
INTRODUCTION
Formed around 10,000 years ago, the tundra is the youngest and coldest biome on Earth. The term, tundra, derives from a Finnish word for flat, treeless hills. It encompasses the most distant edges of life, located at the highest peaks, the freezing snow of the far south, and the northernmost frigid lands. The three variants of the tundra are the alpine, the arctic, and the antarctic. The alpine tundra is found at high elevations, among the tallest peaks, like the Himalayas and Tibet. The arctic tundra is found at high latitudes, in the far north of Russia, Europe, and North America. The Antarctic tundra is located in small areas where conditions are

antarctic
arctic
alpine
LOCATION AND CLIMATE
still appropriate for major/non-microscopic life. The tundra is by far the coldest biome on Earth. It faces little precipitation, making it akin to a desert, but one of snow and stunted grasses—winters in the tundra stretch on for long periods; around six to ten months. Winters are frigid, but temperatures warm in the summer. There are three main types of tundra: the arctic, the alpine, and the antarctic. During the winter, temperatures often average around -30ºC to -40ºC. In the summer, the environment warms from 3ºC to 12ºC. The alpine tundra is located in the mountains, based above the treeline. The alpine climate possesses a unique feature that animals must deal with: altitude. This altitude decreases air pressure to conditions sometimes unsustainable for humans. The Antarctic and arctic are very similar in climate, but a few key differences remain. The arctic boasts a relative variety of geographical features, such as lakes, mountains, and rivers. Antarctica, don't the other hand, has a much less diverse environment, with less than 1% of the continent ice-free. Antarctica is vastly colder of the two and possesses far less biodiversity than the arctic.
VEGETATION
Tundra vegetation is a precious resource for the biome's food chain, essential to the survival of the tundra, just like any other biome. The vegetation of the tundra biome face
extremely cold

weather and climate that no other plant species can endure. Tundra vegetation has specifically evolved to deal with the unforgiving temperatures of the tundra. The alpine tundra is located in mountains but only occurs in the areas in which trees do not grow. Beyond the points on the mountain when trees are no longer present, or the treeline is where the alpine tundra begins. The alpine tundra has generally more forgiving temperatures. Vegetation beyond the treeline
is vastly different. Fungi and plants in all the tundra sub-biomes have evolved to stay low to the ground, avoiding the violent winds that threaten to tear up stem plants. This type of vegetation consists of low-lying plants like mosses and short, small flowers. These plants have shallow roots to stay above permafrost. Much of the vegetation, such as the arctic

willow has evolved fuzzy hairs that trap warmth. Arctic and antarctic plants limit their height to the snow level because the snow provides insulation and protects them from wind and
predators. These plants developed to grow much faster than their cousins in temperate regions. Their developing patterns are rapidly accelerated during the Spring to take advantage of the warmth. Polar plants and fungi are adapted to photosynthesis in extremely cold temperatures. The Arctic and alpine fungi are dominated by lichen, a non-protruding growth that spreads easily across surfaces, making it an efficient decomposer. Lichen can survive in even more extreme conditions than plants, able to photosynthesize while frozen. Lichen does not use roots and obtain water by absorbing moisture directly from the air.
ANIMALS: In the tundra, animals must adapt to a life of freezing temperatures and blasting winds. This biome is so extreme that animals must learn to conserve energy and take careful advantage of the resources that surround them. The arctic and alpine tundras boast a relatively impressive biodiversity. Yet the antarctic's biodiversity lies almost entirely in the seas that surround it, like its penguins and seals. The single largest animal in Antarctica is a wingless midge, a tiny insect that is 1.3 cm long.Lichens and plants, like the arctic willow, stay low to the ground, so many herbivores adapt flexible bodies or small bodies. The biodiversity of the tundra is one of the lowest of all the biomes. The tundra is so cold that no cold-blooded animals, save for insects, survive here. Though the tundra is no wasteland, animals are much harder to easily observe in the biome. Animals must stay warm and have thus adapted very similar traits for thermoregulation. Tundra mammals, like the Arctic hare, evolved bodies that have consistently employed the volume-surface area theory. This strategy seeks to increase the volume and decrease the surface area. With greater surface area, the area to release heat is greater. But by allowing the volume to tip over the ratio, the number of cells producing heat increases while the area to lose the heat decreases. Nature has done this through body
shapes that reduce surface area and increase volumes, such as using shorter legs, ears, and snouts. Mammals also store excess body fat for warmth, as well as thick, insulating fur. Many arctic and antarctic animals possess white furs for camouflage, like the arctic fox and hare. Mammals ranging from caribou to hares often employ these similar traits. Mammals (particularly in the alpine tundra, like marmots and grizzly bears) also practice hibernation, a method to conserve energy during cold winters. Insects, on the other hand, are cold-blooded, so must develop external biological factors for warmth. Tundra insects often possess insulation hairs similar to that mammal fur. The arctic bumblebee, a specialized tundra bug, has large flight muscles that allow it to practice a shivering motion. Vibrations heat its body. Arctic and Antarctic fish possess unique antifreeze proteins that prevent the growth of ice crystals on cells. Arctic birds have fluffy, warm plumage that covers them head-to-toe so that no part of them is exposed (including feet). Many of these birds have migratory patterns that bring them to more abundant environments during winter. Alpine animals deal with altitude air pressure by increasing hemoglobin-- a chemical that pumps blood and oxygen into the heart. At the top of the arctic food chain is the polar bear. Polar bears are carnivores, covered in thick
white fur like the arctic fox. They hunt mammals like caribou (reindeer), rodents like lemmings, and even sea animals. Polar bears are surprisingly good swimmers, more than quadruple the average human swimmer. However, when hunting their primary underwater prey-- seals-- they employ patience and ice instead of their swimming ability. They use the ice as a barrier to conceal themselves from seals. Seals are an important animal in the Arctic and Antarctic marine ecosystemic, controlling the populations of many secondary and primary consumers, such as squid, fish, and other crustaceans.

