tundra
Sign in to saveIn physical geography, a tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. There are three regions and associated types of tundra: Arctic, Alpine, and Antarctic.
AI overview
A tundra is a vast, treeless landscape found in extremely cold regions like the Arctic and Antarctica, where harsh temperatures and brief growing seasons prevent trees from surviving. These unique environments support specialized plants and animals adapted to extreme cold, making them important ecosystems that are increasingly affected by climate change.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Ecoregion.name
- Tundra
- Ecoregion.map
- File:Tundra Wiki 200.png
- Ecoregion.map_size
- 1000
- Ecoregion.climate
- ET
- Ecoregion.image
- Greenland scoresby-sydkapp2 hg.jpg
- Ecoregion.image_caption
- Tundra in Greenland
- Ecoregion.area
- 11563300
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
9 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Relationship to climate change
- Antarctic
- Alpine
- Climatic classification
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
In physical geography, a tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. There are three regions and associated types of tundra: Arctic, Alpine, and Antarctic.
Tundra vegetation is composed of dwarf shrubs, sedges, grasses, mosses, and lichens. Scattered trees grow in some tundra regions. The ecotone (or ecological boundary region) between the tundra and the forest is known as the tree line or timberline. The tundra soil is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus. The soil also contains large amounts of biomass and decomposed biomass that has been stored as methane and carbon dioxide in the permafrost, making the tundra soil a carbon sink. As global warming heats the ecosystem and causes soil thawing, the permafrost carbon cycle accelerates and releases much of these soil-contained greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, creating a feedback cycle that contributes to climate change.