Tundra Summary Sheet
1. location tundra is found along the northern margins of
North America, Europe and Asia i.e.:-
(i) Alaska (U.S.A.)
(ii) Northern Canada
(iii) Southern Greenland
(iv) Northern Scandinavia
(v) Siberia (Russian Federation)
2. climate long, very cold winters and short, mild summers. Most areas of tundra have less than 250 mm of annual precipitation (they are often called "cold deserts").
3. vegetation
This zone has fewer species of plants than any other climatic (natural region) area. Plants have adapted to this harsh environment by :-
problem .............................solution
strong cold wind ................all plants are low growing to
gain protection from this
limited precipitation ...........most plants have small leaves
to reduce transpiration
low temperatures ...............many plants are protected from
the harsh winter by a ..........................................deep
covering of snow
short growing season ........plants benefit from the long hours
of daylight in ..........................................summer
permafrost .........................most plants have short roots
to avoid the underlying ..........................................permanently
frozen ground
In addition, soils in tundra areas suffer from a lack of organic material and tend to be poor, shallow and lacking in plant nutrients. The main plants tend to be mosses, lichens, grasses, shrubs and flowers.
4. peoples' use of the environment
Traditionally, the native people of the tundra lived by hunting
the wildlife and sold furs to buy things they needed.
In recent years, people have moved in to the isolated areas of
the tundra to exploit the natural resources of the area such
as:-
- large amounts of minerals - eg coal, gold, copper and
gas. Though perhaps the largest expansion has been in the drilling
of oil eg the North Slope of Alaska.
- vast amounts of wildlife - hunters have killed animals
such as caribou; reindeer; seals and polar bears. They have also
killed whales and salmon in the seas around the area.
- tourism - as the area now has more roads and airfields, it
is easier for tourists to come and view the scenery and wildlife.
As well as this, they use the area for hunting and sports such
as cross country skiing and snowmobile races.
5. peoples' abuse of the environment
However, as more people move in to the tundra and use its
resources, there are many problems:-
- the extraction of mineral resources from this fragile
area has led to many environmental problems. An example being
the large amounts of unsightly infrastructure (wells, buildings,
pipes, workers' houses, roads) required by the oil industry.
These often block the natural migration routes of the caribou,
make a lot of noise which disturbs wildlife, cause air pollution
through excess gas being burned off, with large vehicles also
destroying fragile tundra soils and plants. On top of this there
is the danger of an oil spill on land or at sea eg the Exxon
Valdez oil tanker disaster off Alaska in 1989.
- the widespread hunting of much of the area's wildlife has led
to several species becoming endangered. The habitats of wildlife
are disturbed e.g. arctic foxes, wolves and moose. Some governments
have put a limit on the amounts of certain species which can
be killed eg seals and whales in an attempt to limit this damage.
- although tourism can bring jobs to the area, the tourists themselves
can cause threats to the fragile environment eg dropping litter
and disturbing wildlife (especially in the breeding season).
- the traditional way of life of the native people (such as the
Inuit in N. Canada who were hunters) is damaged, as many new
people move into the area. Therefore, the natives are exposed
to modern ways of life eg living in houses instead of igloos
and huts, and speaking English instead of their native tongue.
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