Question

Which of the following are characteristics of the tundra biome? (Choose all that apply.)

Answer 1

Answer is very cold temperatures, lack of trees and low biodiversity

The Tundra is defined mainly by permafrost, lack of trees, low biodiversity, and harsh conditions. It occupies the area between the polar ice caps and the boreal forests (or taiga).

The tundra biome is characterized by extremely cold temperatures and treeless, frozen landscapes. There are two types of tundra, the arctic tundra and the alpine tundra.

The World’s Ice Deserts: The Tundra Biome

The tundra is the coldest of all the biomes with an annual average temperature of less than 5°C, and precipitation (mostly in the form of snow) less than 100 mm per year. The weather conditions at tundra are so harsh that only a handful of plants and animals can even survive there. The word tundra comes from the Finnish word ‘tunturia’ which means treeless plain.

The tundra is one of the least understood and most fascinating biomes on the planet. This incredibly difficult climate and the environment have both a bizarre and diverse range of animals that have learned to survive with the limited amounts of green plant life, sunlight and moisture. Due to extremely cold temperatures, the layer just below the surface remains permanently frozen. This frozen layer of ground is called ‘permafrost.’