MUSK OX (plural. musk oxen) [MAMMAL]
HABITAT: Found in the Arctic tundra, mainly in northern Greenland and Nunavut, Canada. Musk oxen are generally restricted to areas of the tundra with shallow or no snow.
PREY: [herbivore] a variety of arctic grasses, shrubbery, seasonal berries and

other kinds of low-lying arctic vegetation. Musk oxen eat arctic flowers, lichen, and the arctic willow.
PREDATORS: Wolves, bears, and humans
BODY: Musk oxen are huge stocky mammals, with a height of about 1.1 meters to 1.5 meters, some being taller than an adult male. They are certainly far longer, at 2 meters, males being slightly larger than females.
ADAPTATIONS & BEHAVIOR: Musk oxen possess a dark brown, two-layered coat. The outer coat, called guard hairs, is shaggy and long, while the inner layer, called qiviut, is silkier and shorter. These coats offer insulating warmth in the bitter tundra. During the summers, the qiviut undercoat falls off due to warmer temperatures. Musk oxen use their hooves to dig up snow for vegetation. These hooves, however, are not adapted enough for thick snow, so must stay in shallower areas. Herding behavior, large sizes, and fierce tusks help deter predators.
NICHE: The musk oxen is a primary consumer, one of the only two ungulates in the arctic, as well as caribou (reindeer). As major herbivores, they are responsible for controlling arctic vegetation populations. Their diet also makes them important seed dispersers through feces.

Qiviut is considered one of the rarest fibers in the world and is very expensive. In Alaska, musk oxen were hunted to extinction in the 1800s for their coveted fur. In the 1900s, they were reintroduced and have since grown into the thousands.
ARCTIC FOX (alternatively, snow fox)
[MAMMAL]
HABITAT: Found across the circumpolar (around the North Pole) arctic tundra
PREY: [omnivore] The arctic fox, or snow fox, are omnivores, adapted to a dynamic lifestyle of scavenging, grazing, and hunting. Arctic foxes feed on eggs, birds, insects, fruit, lemmings, and other rodents. Their opportunistic feeding allows them to rely on different kinds of food if one runs scarce.
PREDATORS: Wolves and bears

BODY: Arctic foxes are small mammals, their
length less than half of the average human height. At 25 to 30 cm, they barely reach a human's knees. Arctic foxes are much faster, however, at 50 kph compared to a human running speed of 13 kph
ADAPTATIONS & BEHAVIOR: Their white fur offers both insulating warmth and protective camouflage. Their fur is white in the winter to blend in with the snow and darkens to a grey or brown in summer. Arctic foxes live in burrows, tunneling into the snow to protect them from blizzards. Arctic foxes are hunted by wolves and polar bears. The foxes often live for 3 or 4 years in the wild. Though they live brief lives, they can live up to 11 years without natural predators. Arctic foxes mate for life and give birth to seven pups on average. the human running speed of 13 kph.
NICHE: The arctic fox is a secondary consumer, omnivorous and opportunistic. The arctic fox acts as a major controller of rodent populations such as lemmings. Its scavenger lifestyle helps clean the environment of decomposing carrion

The arctic fox can change appearances dramatically to camouflage with changing terrain
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INTRODUCTION
Formed around 10,000 years ago, the tundra is the youngest and coldest biome on Earth. The term, tundra, derives from a Finnish word for flat, treeless hills. It encompasses the most distant edges of life, located at the highest peaks, the freezing snow of the far south, and the northernmost frigid lands. The three variants of the tundra are the alpine, the arctic, and the antarctic. The alpine tundra is found at high elevations, among the tallest peaks, like the Himalayas and Tibet. The arctic tundra is found at high latitudes, in the far north of Russia, Europe, and North America. The Antarctic tundra is located in small areas where conditions are

antarctic
arctic
alpine
LOCATION AND CLIMATE
still appropriate for major/non-microscopic life. The tundra is by far the coldest biome on Earth. It faces little precipitation, making it akin to a desert, but one of snow and stunted grasses—winters in the tundra stretch on for long periods; around six to ten months. Winters are frigid, but temperatures warm in the summer. There are three main types of tundra: the arctic, the alpine, and the antarctic. During the winter, temperatures often average around -30ºC to -40ºC. In the summer, the environment warms from 3ºC to 12ºC. The alpine tundra is located in the mountains, based above the treeline. The alpine climate possesses a unique feature that animals must deal with: altitude. This altitude decreases air pressure to conditions sometimes unsustainable for humans. The Antarctic and arctic are very similar in climate, but a few key differences remain. The arctic boasts a relative variety of geographical features, such as lakes, mountains, and rivers. Antarctica, don't the other hand, has a much less diverse environment, with less than 1% of the continent ice-free. Antarctica is vastly colder of the two and possesses far less biodiversity than the arctic.
VEGETATION
Tundra vegetation is a precious resource for the biome's food chain, essential to the survival of the tundra, just like any other biome. The vegetation of the tundra biome face
extremely cold

weather and climate that no other plant species can endure. Tundra vegetation has specifically evolved to deal with the unforgiving temperatures of the tundra. The alpine tundra is located in mountains but only occurs in the areas in which trees do not grow. Beyond the points on the mountain when trees are no longer present, or the treeline is where the alpine tundra begins. The alpine tundra has generally more forgiving temperatures. Vegetation beyond the treeline
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