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Tundra Biome Facts & Worksheets

A tundra biome is a vast permafrost plain ecosystem characterized by an extremely cold climate, absence of trees and minimal survival of plants and animals.

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Tundra is the coolest biome of all. Tundra comes from the Finnish term Tunturi, which means “treeless plain.” It is known for its frost-molded landscapes, shallow temperatures, minimal precipitation, deficient nutrients, and short growing seasons. Dead organic matter is a nutrition reservoir, and nitrogen and phosphorus are the two most essential nutrients. Nitrogen is formed by biological fixation, whereas phosphorus is formed through precipitation.

See the fact file below for more information on the tundra biome, or ou can download our 24-page Tundra Biome worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

OVERVIEW

  • Dwarf shrubs, sedges, grasses, mosses, and lichens make up the tundra vegetation. Some tundra areas have scattered trees. 
  • The tree line or timberline is the ecotone (or ecological border zone) between the tundra and the forest. The soil on the tundra is high in nitrogen and phosphorus.
  • The soil also includes significant amounts of biomass and degraded biomass that have been preserved as methane and carbon dioxide in the permafrost as carbon dioxide and methane, making tundra soil a carbon sink. 
  • As global warming warms the ecosystem and promotes soil thawing, the permafrost carbon cycle accelerates and releases a large amount of soil-contained greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, resulting in a feedback cycle that exacerbates climate change.

CHARACTERISTICS

  • Frigid climate 
  • Low biotic biodiversity 
  • Simple vegetation arrangement 
  • Drainage constraints 
  • Short-growing and reproducing season 
  • Energy and minerals in the form of decomposed organic matter 
  • Large population fluctuations

TYPES

  • Tundra is classified as either Arctic or Alpine.

ARCTIC TUNDRA

  • Arctic tundra is in the northern hemisphere, encompassing the North Pole and extending south to the taiga coniferous woodlands. The harsh, desert-like environment of the Arctic is well-known.
  • The growth season lasts between 50 and 60 days. The typical winter temperature is -34° C (-30° F), whereas the average summer temperature is from 3-12° C (37-54° F), allowing this biome to thrive. Rainfall may vary by area in the Arctic. The average annual precipitation, comprising melting snow, is 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 inches).
  • Soil takes time to create. Permafrost is a stratum of permanently frozen subsoil composed primarily of gravel and finer particles. Bogs and ponds can occur when water saturates the upper surface, giving moisture to plants. 
  • Due to the extreme temperature of the Arctic tundra, these places have seen little human activity while being rich in natural resources such as petroleum, natural gas, and uranium. 
  • In recent years, it has begun to alter in Alaska, Russia, and other regions; for example, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug generates 90% of Russia’s natural gas.

FLORA IN ARCTIC TUNDRA

  • The plants of the arctic tundra lack substantial root systems, yet there is still a diverse range of species that can withstand harsh temperatures. 
  • In the arctic and subarctic, there are around 1,700 plant species, including low bushes, sedges, reindeer mosses, liverworts, and grasses, as well as 400 varieties of lowers, crustose and foliose lichen. 
  • All of the plants have adapted to sweeping winds and soil disturbances. Plants are short, cluster together to withstand low temperatures, and are shielded by snow throughout the winter. 
  • They can photosynthesize even at low temperatures and light intensities. Because the growing seasons are brief, most plants reproduce by budding and division rather than sexually through blooming.

FAUNA IN ARCTIC TUNDRA

  • The polar wildlife is also diverse.
  • Lemmings, small mammals, caribou, arctic hares, and squirrels are herbivorous animals. 
  • Arctic foxes, wolves, and walruses are predatory creatures. 
  • Ravens, snow buntings, falcons, loons, gulls, terns, snowbirds, and numerous gull species migrate. 
  • Mosquitoes, flies, moths, grasshoppers, blackflies, and polar bumble bees are among the insects. 
  • Cod, flatfish, salmon, and trout are examples of fish.
  • Animals have evolved to cope with lengthy, harsh winters and mate and rear offspring swiftly in the summer. Mammals and birds, for example, have extra fat insulation. Because food is scarce during the winter, many animals hibernate. 
  • Another option is to move south in the winter, as do birds. Because of the intense cold, reptiles and amphibians are few or non-existent. The population fluctuates due to ongoing immigration and emigration.

