Interesting Arctic Tundra Biome Facts

Explore interesting facts about the Arctic Tundra Biome and its importance to our planet. Find out what type of animals and plants are able to survive its extreme weather conditions and freezing temperatures. Did you know that the Arctic Tundra Biome is located in the Northern Hemisphere where it encircles the North Pole and covers a huge area of approximately one fifth of the Earth's surface?

Factsmania provides printable facts about the Arctic Tundra Biome for kids with key features about its climate, formation, importance, animals, plants, food chain, weather conditions, ecosystem, temperature, wind speed, precipitation, snowfall, seasons, and structure. Did you know that the Arctic Tundra Biome provides one of the most major carbon dioxide sinks on Earth?

Interesting Arctic Tundra Biome Facts for Kids:- Learn amazing facts and important Arctic Tundra Biome information including where it is located, what the climate and vegetation is like, what the definition of tundra is, what animals and plants live in the Arctic and what adaptations they have to make to survive its extreme climate conditions, low temperatures and sparse vegetation.

Interesting Arctic Tundra Biome Facts for Kids:- Our biome facts for kids provide a free printable guide or fun fact sheet for teachers and children. The team at Factsmania is hard at work completing their a-z encyclopedia of facts and information for school kids. Please refer to our home page for a list of interesting subjects and other types of biomes.

Interesting Facts about Arctic Tundra Biome for Kids

Interesting Facts for Kids 1:- What is the Arctic Tundra biome?
The Arctic Tundra Biome is the coldest of all the biomes in the world and the word tundra comes from the Finnish word 'tuntura' meaning a treeless plain. Tundras are defined by forest molded landscapes, very little precipitation, very low temperatures, poor nutrients and short growing seasons. The two major nutrients found in the Tundra Biome are phosphorus, which comes from the precipitation, and Nitrogen, which comes from the biological fixation. The tundra biome is separated into two specific types; the Arctic Tundra and the Alpine Tundra.

Interesting Facts for Kids 2:- Where is the Arctic Tundra Biome located?
The Arctic Tundra is located in the Northern Hemisphere where it encircles the North Pole, extending way south to the Taiga Biome. Located at the top of the world, the Arctic Biome is renowned for extreme cold climates and desert-like conditions.

Interesting Facts for Kids 3:- How big is the Arctic Tundra Biome?
The Arctic Tundra Biome is extremely large and covers approximately one fifth of the total earth surface (around 20% of the planet's surface).

Interesting Facts for Kids 4:-What is the weather like in the Arctic Tundra Biome?
The Arctic Tundra Biome is an extremely windy place which experiences powerful winds blowing at high speeds between 30 and 60 miles an hour. It is normally cold throughout the year with summer lasting for a brief period of about 10 weeks. Even during summer, the Arctic Tundra Biome does not get any warmer than 45 to 50 degrees F. The warmer temperatures however, are enough to melt the layer of permafrost, which results in the formation of shallow lakes and bogs. These areas of marshland attract stinging insects that make life for the inhabitants of the area miserable. Even though the winters in the Arctic Tundra Biome are very cold and dry, the area receives around 200 - 500mm of snowfall every year. If you couple this with the dry winds, the Arctic Tundra becomes an extreme weather biome.

Interesting Facts for Kids 5:-What is the temperature of the Arctic Tundra Biome?
The Arctic Tundra Biome experiences two main seasons, summer and winter, with an average annual temperature of -28 degrees Celsius. During the cold and dark winter months, daylight hours are scarce and the extreme cold temperatures have been known to drop to -70 degrees Celsius. During the summer months in the Arctic Tundar Biome, temperatures typically vary between 3 - 12 degrees Celsius. The Arctic experiences low levels of precipitation with the average annual snowfall, as opposed to rainfall, being between 200 - 500mm. Rainfall in the Arctic may vary and most of the precipitation that falls in the biome is snow. The Arctic can receive a little rain in summer which is sometimes accompanied by snow as well. Constant high winds also add to the biome's severely dry conditions with wind speeds reaching 30 - 60 miles per hour (48 - 97 kms). The temperatures enable the Arctic Tundra Biome to sustain life, albeit less than other types of biomes. Due to these low temperatures, the layer on the ground, known as permafrost is normally permanently frozen.

Interesting Facts for Kids 6:-What animals live in the Arctic Tundra Biome?
Despite the extremely cold climates in the Arctic Tundra Biome, there are numerous animals that survive and actually thrive within its biome. Contrary to what most people believe, the Arctic does have a food supply for these animals. Some of the most common animals in this area are the polar bears and they are normally well adapted to the climate. Polar bears have long stiff hair between their feet that provide traction and protection from the cold weather conditions. Polar bears also have a very thick layer of fat that keeps them insulated and warm at all times. The Caribou also lives in the Arctic Tundra  Biome and they feed on lichens. The Arctic fox is also adapted to surviving the extreme climate conditions during Arctic Tundra winters as this animal has fur thick enough to maintain its body heat. The Walrus, with their thick layer of blubber are also equipped to survive life in the Arctic Tundra Biome. The Musk Ox is very well adapted to the tundra because it has thick insulating fur that keeps it warm. Most of the animals in the arctic tundra do hibernate in the winter while others choose to migrate to warmer climates. The herbivores in the Arctic Biome feed on the low shrubs, mosses, lichens and sedges. The carnivores hunt herbivores and as well as other types of prey.

Interesting Facts for Kids 9:- Arctic Tundra Food Web?
At the top of Arctic Tundra food chain is the polar bear. The only predator that the polar bear might really fear is a human. Polar bears feed on seals and salmon. Seals also feed on salmon and in turn, the salmon feed on the krill. The Arctic Wolf feeds on the Caribou and the Caribou feeds on small perennial plants such as the tufted saxifrage. The Caribou, Ptarmigan, and the Musk Ox feed on the Lichen.

Interesting Facts for Kids 10:-  What plants are in the Arctic Tundra Biome?
In the Tundra Biome, the Arctic moss of the genus Calliergon thrives. It is found in the tundra lake beds as well as in and around fens and bogs. The Bearberry grows very short to avoid the harsh winds, the Caribou Moss can last for a very long time without water hence being able to survive in the Tundra Biome. The Arctic Willow also grows in this region and stays short in order to avoid the strong winds.

Interesting Facts for Kids 11:- What is the human impact on the Arctic Tundra Biome??
The major threat to the Arctic Tundra biome is global warming. When fossils burn in other regions, the atmosphere continues warming up and this causes melting of the permafrost. This results in a collapse of the Tundra ecosystems. Once the permafrost melts, the frozen plant materials decay releasing carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming even further. Oil and gas affect the Arctic Tundra Biome as well because the spills affect the animals.

Interesting Facts for Kids 12:- Unusual facts about the Arctic Tundra Biome
There are many interesting facts about the Arctic Biomes such as the way that plants protect and shelter themselves by growing very short and very close to each other. There are about 400 varieties of flowers found growing in this biome. One of the most amazing facts about the Arctic is it's important to the Earth! This biome forms a major carbon dioxide sink that is vital to the survival of our planet.

Interesting Arctic Tundra Biome Facts for Kids