The Tundra & Fauna

INTRODUCTION

Different regions on earth share similar climatic conditions despite being found in geographically different areas, and when areas have comparable ecosystems, they are categorized as being one of the types of biome. The geographical distribution and the productivity of the various biomes is controlled primarily by the climatic variables of precipitation and temperature. The tundra is an arctic and alpine biome, with a geographical distribution largely poleward of 60 degrees North latitude:

The tundra biome is characterized by an absence of trees,

the presence of dwarf plants, and a ground surface that is

wet, spongy, and hummocky. Soils of this biome are usually

permanently frozen (permafrost) starting at a depth of a few centimeters to meter or more. The permafrost line is a

physical barrier to plant root growth (Pidwirny, 2000).

In this region, competition has developed over what the land does provide in the way of food and protection, though species diversity and the effect of predation are each influenced most by the climatic conditions more than by competition.

THE TUNDRA

The word "tundra" is derived from the Finnish word for

barren or treeless land, which describes the tundra well. The

tundra is the simplest biome in terms of species composition and

food chains. Among the vegetation found there are lichens,

mosses, sedges, perennial forms, and

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this is perhaps best seen in the lemming, a small rodent which is the major herbivore in the tundra's simple food chain ("The Tundra," 1996). The mammals found in the tundra biome range in size from shrews weighing only a few grams to the moose, which weighs over 600 kilograms, and among the animals found in the region are rodents such as muskrats, lemmings, ground squirrels, and other animals such as foxes, wolves, hares, lynxes, wolverines, weasels, otters, caribou, moose, and musk oxen. In the Arctic region, the lemmings are the most common rodent, but related voles share their habitat and are even more common in some areas. Most small tundra animals store their food for the winter. They do not have the ability to become torpid in the cold and remain active all winter long. All live under the insulative snow in the winter, each with its own particular habitat requirements(Ray and McCormickRay, 1981, 9293). The primary predator for most of these mammals is the wolf (Canus lupus), a highly intelligent and social animal that travels in packs, hunts cooperatively, and is gentle to others in the pack. It has a complex language conveyed by body language and sounds such as its howl. wolves are skilled preda

Category: Science - T