GEOGRAPHER
Climate, location, and physical features of the Siberian tundra
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Here is a map of our Earth
You may be wondering why there are some areas are highlighted in green. These areas represent the Tundra biome of our Earth.
This specific section of North-Eastern Russia is the area we will be focusing on: The Siberian Tundra
Climate
The summers in the tundra don’t last a very long time, while the winters last months on end. During these long winters, the temperature will usually stay below freezing and the ground will usually be completely covered in snow and even ice. During the other months of the year in the summer, it is very marshy because puddles called thermokarsts are formed when the snow and ice melts. Because of it's proximity to the arctic, this Biome remains very cold throughout the year.
*An average Siberian winter and summer
Winters in the Siberian Tundra are very cold and windy. The temperature can reach -40° Fahrenheit (-40°Celsius). In the summer the temperature still stays very cool varying between 37° and 54°Fahrenheit (3°-12° Celsius). Wind speeds can vary from 30 – 60 miles (48-97 Km) per hour. It is also very dry in the tundra. The average annual rainfall is only 6-10 inches.
Global warming and other environmental concerns are making a big impact on this biome. When trucks drive over the permafrost in the area, they are causing it to melt and create large puddles. Some of these areas have become the size of lakes. This is a popular area for mining which is creating lots of pollution. The population of people in the tundra is increasing, which is also increasing the amount of waste produced. The temperature is continuously rising, which is increasing the risk that the permafrost could flood the area, destroying this biome. *An example of the effects of Global Warming on the Siberian Tundra
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Landscape
The tundra is barren and treeless. The arctic tundra (where the Siberian tundra is located) is very flat and is similar to the landscape of the prairies but much colder. The Lena, Ob and Yenisei are all permanent rivers that flow into the Siberian Tundra. Pingoes (raised mounds of soil that have been pushed upward as an underground pond of water freezes) are found all over this biome and can be 3 to 300 feet tall and almost half a mile wide. The tundra is located 1,000 to 4,000 feet above sea level
*The Lena River
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Soil Conditions
There are 2 levels of soil in the Siberian Tundra: the active layer and the permafrost. The active layer is around 10 feet and 3 inches deep and will thaw in the summer, but because of the frigid temperatures, the soil in the tundra is almost always frozen. The permafrost is frozen throughout the winter and the summer and can be up to 1,968 feet deep. It is very difficult for plants to grow because of these conditions and most of the plats in the tundra are just clinging to life. The few trees that are able to survive in these extreme conditions only grow to be about 10 cm tall.
* Permafrost
As methane is released from a warming mix of ice, water and soil, building up pressure, it explosively pushes out the top of the hole, leaving chunks of earth yards away in some directions.
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Climatographs
Relationships
A symbiotic relationship is defined as a relationship between two organisms in their environments. One example of a symbiotic relationship in the Siberian Tundra is the relationship between the reindeer and the arctic fox. When the reindeer goes out hunting, it will try and get to the lichens, mosses and grass it loves to eat by digging through the frozen layer of soil near the surface. This will reveal insects and organisms that arctic fox needs to eat to survive. The arctic fox will then dig deeper and eats the insects it can find.
*An arctic fox standing in front of a reindeer
Since the arctic fox gets food from the help of the reindeer, while the reindeer remains unaffected, this is an example of commensalism: where one organism benefits, while the other is neither helped nor harmed.