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Alpine Forget-me-not Flowers
(Image source: National Park Service)
Similar to the Arctic Tundra, most of the plant species in the Alpine Tundra are shrubs, grasses, flowering plants, lichens and moss. However, as there is no permafrost, a few small tree species can be found growing in the Alpine Tundra.
Pika foraging for food
(Image source: The National Wildlife Federation)
As the Alpine Tundra is located in various widely separated regions of the Earth, the wildlife varies greatly from location to location. For example, Alpacas, chinchillas and mountain goats are found only in the Andes Mountains. Pikas, yellow-bellied marmots and elks are found in the Rocky Mountains, but not the Andes Mountains.
The tundra biome got its name from the Finnish word tunturi, meaning treeless plain. It is one of the coldest and harshest biomes with a short growing season and where temperatures are extremely low with very little rainfall. There are two types of tundra, the Arctic and the Alpine tundra.
The Arctic tundra is the land around the North Pole, near the Arctic Circle, a circle that surrounds the North Pole. The soil is often frozen. Permafrost, or permanent ice, usually exists within a meter of the surface and this prevents deep rooted plants like trees from growing.
The Alpine tundra can be found at very high elevations atop tall, cold mountains. Although overnight temperatures falling below freezing in the Alpine tundra, there is no permafrost in the soil. Due to the lack of permafrost and better draining soils, a wider variety of plant life can be supported the Alpine tundra.
The Net-veined Willow, a dwarf Arctic willow
(Image source: Hinterland Who's Who)
A wide variety of plant species, mainly sedges, grasses and flowering plants, form the vegetation of the tundra. Many plants are in their dwarf (smaller) forms compared to their growth forms in warmer climates. Lichen and moss can be found growing on rocks too.
A Caribou (wild reindeer) running
(Image source: askabiologist.com)
Despite the harsh environment and lack of trees, the Arctic Tundra still supports a variety of wildlife species, ranging from small animals like the lemmings, arctic ground squirrels and arctic hares to larger animals like the arctic wolf, musk oxen and brown bears.