Tundra Plants And Animals Adaptations

Also nearly all the Tundras vegetation have adapted in some way to help reinforce the survival of their species.

Tundra plants and animals adaptations. Tundra means treeless therefore most of the plants in the tundra are low growing plants. What adaptations do plants and animals have in the tundra. Arctic Moss Arctic Willow Caribou Moss Labrador Tea Arctic Poppy Cotton Grass Lichens and Moss.

Very few species are annuals. Animal Adaptations in the Tundra Biome Animals have many adaptations to survive in this harsh environment. Certain plants in the tundra have hair covering their stems and leaves.

Many species of plants are perennials that flower within a few days after the snow begins to melt and some produce ripe seed within four to six weeks. But some animals like the caribou or musk oxen can eat the lichens and other plants. Just as fur traps air and acts as an insulator in animals hairy outgrowths on plants keeps their temperature more moderate and prevents freezing.

Before an animal hibernates it will consume large amounts of food. They have to have special adaptations to allow them to live in extreme conditions and low tempera-tures. Hibernation - Although hibernation is often thought of as behavioural it is also in fact a physiological adaptation.

Animals in the tundra are also adapted to extreme conditions and they take advantage of the temporary explosion of plant and insect life in the short growing season. Plants also have adapted to the Arctic tundra by developing the ability to grow under a layer of snow to carry out photosynthesis in extremely cold temperatures and for flowering plants to produce flowers quickly once summer begins. The animals here tend to have thicker and warmer feathers and fur.

Almost all the plants that are in the Tundra biome are in the Alpines region and there are none in the most Northern parts of the biome in the North Pole and South Pole. Plants 25 to 75 cm 1 to 3 inches tall typically flower first because they are in the warmer air layers near the soil surface. Animal adaptations in the tundra biome animals have many adaptations to survive in this harsh environment.