Tundra - where is it? Not everyone is able to answer this seemingly simple question. Let's figure it out. The tundra is a natural zone (more precisely, a type of zone) lying behind the northern forest vegetation. The soil there is permafrost, not flooded by river and sea waters. Snow cover rarely exceeds 50 cm, and sometimes it does not cover the earth at all. Permafrost and constant strong wind negatively affect fertility (humus, which has not had time to "ripen" in the summer, is blown out and frozen).
Etymology of the term
In principle, the tundra is a common concept. Here, however, some clarifications are needed. The tundra can actually be different: marshy, peaty, rocky. From the north, they are limited by Arctic deserts, but their southern side is the beginning of the Arctic. The main feature of the tundra are wetlands with high humidity, permafrost and strong winds. The vegetation there is relatively sparse. Plants are pressed to the soil, forming multiple interwoven shoots (plant "pillows").
The very concept (etymology of the term) was borrowed from the Finns: the word tunturi means "treeless mountain." For a long time this expression was considered provincial and was not officially accepted. Perhaps the concept took root thanks to Karamzin, who insisted that “this word should be in our vocabulary”, because without it it is difficult to designate vast, low, treeless plains overgrown with moss, which travelers, geographers, poets could talk about.
Classification
As already mentioned, the tundra is a generalized concept. In fact, it is divided into three main zones: arctic, middle and southern. Let's consider them in more detail.
Arctic tundra. This subzone is grassy (mainly). It is characterized by shrubs of pillow-shaped forms and mosses. There are no “right” shrubs. It has many clay bare patches and permafrost hillocks.
The middle tundra (it is called typical) is mainly mossy. Near the lakes there is sedge vegetation with modest forbs and cereals. Here you can see creeping willows with dwarf birches, lichens, hidden mosses.
The southern tundra is a predominantly shrub zone. The vegetation here depends on longitude.
Climate
The climate here is quite severe (subarctic). That is why the fauna in the tundra is very scarce - not all animals are capable of withstanding such strong winds and cold. Representatives of large fauna are very rare. Since the main part of the tundra is located beyond the Arctic Circle, winters here are not only much harsher, but also much longer. They do not last three months, as usual, but twice as long (called polar nights). It is especially cold in the tundra at this time. The continental climate dictates the severity of winter. In winter, the average temperature in the tundra is -30 º (and sometimes even lower, which is also not uncommon).
As a rule, there is no climatic summer in the tundra (it is very short). August is considered the warmest month. The average temperature at this time is + 7-10 ° C. It is in August that the vegetation comes to life.
Flora, fauna
The tundra is the kingdom of lichens and mosses. Sometimes you can see angiosperms (most often these are low grains), low shrubs, dwarf trees (birch, willow). Typical representatives of the animal world are a fox, a reindeer, a wolf, a bighorn sheep, a hare, a lemming. There are also birds in the tundra: the white-winged plover, the Lapland plantain, the partridge, the polar owl, the snake, the buzzard, and the red-throated skate.
The tundra is the “end of the earth”, the reservoirs of which are rich in fish (vendace, chir, omul, nelma). There are practically no reptiles: due to low temperatures, the activity of cold-blooded animals is simply impossible.