The 1st research on Biomes:
Allocations:
Yi Wai-Desert
ZiFang-Marine
Charis-Freshwater
Natasha-Tundra
Sumana-Grassland
Swathi- RainForest
Savanna & Grassland is classified under Taiga
Alpine
what are they?
Research on the characteristics of the Biome and the adaptations of the animals and plants living there and state the reason(s) for the adaptations.
FRESHWATER BIOME - CHARIS
Freshwater is defined as having a low salt concentration — usually less than 1%. Plants and animals in freshwater regions are adjusted to the low salt content and would not be able to survive in areas of high salt concentration (i.e., ocean). There are different types of freshwater regions:
The topmost zone near the shore of a lake or pond is the warmest since it is shallow and can absorb more of the Sun's heat. It sustains a fairly diverse community, which can include several species of algae (like diatoms), rooted and floating aquatic plants, grazing snails, clams, insects, crustaceans, fishes, and amphibians. In the case of the insects, such as dragonflies and midges, only the egg and larvae stages are found in this zone. The vegetation and animals living in the littoral zone are food for other creatures such as turtles, snakes, and ducks.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/freshwater.php
Animal Adaptations
Many plants and animals have adapted to the freshwater biome and could not survive in water having a higher salt concentration. As this ecosystem covers a vast portion of the world, the animal life found can vary considerably.
Fish are able to obtain oxygen through their gills. Fish such as trout have adapted to living in rivers and streams where the water is cooler, clearer and has a higher oxygen level. At the mouth of these water sources, the sediments create a more murky environment with lower oxygen levels and fish such as catfish and carp have adapted to exist in these areas.
There are three zones in lakes and ponds:
- The littoral zone (the topmost and warmest is home to snails, clams, insects, crustaceans, fishes and amphibians and the eggs and larvae of dragonflies and midges). These resources provide food for turtles, snakes and ducks. It is the warmest since it is shallow and can absorb more of the Sun's heat. It sustains a fairly diverse community, which can include several species of algae (like diatoms), rooted and floating aquatic plants, grazing snails, clams, insects, crustaceans, fishes, and amphibians. In the case of the insects, such as dragonflies and midges, only the egg and larvae stages are found in this zone. The vegetation and animals living in the littoral zone are food for other creatures such as turtles, snakes, and ducks.
- The limnetic zone is close to Beavers shape their environment more than most other animal species on Earth, utilizing their ever-growing teeth to cut down trees and plants to create dams to create their dens. Their actions are not always appreciated by nearby humans, but they are vital to the ecology, causing a build-up of water which in turn creates a new wetland. Beavers also help to purify water because the sediments and any toxins are trapped behind the dam.
- The profundal zone is very dense and cold, with little light penetrating this region. Only heterotrophs (animals that eat dead organisms) are found in this region
- Fish are able to obtain oxygen through their gills. Fish such as trout have adapted to living in rivers and streams where the water is cooler, clearer and has a higher oxygen level. At the mouth of these water sources, the sediments create a more murky environment with lower oxygen levels and fish such as catfish and carp have adapted to exist in these areas.
- Mammals (badgers, otters, mink) live near water and are capable of swimming to catch their main food source, fish.
->Beavers shape their environment more than most other animal species on Earth, utilizing their ever-growing teeth to cut down trees and plants to create dams to create their dens. Their actions are not always appreciated by nearby humans, but they are vital to the ecology, causing a build-up of water which in turn creates a new wetland. Beavers also help to purify water because the sediments and any toxins are trapped behind the dam.
- Amphibians and reptiles (toads, frogs, alligators, crocodiles, salamanders and newts start life underwater as eggs and tadpoles, and then move to ground as adults.
- Insects such as skaters, water beetles, mosquitoes and dragonflies can skim over the surface of ponds, playing a critical role in the food supply for other animals. Some spiders can actually take a bubble of air with them underwater.
- Many species of ducks, geese and swans also call the freshwater biome their home, feeding on a number of different items including fish, while wading birds such as herons and egrets wander through the mud shallows searching for insects.
- Manatees have adapted to survive in warm water and migrate south. Some have found the warm water near power plants, and consequently do not have to migrate.
GRASSLAND BIOME - SUMANA
Characterization: Lands dominated by grass rather than large shrubs or trees.
How it came about: As ancient forests declined, grasslands became more common.
