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Arctic tundra lies in northern Europe, Russia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland.

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Alpine tundra lies farther south than Arctic tundra. Alpine tundra is found in high mountains above the tree line.

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Only low-growing plants, such as mosses and shrubs, can survive in the tundra. Plantlike living things called lichens also grow there.

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Many birds live there in the summer, but few stay through the winter. Some common tundra animals are reindeer, Arctic foxes, snowy owls, musk oxen, and polar bears.

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Snow covers the tundra for more than six months of the year.

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Little plant life grows on the bare or rocky ground.

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Tundra in coastal areas tends to be foggy.

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(The tree line is the highest place where trees can grow.)

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Very few people live in the tundra. Arctic peoples, including the Eskimo (Inuit), tend to live in places where hunting and fishing can provide enough food year-round.

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The ground in many areas of tundra contains coal, oil, iron ore, lead, or other resources.

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Many companies have set up mining operations in tundra regions. However, some people worry that mining and oil drilling endangers tundra plants and animals.

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Did you know... Ptarmigans are birds of the tundra. They have heavily feathered feet.

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The Arctic tundra lies in northern Europe, Russia, the United States (in Alaska), Canada, and Greenland. Alpine tundras lie farther south than Arctic tundras, although they exist mostly in the Northern Hemisphere. This habitat is found in mountainous areas, occurring at high elevations where temperatures are too low and winds are too strong for the growth of trees. The tundra biome is known for large stretches of bare ground and rock and for patchy areas of low vegetation such as mosses, lichens, herbs, and small shrubs.

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Tundra climates vary considerably. The most severe occur in the Arctic regions, where temperatures fluctuate from about 40 °F (4 °C) in midsummer to –25 °F (–32 °C) during the winter months. Alpine tundra has a more moderate climate: summers are cool, with temperatures that range from 37 to 54 °F (3 to 12 °C), and winters are moderate, with temperatures that rarely fall below 0 °F (–18 °C).

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Permafrost—perennially frozen ground—is a significant feature of the Arctic tundra; however, it does not typically occur in alpine regions.

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The vegetation of many alpine tundras and over most of the Arctic tundra tends to be greenish brown in color. Plants do not remain in flower for more than a few days or weeks in these environments.

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Small mammals of the Arctic tundra tend to be numerous because of their high reproductive rates. Lemmings, for example, reach a population peak every three to five years in some regions. When their populations increase, so do the populations of animals that prey upon them, such as jaegers (seabirds), snowy owls, and foxes. Large herbivores in the Arctic tundra include the reindeer of Eurasia and North America (where they are known as caribou) and the musk ox of Greenland and some Canadian Arctic islands.

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Migratory animals proliferate in the alpine tundras. These include mountain sheep, ibex, chamois, several wildcats, and many birds. Mountain goats spend noticeably more time at higher elevations in alpine tundras in winter. Marmots, ground squirrels, and jumping mice are common hibernating animals. Other small mammals inhabiting alpine tundras include pikas, voles, and rabbits.

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Earth’s tundra regions are harsh and remote, so fewer humans have settled there than in other environments. People have, however, changed the landscape through the building of houses and other structures—including ski resorts—as well as through the development of mines and roads.

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Hunting, oil drilling, and other activities have polluted the tundra environment and have threatened wildlife in tundra ecosystems. Environmental scientists are concerned that the continued expansion of these activities, along with the release of air pollutants that deplete the ozone layer and greenhouse gases that hasten climate change, have begun to affect the integrity and sustainability of Arctic and alpine tundra ecosystems.

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The rapid melting of sea ice is also spurring ongoing changes in the Arctic. Without summer ice, the existing warming trend in the Arctic tundra—as well as in the rest of the world—would increase, because sea ice reflects sunlight better than the open ocean and, therefore, has a cooling effect on the atmosphere. An ice-free Arctic Ocean would leave the high northern latitudes vulnerable to development of recreational and industrial activities; this increased human presence would likely place additional stress on tundra plants and animals. In alpine tundras, too, climate warming could encourage more human activity and increase damage to plant and animal populations there.

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In Arctic and alpine tundras, the number of species of plants and animals is usually small when compared with other regions, yet the number of individuals per species is often high. Food and feeder relationships are simple, and they are more subject to upset if a critical species disappears or decreases in number. Many tundra species cannot be found elsewhere, and thus the biome is an important contributor to global biodiversity despite its low species number.

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Tundra may be flat, hilly, or mountainous.

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They have short, cool summers and less extreme winters than Arctic tundra.

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Some permafrost reaches as deep as 1,500 feet (457 meters).