Interesting facts of Tundra

The word tundra comes from the Finnish word tunturia which means treeless land.
Animal populations fluctuate throughout the seasons in the tundra biome. Some animals opt to hibernate during the winter and others migrate to warmer temperatures.
Because of the extreme temperatures, most organisms get their nutrients from the decaying of dead organic material.
Although some parts of inhabited areas such as in Alaska and Canada are considered a part of the tundra biome, the majority of the tundra have not been visited by most people because of the harsh conditions.
The tundra biome is considered a carbon dioxide sink because it stores more carbon dioxide than it gives off.
There are very few trees that grow in the tundra biome. Under the snow and ice, there is a thick layer of soil that remains frozen which does not allow deep rooted plants such as trees to grow.
The tundra biome has about 400 varieties of flowers but only 48 different animals.
The tundra biome is the largest of all the biomes. It covers about 20% of the Earth.
Although Antarctica is not located in the Arctic Circle, it is considered to be a part of the tundra biome because of its very harsh temperatures.
The tundra biome is the driest place on Earth. Rainfall averages ten inches a year.
During the summer, it is daylight 24 hours a day.
There are a lot of oil mines and oil rigs in the tundra biome. The building of such developments often disturbs the sensitive nature of the environment.
The largest animal that lives in the tundra biome is the polar bear. They thrive on fatty meats to give them enough energy to live through the harsh winters.
There are two types of tundra = arctic tundra and alpine tundra. The arctic tundra is located within the Arctic Circle while the alpine tundra is the area high in the mountains above trees.
The plants that grow in the tundra biome often grow in clusters to help protect themselves from the severe winter winds.