Climate type: Hotter and Drier regions
Two Main Divisions Of Grassland
Savanna
Description: It is a grassland scattered with individual trees
Locations: Cover ½ the surface of Africa and large areas of Australia, South America and India
Factors:
1) Climate is a main factor involved in the creation of a Savanna
2) Rainfall should be concentrated in six or eight months of the year, followed by a long period of drought where fires can occur
3) They are found in warm and hot climates where annual rainfall is about 50.8cm and 127cm
Soil:
1) Soil is porous and allows rapid drainage of water
2) It has a thin layer of humus
Definition of Humus: Organic portion of soil that created by partial decomposition of animal/plant matter, which provide vegetation with nutrients.
TUNDRA BIOME - NATASHA
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/tundra.php
Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. It has frost-molded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients, and short growing seasons.
Dead organic material functions as a nutrient pool. The two major nutrients are nitrogen created by biological fixation and phosphorus created by precipitation.
Characteristics of Tundra:
- Extremely cold climate
- Low biotic diversity
- Simple vegetation structure
- Limitation of drainage
- Short season of growth and reproduction
- Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material
- Large population oscillations
- There are 2 types of Tundras: Arctic tundra and Alpine tundra
Arctic Tundra
- Located in the Northern hesmisphere
- cold, desert-like conditions
- growing season ranges from 50 to 60 days only
- average winter temperature is -34° C (-30° F), but the average summer temperature is 3-12° C (37-54° F), helping this biome to sustain life
MARINE BIOME - ZI FANG
- makes up the largest part of the biosphere, covering nearly 75% of the Earth’s surface.
- the ocean regions are separated into separate zones: intertidal, pelagic, abyssal, and benthic.
INTERTIDAL ZONE
- Where the ocean meets the land—sometimes submerged and at other times exposed, as waves and tides come in and out. That is why the communities are constantly changing.
- Where only the highest tides reach, there are only a few species of algae and mollusks.
- In those areas usually submerged during high tide, there is a more diverse array of algae and small animals, such as herbivorous snails, crabs, sea stars, and small fishes.
- At the bottom of the intertidal zone, which is only exposed during the lowest tides, many invertebrates, fishes, and seaweed can be found.
- The intertidal zone on sandier shores is not as stratified as in the rocky areas. Waves keep mud and sand constantly moving, thus very few algae and plants can grow—the fauna include worms, clams, predatory crustaceans, crabs, and shorebirds.
PELAGIC ZONE
- The pelagic zone includes those waters further from the land, (open sea)
- The pelagic zone is generally cold though it is hard to give a general temperature range since, there is a constant mixing of warm and cold ocean currents.
- The flora in the pelagic zone include surface seaweeds.
- The fauna include many species of fish and some mammals, such as whales and dolphins.
- Many feed on the abundant plankton.
abyssal
DESERT - YI WAI
-Covers one fifth of the Earth’s surface
-Has less than 50 cm of rainfall a year
-Lose water through evaporation
-Sparse vegetation
-Average temperature during the day: 38 degrees Celcius
-Average temperature during the night: -3.9 degrees Celcius
-Average temperature during summer: 100 degrees Fahrenheit
-Average temperature during winter: 45 degrees Fahrenheit
-Driest of all biomes
-Gets 10% of the rain rainforests get
TYPES OF DESERTS: Hot and dry deserts, Semiarid deserts, Coastal deserts, and cold deserts.
PLANTS
- e.g. cactus
- Capability of storing water in its stem, leaves, roots or fruits- Long roots (go deep into the ground)
- Spreading roots (stretch widely over a large area)
- Short life cycle
ANIMALS
- Stay inactive in shelter during the day, hunt at night
- Concentrates fat to one part of the body
- Small mammals, e.g. kangaroo mice
- Most animals which live in deserts are non-mammalian vertebrates; reptiles
- Capable of storing sufficient water
- Can withstand heat and water stress
REFERENCE: http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/biomedes2.htm
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Experiments/Biome/biodesert.php
FOREST-SWATHI
Reference: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/forests.php/
~Most complex Biome.
~Plenty of organisms live in the forests (i.e. almost all the kingdoms live here.)
