Arctic tundra



Tundra is type of biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons and the subsoil is permanently frozen soil.

In tundra, the vegetation is composed of dwarf shrubs, sedges and grasses, mosses, and lichens.

Scattered trees grow in some regions. During the winter it is cold and dark, with the average temperature around −28 °C, sometimes as low as −50 °C (−58 °F). However, temperatures on the tundra do not drop as low as those experienced in taiga areas further south. During the summer, temperatures rise somewhat, and the top layer of the permafrost melts, leaving the ground very soggy. The tundra is covered in marshes, lakes, bogs and streams during the warm months. Daytime temperatures during the summer rise to about 12 °C but can often drop to 3 °C or even below freezing.

Tundra tends to be windy, with winds often blowing upwards of 50–100 km/h. However, in terms of precipitation, it is desert-like, with only about 15–25 cm falling per year (summer is typically the season of maximum precipitation).