Stephanie: Tundra

And now for our last biome:
It's... the tundra! Told you you'd need snow shoes.

There are actually two kinds of tundra: artic and alpine. Both are really cold.

Average winter temperature: -30 degrees F

Average summer temperature 3-12 degrees F

Average precipitation (almost all snow melt): 15 to 25 cm

See I told you it was cold. Surprisingly, there are actually some flora adapated to this frigid weather. These include artic moss and bearberry. Several animals have adapted to the tundra. These include the musk ox, the snowy owl, and eveyone's favorite the polar bear.

The polar is the first species to deemed endangered because of global warming. Global warming poses a massive threat to the tundra. As global warming continues, the tundra loses more of its vital layer of permafrost. Permafrost is permanently frozen soil which occasionally releases water. It is vital to the tundra's ecosystem. The tundra also has unique land formations called pingos. Pingos are mounds formed by water trapped under permafrost. They can become 150 feet high.

The tundra and all its fascinating animals are in grave danger. They are at risk from global warming, air pollution, and oil drilling. Although environmentalists are making every effort to save the tundra, it may be too little too late. So if you want to see the tundra before it disappears, take an adventure trip to Alaska or better yet help on an Earthwatch Institute study. Take really warm clothes and a camera. Perserve the memories. After all, who knows how long these natural wonders will be around.

I hope that this trip around taught you something about the unique ecosystems we have. Maybe it will inspire you to work to protect them.

Sources: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/tundra.php http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/text/impact/impact.tundra.environment.hunted.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/main.php?section=biomes&topic=tundra
Pictures: http://gallery.maiman.net/d/9771-2/arctic.png http://www.quantum-conservation.org/EEP/POLAR%20BEAR.jpg http://www.astro.cornell.edu/share/astro671/icyimg/pingo.jpg