3 Main Types of Forest (based on latitude)
Temperate, Taiga and Tropical (Rainforest)
Temperate forest:
Temperate forests are found in the temperate zone between the tropic of cancer and arctic circle, closer to the tropic of cancer (like from mid-to low regions of northern temperate zone).
Characteristics of the forests there:
~between -30 to 30 deg C yearly.
~ Even precipitation over the year (75-150cm)
~fertile soil (from leaf litter)
~Moderately dense however can allow light to penetrate the canopy, so thick understorey vegetation.
~3-4 tree species pskm
~Broad leaved trees such as oak, beech, hickory, hemlock, maple, basswood, cottonwood, elm, willow, and spring-flowering herbs.
~Animals such as squirrels, rabbits, skunks, birds, deer, mountain lion, bobcat, timber wolf, fox, and black bear.
Tropical Forests:
~High rainfall and average temperature of between 20-25 deg C.
~Nutrient poor acidic soil
~Tropics between tropics of cancer and capricorn
~very dense at canopy so little sunlight penetrates surface.
~100 tree species pskm
~Plants such as orchids, bromeliads, vines (lianas), ferns, mosses, and palms are present in tropical forests
~numerous birds, bats, small mammals, and insects are example of animals in the tropical zone
Some adaptations...
Plants in this zone have large (bigger surface area), waxy (prevents the water from affecting the absorption of light),dark green (more chlorophyll) leaves to absorb maximum sunlight as little sunlight goes beyond the canopy. As the soil is nutrient-poor, some plants like the Venus-flytrap have to obtain food by other means such as insects to feed them. Therefore, many animals have to prevent themselves from getting caught by predators, so they camouflage with the trees, have flashy colours that startle predators away. Animals are also adapt to climbing trees to get FOOD. They are also nocturnal to avoid the day’s heat to be able to hunt better.
Taiga/ Forest:
~Near the arctic circle
~Low temperature and low precipitation
~Low penetration permitted by the canopy, so not very vast understorey
~Thin nutrient poor acidic soil
~Trees are cold-tolerant evergreen conifers with needle-like leaves, such as pine, fir, and spruce.
~Animals living there are woodpeckers, hawks, moose, bear, weasel, lynx, fox, wolf, deer, hares, chipmunks, shrews, and bats.
Some adaptations...
Plants in this zone have thin leaves, despite the lack of sunlight. This is to ensure that less water is lost in the already dry environment as the water is very hard to retrieve back.
Since the Temperate and Taiga is mostly similar Adaptations are listed here:
Plants (in Temperate) have big leaves to absorb as much sunlight during summer. But drop leaves to reduce the evaporation of water from the leaves.
Animals hibernate to conserve energy during winter, when food is scarce. This way, there will be sufficient energy for the animals to sustain life.
Biology PT- Tundra Biome Research Work
Allocations:
SWATHI AND SUMANA: GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE BIOME
NATASHA AND CHARIS: ANIMALS AND THEIR ADAPTATIONS IN THE BIOME
YI WAI AND ZI FANG: PLANTS AND THEIR ADAPTATIONS IN THE BIOME
Research on the characteristics of the Biome and the adaptations of the animals and plants living there and state the reason(s) for the adaptations. Please try to paraphrase and CITE YOUR SOURCES! Please keep your points CONCISE and RELEVANT.
PLEASE GO AND VIEW OTHERS WORK AND COMMENT ON HOW THEY CAN IMPROVE!
Do it by this Friday latest. Then post it on this google docs and email to all of us to inform the group that you have already done your part!
Thanks!
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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE BIOME - Done by Swathi and Sumana
Swathi: Located at latitudes 55° to 70° North, the tundra is a vast and treeless land which covers about 20% of the Earth's surface, circumnavigating the North pole. It is usually very cold, and the land is pretty stark. Almost all tundras are located in the Northern Hemisphere. Small tundra-like areas do exist in Antarctica in the Southern Hemisphere, but because it is much colder than the Arctic, the ground is always covered with snow and ice. Conditions are not right for a true tundra to form. Average annual temperatures are -70°F (-56°C).
Tundra comes from the Finnish word "tunturia", which means a barren land. The ground is permanently frozen 10 inches to 3 feet (25 to 100 cm) down so that trees can't grow there. The bare and sometimes rocky ground can only support low growing plants like mosses, heaths, and lichen. In the winter it is cold and dark and in the summer, when the snow and the top layer of permafrost melt, it is very soggy and the tundra is covered with marshes, lakes, bogs and streams that breed thousands of insects and attract many migrating birds.
