Tundra: Definition, Vegetation, Lands & Animals

Landscapes that are characterized primarily by cool temperatures, few plants and virtually no trees are also called tundra. But what exactly is a tundra and why don’t trees actually grow there?

If you thought tundras were only found in particularly cold areas, e.g. B. in the direction of the North or South Pole, you are not wrong, but also not quite right. There are also tundras in mountains, e.g. B. the Alps.

Tundra definition

Vegetation zones are specific areas of the earth that can be distinguished from each other by climate and plant life. Just as areas such as boreal coniferous forests, deserts or tropical rainforests are different vegetation zones, the tundra is also one of them. Due to their characteristics, they could be considered as a “transitional zone” between the arctic ice areas and the northern coniferous forest.

Distribution of tundra lands

The tundra ecosystem is mainly found in the north, after all the vegetation zone is also characterized by its cool temperatures. Altogether, however, tundras make up only about 3 to 4 percent of the landmass of the earth.

Figure 1: Map of the distribution of the tundra. Source: our-planet-erde.de

Depending on the region in which the tundra area is located, three different types can be distinguished.

The Antarctic Tundra

This type of tundra, as the name suggests, is mainly found on the fringes of Antarctica. But there are a few other places in the south of the southern hemisphere where this vegetation zone is located. However, many areas here are in a mixed form of different vegetation zones, which is why the classification is sometimes controversial.

The Arctic Tundra

Arctic tundras are tundras in the northern hemisphere.

The Alpine Tundra

Unlike the Antarctic and Arctic tundra, alpine tundra are not found near the poles but can be found in many mountain ranges. Depending on the mountain range, the altitude at which you find the alpine tundra can vary.

climate in the tundra

Due to the places of their distribution, tundras have a very cold climate. These include long, cold winters and short, cool summers.

In polar tundras there is very little solar radiation, as in winter the sun does not shine at all. Although it shines all day in midsummer, since summers are short, this cannot completely compensate for the loss of solar radiation in winter. Mountain tundras, on the other hand, are not affected by such extreme climatic conditions.

Tundras are often covered with snow for eight to eleven months. Otherwise, the precipitation rate is rather low at less than 200 to 600 mm per year. Nevertheless, tundras are always very humid. This is because there is too little evaporation due to the long period of frost and low temperatures.

The permanently frozen ground of the tundra is also referred to as permafrost soils. Since the upper layer of ice melts in summer, floodplains appear during this period and a swampy steppe is formed.

The tundra is not a habitable place for plants. Due to the extreme climatic conditions due to the permafrost and the limited solar radiation in the polar regions, only plants that have already adapted to these harsh conditions can survive here.

Trees, on the other hand, are not among these adapted plants. On the one hand, they cannot anchor themselves with their roots in the ground, since this is almost permanently frozen, and on the other hand, even if they could put down roots, they could not absorb water from the frozen ground.

Plants that grow little and are insensitive to the cold naturally have better chances of survival.

animals in the tundra

The tundra is also an extreme habitat for animals. Comparing tundras in the northern hemisphere with tundras in the southern hemisphere, however, there are more different types in the northern half of the world. The few mammals that inhabit the tundra in the southern hemisphere are found only in Tierra del Fuego. In the following table you will find the assignment of the animals that live in the respective tundras.

Polar tundra of the northern hemisphere, forest tundras and boreal coniferous forests, tundra of the southern hemisphere, polar bears, arctic foxes, arctic wolves, tundra wolves, arctic hares, lemmings, brown bears, reindeer, ducks, hawks, golden eagles or gulls, penguins, petrels, wax beaks, crested rats, guanaco (camel species), Andean jackal (wild dog)

endangerment of the tundra

Tundras are very delicate ecosystems. Even small disturbances and imbalances can have serious consequences for the entire climate of the area.

Global air pollution also affects life on the tundra. The increased ultraviolet radiation from the ozone hole damages both animals and plants. In addition, the release of pollutants into the air also causes acidification of water bodies and damages lichens. These are essential for the nutrition of many animals native to the tundra.

Global warming in particular poses a huge threat to the unique circumstances of tundras. Permafrost soils are thawing and leaving behind not only in naturer, but also damage to roads and buildings. The reason for this is that the permafrost causes the ground to lose its stability and accordingly everything that was built on it, such as e.g. B. Houses.

There is also a risk that thawing will release large amounts of methane into the atmosphere, which in turn will fuel global warming even more.