Tundra is an area which tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The word “tundra” comes from Kildin Sami tūndâr meaning “uplands, tundra, and treeless mountain tract”. There are two types of tundra: Arctic Tundra (which also occurs in Antarctica), and the Alpine Tundra. Vegetation in the tundra is composed of dwarf shrubs, sedges, grasses, mosses, and lichens. There are some signs of scattered trees in some parts of the tundra. The Ecotone or the ecological boundary region between the tundra and the forest is known as the forest is known as the tree line or timberline. Arctic Tundra The Arctic Tundra is located in the Northern Hemisphere. Tundra refers to only areas where the subsoil is permafrost or permanently frozen soil. Permafrost tundra includes vast areas of Northern Russia and Canada. The Arctic Tundra is a vast area of stark landscape, which is frozen for most of the year. The soil there is frozen down to 25-90 cm (9.8-35.4 inches) which is impossible for trees to grow. But instead, bare and sometimes rocky land can only support low growing plants such as mosses, lichens, and heath. There are two main seasons, winter and summer, in polar tundra areas. During the winter it is very cold and dark, with an average around -28 oC (-18.4 oF), and sometimes going low as -50 oC (-58.0 oF). However, extreme cold temperatures on tundra do not drop as low as those experienced in taiga areas further south. For example, Russia’s and Canada’s lowest temperatures were recorded in locations south of the treeline. During the summer the temperature does rise somewhat, melting the top layer of the permafrost leaving the ground very soggy. The tundra is covered in marshes, lakes, bogs and streams during warm months. Daytime temperatures in summer usually goes up as high of 12 oC (54 oF) but can often drop down to 3 oC (37 oF) or even below freezing.
The tundra is a very windy area, with winds often...