Why do deserts and arctic tundra

Tundra form in two distinct cold and dry regions. Arctic tundra are found on high-latitude landmasses, above the Arctic Circle—in Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland, Iceland, and Scandinavia, for example—or on far southern regions, like Antarctica. Alpine tundra are located at very high elevations atop mountains, where overnight temperatures fall below freezing.

Tundra regions typically get less than 25 centimeters 10 inches of precipitation annually, which means these areas are also considered deserts. They have long, cold winters with high winds and average temperatures below freezing for six to ten months of the year.

On average, only six to ten weeks of the year have sufficiently warm temperatures and long days for plant growth. The soil in the Arctic is largely permafrost or soil that remains frozen year-round, leaving only a thin surface layer of thawed soil in summer for plant roots to grow in.

Tundra soil is also scarce in many of the nutrients that plants need to grow. Instead, the tundra has patchy, low-to-ground vegetation consisting of small shrubs, grasses, mosses, sedges, and lichens, all of which are better adapted to withstand tundra conditions.

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. Tundra wildlife includes small mammals—such as Norway lemmings Lemmus lemmus , arctic hares Lepis arcticus , and arctic ground squirrels Spermophilus parryii —and large mammals, such as caribou Rangifer tarandus.

These animals build up stores of fat to sustain and insulate them through the winter. They also have thick coats of fur for further insulation. Some save energy by hibernating during the long winter months. Others migrate to warmer climes during winter. Many birds also migrate into the tundra during the growing season to feed, mate, and nest.

Atop the food chain are tundra carnivores, such as arctic foxes Vulpes lagopus , arctic wolves Canis lupus , snowy owls Bubo scandiaca , and polar bears Ursus maritimus , which move into the tundra during the summer when prey is plentiful and their usual hunting grounds on sea ice diminish. Lack of rain and sunlight keep this biome barren. Animals here have thick skin and fur to adapt themselves to the weather. Animals like polar bears, arctic foxes, musk ox, arctic seals, etc. Desert is a dry, barren biome located towards the equator of the earth.

Desert can be of many types. The Desert is an adverse place for flora and fauna. Both hot and cold deserts are dry and barren. Rainfall is insufficient here. Snowfall appears in cold deserts. Lands of hot deserts are covered with sand, and lands of the cold desert are covered with snow. Trees are not available in the desert. Cactuses grow here in abundance as they do not need much water. Along with forest, aquatic and grassland, tundra and desert are among the five major biomes on Earth.

Deserts comprise about 20 percent of the Earth. Four types of deserts make up the desert biome: cold, coastal, arid and semi-arid. Deserts are known for their low precipitation levels, and many are known for their hot climate. See the full list of the top 10 deserts on Earth below. A tundra is defined by the mean monthly temperatures of a region whereas a desert is defined by rainfall.

As tundra regions often receive less than mm of rain per year, they are usually a desert too, however, this is not a given. There are also tundra with lots of rainfall. Temperatures in the Arctic vary significantly across the region and between seasons.

When people refer to the tundra, they are usually talking about the arctic tundra. However, there is another type of tundra known as alpine tundra. Whilst the arctic tundra is found across the northernmost parts of the world from the north pole and spreading south, alpine tundra can be found across the world but only at high elevations.

Table Of Contents. Why is the Arctic a Tundra?