ALPINE TUNDRA

  • Alpine tundra is at high altitudes in mountains worldwide where plants cannot grow. The growth season lasts about 180 days. 
  • The temperature is naturally below freezing; in contrast to the arctic tundra, the alpine soil is well drained.

FLORA IN ALPINE TUNDRA

  • Plants comparable to those found in the Arctic include tussock grasslands, dwarf trees, bushes, and heaths.

FAUNA IN ALPINE TUNDRA

  • The animals in alpine tundra are also well and highly adaptable.
  • Mammals include pikas, muskrats, mountain goats, sheep, and elk. 
  • Birds that look like grouse 
  • Springtails, beetles, grasshoppers, and butterflies are examples of insects.

CLIMATIC CLASSIFICATION

  • Tundra climates are often classified as ET by Koppen, which denotes a climate pattern in which at least one month has a standard temperature high enough to thaw snow (0°C (32°F)). Still, no month has an average temperature greater than 10°C (50°F). 
  • The cold limit typically correlates to the EF climates of permanent ice and snow; the warm-summer limit generally corresponds to the poleward or altitudinal limitation of trees, where they grade into the Dfd, Dwd, and Dsd subarctic climates (extreme winters as in parts of Siberia), 
  • Dfc is common in Alaska, Canada, Scandinavian mountain regions, European Russia, and Western Siberia (cold winters with months of freezing).
  • Despite the ET category’s potential range of climates involving precipitation, severe temperatures, and comparative wet and dry seasons, it is rarely subdivided. 
  • Rainfall and snowfall are often slight due to the low vapor pressure of water in a cold environment. Still, potential evapotranspiration is extremely low, allowing for wet terrain of swamps and bogs even in areas that get precipitation typical of deserts in the lower and middle latitudes. 
  • The overall amount of native tundra biomass is determined by local temperature rather than precipitation.

RELATIONSHIP TO GLOBAL CLIMATE

  • Global warming, which leads permafrost to thaw, is dangerous to the tundra. In human periods (decades or centuries), the thawing of permafrost in a specific place might drastically alter which species can thrive there. 
  • Another worry is that taiga and tundra areas contain around one-third of the world’s soil-bound carbon. When permafrost melts, carbon is released as methane and carbon dioxide, both greenhouse gases. In Alaska, the impact has been noticed. The tundra was a carbon sink in the 1970s but is now a carbon producer.
  • When vegetation decomposes in lakes and marshes, methane is created. Scientific research has not been able to correctly estimate the number of greenhouse gases produced under forecasted global warming scenarios. 
  • There is a risk of wildfires in areas where dead vegetation and peat have been collected. In 2007 1,039 km2 (401 sq mi) of tundra were burned on the northern slope of Alaska’s Brooks Range. Such occurrences may both cause and contribute to global warming.

Tundra Biome Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the tundra biome across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Tundra Biome worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the tundra biome, which is a vast permafrost plain ecosystem characterized by an extremely cold climate, absence of trees, and minimal survival of plants and animals. About 20% of the Earth’s land surface is covered with tundra, like in the Arctic Circle.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

  • Tundra Biome Facts
  • Define Tundra
  • Icy Facts
  • I Can Survive!
  • Frozen Planet
  • Major Biomes
  • Where is the Tundra?
  • Tundra Environment
  • Biome Vocabulary
  • Tundra and the Desert
  • Environmental Danger

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Tundra?

Tundra is the coolest biome of all. Tundra comes from the Finnish term Tunturi, which means “treeless plain.” It is known for its frost-molded landscapes, shallow temperatures, minimal precipitation, deficient nutrients, and short growing seasons.

What are the two types of Tundra?

Tundra is classified as either Arctic or Alpine.

Where is Arctic Tundra located?

Arctic tundra is in the northern hemisphere, encompassing the North Pole and extending south to the taiga coniferous woodlands. 

What plants can be found in Alpine Tundra?

Plants comparable to those found in the Arctic include tussock grasslands, dwarf trees, bushes, and heaths.

What is the biggest threat to Tundra?

Global warming, which leads permafrost to thaw, is dangerous to the tundra. In human periods (decades or centuries), the thawing of permafrost in a specific place might drastically alter which species can thrive there. 

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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