The main seasons are winter and summer. Spring and fall are only short periods between winter and summer. The tundra is the world's coldest and driest biomes. The average annual temperature is -18° F (-28° C). Nights can last for weeks when the sun barely rises during some months in the winter, and the temperature can drop to -94° F (-70° C). During the summer the sun shines almost 24 hours a day, which is why the Arctic is also called the Land of the Midnight Sun. Summer are usually warm. Temperatures can get up to 54° F (12° C), but it can get as cold as 37° F (3° C). Average summer temperatures range from 37° to 60°F (3° to 16°C).
The Arctic tundra is also a windy place and winds can blow between 30 to 60 miles (48 to 97 kilometers) per hour. Of the North American, Scandinavian and Russian tundras, the Scandinavian tundra is the warmest, with winter temperatures averaging 18°F (-8°C)
The tundra is basically like a desert when it comes to precipitation. Only about 6 - 10 inches of precipitation falls each year (mostly snow). Below the soil is the tundra's permafrost, a permanently frozen layer of earth. During the short summers the top layer of soil may thaw just long enough to let plants grow and reproduce. Since it can't sink into the ground, water from melting permafrost and snow forms lakes and marshes each summer.
There is barely any vegetation in the tundra, only about 1,700 different species, which isn't very much. These are mostly shrubs, sedges, mosses, lichens and grasses. There are about 400 varieties of flowers. The growing season is only about 50 to 60 days long. There are no trees, except for some birches in the lower latitudes. The ground is always frozen beneath the top layer of soil, so trees can't send their roots down. Willows do grow on some parts of the tundra but only as low carpets about 3 inches (8 cm) high. Most plants grow in a dense mat of roots which has developed over thousands of years. The soil is very low in nutrients and minerals, except where animal droppings fertilize the soil.
Surprisingly there are animals in the tundra. Although there isn't a lot of biodiversity, only 48 species of land mammals are found on the tundra, there are a lot of each species. These consist of slightly modified shrews, hares, rodents, wolves, foxes, bears and deer. There are huge herds of caribou in North America (known as reindeer in Eurasia) which feed on lichens and plants. There are also smaller herds of musk-oxen. Wolves, wolverines, arctic foxes, and polar bears are the predators of the tundra. Smaller mammals are snowshoe rabbits and lemmings. There aren't many different species of insects in the tundra, but black flies, deer flies, mosquitoes and "no-see-ums" (tiny biting midges) can make the tundra a miserable place to be in the summer. Mosquitoes can keep themselves from freezing by replacing the water in their bodies with a chemical called glycerol. It works like an antifreeze and allows them to survive under the snow during the winter. The marshy tundra is a great place for migratory birds like the harlequin duck, sandpipers and plovers.
The tundra is one of Earth's three major carbon dioxide sinks. A carbon dioxide sink is a biomass which takes in more carbon dioxide than it releases. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. During the short summer tundra's plants take in carbon dioxide, sunlight and water in the process of photosynthesis. Plants normally give off carbon dioxide after they die and decompose. But because of the short, cool summer and freezing winter temperatures, plants can't decompose. Remains of plants thousands of years old have been found in the tundra permafrost. In this way the tundra traps the carbon dioxide and removes it from the atmosphere. Today global warming is melting the permafrost of the tundra and every year several feet of tundra are lost. As the tundra melts, the plant mass decomposes and returns carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
The tundra is a very fragile environment. The extremely cold temperatures makes it a difficult environment to survive in during the winter, and plants and animals have a hard time coping with any extra stresses and disturbances. More people moving to the tundra to work in the mines and oil rigs have created towns and more roads. Some animal's movements to traditional feeding and denning grounds have been disrupted by these obstacles. When they try to pass through a town they are often scared away or shot. With their feeding patterns disrupted, many polar bears have starved. The Alaskan oil pipeline was built across a caribou migration route. In some places the pipeline has been raised above the ground so the caribou can pass under it. Pesticides have been used to control the hordes of insects. Thousands of migrating birds come to the tundra because of the abundant insects. Through the food chain the pesticides reach many of the animals that live on the tundra.
