra's natural resources, such as, coal, iron ore, and natural gas, humans are threatening the tundra's natural environment. **Location of the Biome**: The tundra is located at the top of the world, near the place where Santa Clause lives (The north pole). This gigantic biome is extremely uniform in appearance and covers about 1/5th of the earths surface!!! The tundra is typically located north of the arctic circle.

**Consumers/Animals living in the biome** : The Tundra is inhabited by a few predators such as the Polar bear, Snow owl, Artic fox, and Grey wolf. Musk Ox and Caribou are some of the large consumers that call the tundra home. Also small rodents like the lemming and some birds live and eat on the tundra! Many different types of birds, like the Canada goose, migrate to the tundra in the summer.

**Producers/Plants living in the biome:** In the tundra, the vegitation is composed of dwarf shrubs, sedges and grasses, mosses and lichens. Trees very rarely grow in the tundra, but if they do they are typically birch or willow trees found in clusters. The farther north you go the less vegetation you are likely to find.

** Dominant (keystone) species in the biome: ** Lemmings are one of the keystone species in the tundra. The population of other species in the tundra are greatly affected by the lemmings in the environment which are the basis of many diets in a tundra food web.

**Average Temperature Range for the biome:** The average annual temperature is -18° F (-28° C). The average winter temperature is -34° C (-30° F), but the average summer temperature is 3-12° C (37-54° F)

** Annual Precipiation for the biome: ** **The annual precipitation may vary in different regions of the Tundra. Yearly precipitation, including all of the melting snow is 15-25 cm (6 to 10 inches )**