Tundra este o zonaăde vegetatie situată la nord de zona padurilor, ocupând regiunile cu climaă subarcticaă (extremitatea nordica a Europei, Asiei șsi Americii de Nord șsi unele regiuni din sudul Oceanului Îngheat sau Arctic).
Zona de tundraă este slab populataă cu rozatoare mici șsi câteva feluri de pasari care traiesc în tunele facute în zapada si hranindu-se cu muschi șsi licheni- plantele specifice tundrei.Fauna este extrem de bogata.În tundra:renul,elanul,vulpea polara,lupul de tundra,iepurele alb,potârnichea polara.În insulele Oceanului Artic: ursul alb;în ape: foca,morsa.În taiga sunt: veverita,lupul, ursul brun,râsul,hermelina si samurul,renul,elanul.În zona padurilor amestecate: lupul,vulpea, ursul,pisica salbatica etc.În stepa: rozatoare,pasari rapitoare, în semidesert: serpi de desert.
Flora tundrei este foarte sarac. Conditiile specifice (perioadaă scurtaă de vegetatie, vânturi, înghet peren, soluri reci șsi suprasaturate cu apa), au determinat la plante aparitia unor adaptari caracteristice. Tundra este formata din plante cu înaltimi reduse (arborii lipsesc complet), de obicei perene, cu sistem radiculare superficiale. Predomină muschii șsi lichenii, gramineele, unele plante cu flori viu colorate, iar în sud, arbustii pitici șsi tufisurile scunde (salcie polara, mesteacan pitic).
Tundra este localizată în emisfera nordică între 55° şi 70° latitudine nordică, aceasta ocupă 20% din suprafata Terrei.
Tundra este o zonă de vegetaţie situată la nord de zona pădurilor, ocupând regiunile cu climă subarctică (extremitatea nordică a Europei, Asiei şi Americii de Nord şi unele regiuni din sudul Oceanului Îngheţat sau Arctic).
Regiune din sudul tundrei în care apare alternarea unor insule de padure cu tundra.
Tundra si silvotundra
Bearberry
Fun with Flora!
- Scientific Name: "Arctostaphylos uva-ursi"
- General Description:
- this plants grows 5-20 cm tall
- It has pale pink or white flowers and thick bark
- It is able to grow in low nutrient soils, and thrives in Northern Alaska and Greenland/Iceland
- It gets its name because bears enjoy eating the small red berries
- Adaptations:
- The bearberry grows low to the ground in order to avoid wind chill
- Its silky hairs help keep it warm
- Because bears eat it, the seeds are able to be dispersed
- Fun Fact: If you use this plant's leaves to make a tea, it can help with kidney and bladder problems
In general, the plants that grow here have shallow root systems because of the permafrost, and are adapted to the extremely cold weather by growing close to the ground and having insulating hairs
Pasque Flower
Labrador Tea
- Scientific Name: "Anemone patens"
- General Description:
- The Pasque flower grows to about 15-20 cm off the ground
- It s identified by a single stem with one flower (either white or lavender) which has yellow stamens as the center
- The flower is one of the earliest to bloom
- Adaptations:
- This plants has silky hairs for insulation and grows low to the ground to protect itself from the cold
- Fun Fact: This plant can be used to treat cataracts
- Scientific Name: "Ledum groenlandicum"
- General Description:
- It can grow up to 150 cm tall, but in the Northern latitudes of the tundra tends to form a carpet
- Its leaves are recognizable for being leathery green and hairy only on the underside
- The white flowers have stamens that extend past the rest of the flower
- Adaptations:
- They are slightly poisonous qualities prevent animals from eating them
- The white flowers attract bees to help with pollination
- Again, the hairs help insulate the plant
- Fun Fact: Native Americans would place branches of this plant in grain to prevent mice
Arctic Willow
Caribou Moss/ Reindeer Lichen
- Scientific Name: "Salix arctica"
- General Description:
- The Arctic Willow grows to about 15-20 cm in height, but grows more like a carpet in colder regions
- It has oval shaped leaves that are pointed at the tip, and are a darker green at the bottom than on the top
- Long hairs also cover these leaves
- Adaptations:
- Due to the permafrost, this plant has shallow root systems and grows relatively low to the ground
- The plants also produces a pesticide that keeps incests away
- Fun Fact: The Arctic Willow has male ad female flowers
- Scientific Name: "Cladonia rangiferina"
- General Description:
- It looks like a greenish gray clump
- It can grow 2-10 cm high
- There's a symbiotic relationship between the lichen and moss
- Adaptations:
- The tissues of the lichen are not easily damaged by the frost
- If there is a long period without water or sunlight, the plant goes dormant
- Fun Fact: The lichen can absorb radiation, and therefore poses a danger to the caribou that eat it during the winter
Tufted Saxifrage
- Scientific Name: "Saxifraga caespitosa"
- General Description:
- It can grow up 3-15 cm tall
- It has really hairy and stiff leaves
- Its flowers are bell-shaped and white petals (They bloom into star shapes)
- Adaptations:
- A well developed root system that can respond quickly to the tundra's cold weather
- Fun Fact: Saxifraga comes from the Latin word "rock breaker"
VA MULTUMIM PENTRU ATENIE