Pollution from mining and drilling for oil has polluted the air, lakes and rivers. The land around some nickel mines in Russia has become so polluted that the plants in the surrounding area have died. Footprints and tire tracks can be visible for many years after they were made. When the sun hits the ruts it causes the permafrost to melt. This causes erosion and the ruts get bigger, and eventually the ruts turn into gullies. Tracks made during WW II have grown so large that some of them are now lakes.
The tundra is not a cold and useless wasteland. It is a very fragile environment and the plants and animals that have made their home on the tundra biome have made some incredible adaptations to the long, cold winters and the short but abundant summers. They live on a precarious edge and the smallest stresses can bring about their destruction.
Reference: http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/tundra.htm
Sumana:
The tundra biome
Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. Tundra comes from the Finnish word tunturi, meaning treeless plain. It is noted for its frost-molded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients, and short growing seasons. Dead organic material functions as a nutrient pool. The two major nutrients are nitrogen and phosphorus. Nitrogen is created by biological fixation, and phosphorus is created by precipitation.
Characteristics of tundra include:
- Extremely cold climate
- Low biotic diversity
- Simple vegetation structure
- Limitation of drainage
- Short season of growth and reproduction
- Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material
- Large population oscillations
Arctic tundra
 ** |  **
From left: tundra near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada; tundra in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
|
The arctic is known for its cold, desert-like conditions. The growing season ranges from 50 to 60 days. The average winter temperature is -34° C (-30° F), but the average summer temperature is 3-12° C (37-54° F) which enables this biome to sustain life. Rainfall may vary in different regions of the arctic. Yearly precipitation, including melting snow, is 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 inches). Soil is formed slowly. A layer of permanently frozen subsoil called permafrost exists, consisting mostly of gravel and finer material. When water saturates the upper surface, bogs and ponds may form, providing moisture for plants. There are no deep root systems in the vegetation of the arctic tundra, however, there are still a wide variety of plants that are able to resist the cold climate. There are about 1,700 kinds of plants in the arctic and subarctic, and these include:
- low shrubs, sedges, reindeer mosses, liverworts, and grasses
- 400 varieties of flowers
- crustose and foliose lichen
- Herbivorous mammals: lemmings, voles, caribou, arctic hares and squirrels
- Carnivorous mammals: arctic foxes, wolves, and polar bears
- Migratory birds: ravens, snow buntings, falcons, loons, sandpipers, terns, snow birds, and various species of gulls
- Insects: mosquitoes, flies, moths, grasshoppers, blackflies and arctic bumble bees
- Fish: cod, flatfish, salmon, and trout
Alpine tundra
 ** |  **
From left: alpine tundra in Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington; Dall Sheep in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
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Alpine tundra is located on mountains throughout the world at high altitude where trees cannot grow. The growing season is approximately 180 days. The nighttime temperature is usually below freezing. Unlike the arctic tundra, the soil in the alpine is well drained. The plants are very similar to those of the arctic ones and include:
- tussock grasses, dwarf trees, small-leafed shrubs, and heaths
- Mammals: pikas, marmots, mountain goats, sheep, elk
- Birds: grouselike birds
- Insects: springtails, beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies
Source: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/tundra.php
ANIMALS AND THEIR ADAPTATIONS IN THE BIOME - Done by Natasha and Charis
Natasha:
(information taken from: http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/text/biomes/biomes.tundra.animals.adaptations.html)
Residence Animals in the Arctic Tundra
Some common resident animals found in the arctic tundra are lemmings, voles, weasels, hares, squirrels, ravens, willow ptarmigans, brown bears, snowy buntings, arctic foxes, snowy owls, arctic ground squirrels, and musk oxen.
Residence Animals in the Alpine Tundra
Some residents of the alpine include: mountain goats, bull elk, pikas, pocket gophers, ptarmigans, voles, shrews, chinchillas, and in the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau: argali and markhor (large sheep and goats with long horns).
Adaptation of the mountain goats and pikas
Because of their muscular legs and gripping toes with suction-cuplike pads, mountain goats can reach their food where other animals cannot. This makes it easy for them to find food, so they do not starve.
Moreover, their thick shaggy fur also helps to keep them warm in the harsh winter months.
In the summer, mountain goats shed their thick fur for a lighter, cooler coat. Smaller mammals, like the pika, make dens among boulders and rocks. They store food in their dens during the summer, so they will have plenty of food for the winter season. These creatures remain warm during the winter in their insulated dens.
The Animals’ Adaptations
Some common adaptations of resident animals in the arctic and alpine tundra Biome:
- short and stocky (broad and sturdily built) arms and legs.
- thick, insulating cover of feathers or fur.
- color changing feathers or fur: brown in summer, and white in winter.
- thick fat layer gained quickly during spring time in order to have continual energy and warmth during winter months.
- many tundra animals have adapted especially to prevent their body fluids from freezing solid.
- resident animals like the Ptarmigan and the ground squirrel use solar heating to stay warm and save energy. Both animals stay out in the sun to warm up and during the summer when the weather is warm, seek shade to cool off.
Ptarmigan
(picture taken from: http://www.animalspot.net/rock-ptarmigan.html)
Many animals that cannot adapt to the arctic and alpine tundra's extreme winter weather, migrate to the tundra during the spring and summer seasons each year.
Insects:
- dark in colour and are hairy
- need to develop ways to prevent freezing of their bodily fluids.
- Like other Tundra animals, they also make use of the Sun to keep warm.
- Being small also makes it easier for tundra insects to keep warm. However, it also makes them more prone to freezing.
- Have built up antifreeze agents in their bodies to prevent their cells from freezing.
- Some insects dehydrate so that there will be less body fluid to freeze.
- Some insects and animals, along with solar heating, use supercooling to prevent fluids from freezing. Supercooling allows the animals or insects body fluids to cool below freezing without becoming solid.
- Very little of the supercooled animals and insects' bodies freeze anyway, because they clean their bodies of ice producing nuclei.
Diets of Animals in the Tundra Biome
Animals and insects are well adapted to the freezing climate. Their diets must also be adaptable. If their diets were not adaptable, many of the tundra's animals and insects would starve in the winter because of the lack of certain types of food.
Example of Adaptation in Diet
Brown bear
In spring, when food is still scarce, bears may dig up roots or even eat seaweed found along water sides. In summer the brown bear's diet is more complete. They will hunt for salmon and eat berries.
NOTE: Since the tundra is the youngest biome, some tundra plants, insects, and animals, can also be found in other biomes. For example, brown bears and caribou can also be found in the taiga biome.
Charis:
Taken from: https://secure.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=ecosystems.tundralife
| Heat-efficient body shape Since bodies with long legs, ears, and tails lose warmth faster than those with shorter limbs, many arctic animals, such as arctic fox and arctic hare, have evolved more compact bodies than their southerly counterparts to better conserve heat. Camouflage Arctic fox and ptarmigan, along with arctic hare and ermine, are camouflaged according to the season, changing from winter white to summer brown, and back again, each year. |
Hibernation
Two tundra animals-arctic ground squirrel and grizzly bear-hibernate (spend the winter in a state of deep dormancy, where heartbeat and respiration slow) to escape the hardships of winter.
Snow as insulation
Small mammals, such as tundra voles, lemmings, ermine, and shrews can't hibernate. Instead, they rely on the snow layer to insulate their tunnels and nests. In some places, snow insulation is so good that tundra-dwelling lemmings are able to breed in the winter.
Growth and reproduction
Many tundra animals grow more slowly, and reproduce less frequently, than do their non-tundra relatives. Tundra-dwelling lake trout may take ten years to reach maturity, compared to six years for those in more southern regions.
Warm winter coats
Many mammals have specialized coats to ward off the winter cold. Caribou have hollow hairs that trap warmth close to their bodies. Muskoxen are so well insulated with underfur that they have little trouble with cold, even in the fiercest blizzards.
PLANTS AND THEIR ADAPTATIONS IN THE BIOME - Done by Yi Wai and Zi Fang
Yi Wai:
- Small and low-growing--> Lack of nutrients
Zi Fang: --
Yi Wai:
- Small and low-growing--> Lack of nutrients
- Close to the ground--> Help to prevent them from freezing, cannot penetrate permafrost
- Dark in colour or red to absorb solar heat
- Have hair to keep warm
- Grow in clumps--> Protect from wind and cold
- DIsh-like flowers that follow the sun, more solar heat on the center; help the plant stay warm
Zi Fang: --
These information was used to refer to when we did our organism so that it would be able to survive successfully in the harsh conditions of the Tundra Biome.
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