Tundra type of vegetation. Typical tundra plants. The flora of the tundra: dwarf trees and forests, names and descriptions of plants, photos, videos. Influence of permafrost on the species composition of vegetation

The growing season of plants on the territory lasts only two months a year. Despite the almost year-round frost, the biome thrives and surprises with a variety of flora. The word tundra comes from the Finnish "tunturia" which means treeless land. There are harsh winds here, and most plants grow in groups, thus forming a natural protective barrier.

There are over 400 types of plants that are found in the tundra, but only a few of them grow all year round... Plant growth issues are directly related to the tundra soil. There is a thick layer of soil under the ice that rarely thaws, so the plants with the smallest roots are able to withstand the climatic conditions of the tundra.

The fact that flora is present in the tundra plays a significant role in the conservation of other life forms. When plants die and decay, many organisms use them to feed during the long winter months.

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Here is a list and short description some perennial plants that have successfully adapted to tundra conditions:

Bearberry ordinary

Bearberry is common or bear berry, bear ear, bear ears are not actually bear berry, although the "clubfoot" ones have been seen eating it. Red berries and green leaves attract owls and birds that fly to the tundra. The plant is uniquely adapted to the climatic conditions of the tundra, as it grows low to the ground. It is not really a ground cover plant, as it has a small height. Bearberry berries can be present throughout the year.

Ledum is an amazing small shrub with leaves slightly curved at the edges and a stem that resembles hairy legs, which helps the plant to keep warm in the harsh conditions of the tundra. The unusual features of the plant include the fact that it is not eaten by animals of the tundra because of essential oils with a pungent odor and toxic properties.

Diamond sheet

The diamond leaf is a plant from the willow family, but it has significant differences from its other representatives. These are low willows growing close to the ground. Like wild rosemary, it has a hair-like shape that covers its stems and roots, and also keeps it warm. The diamond leaf is an edible plant consumed by both humans and animals as it is rich in calcium and other vitamins. The plant is very flexible and grows separately, it cannot be found in groups of plants that protect themselves from harsh winds.

Arctic moss is the most abundant species of tundra flora and is not very different from moss found in other biomes. It can grow on the surface of the earth, but prefers water more. The plant does not have a root system, but rhizoids are present in it. The moss is also covered with small leaves, which occupy one cell in thickness and make it easy to support themselves. Arctic moss is the main food for many because it is rich in nutrients and grows throughout the year. When it dies, it becomes an important source of nutrients for other organisms. It is also an important food item for birds during their migration. Arctic moss is interesting for researchers because it shows the natural evolution of life in a harsh climate.

The arctic willow is common in the tundra region of North America, which consists of Northern Alaska and Northern Canada. The plant is shrubby, reaches a height of 15-20 cm and grows with a carpet.

Caribou moss grows in arctic and northern regions around the world. It can be found on the ground and rocks, reaching a height of 10 centimeters. When there is no light or water, caribou moss goes into hibernation, but after a long rest it can start growing again.

The saxifrage crested has thick main stems and several straight flower stems, 3-15 cm long. Each stem has about 2-8 flowers. The flower has five white petals. The plant can be found on rocky slopes from Alaska to the Cascade, the Olympic Mountains and northwest Oregon.

Lumbago

The lumbago belongs to the buttercup family. Plant height 5-40 cm. Each stem has one flower with 5-8 petals. The flower varies in color from lavender to almost white. It grows on the southern side of slopes and is found from the northwestern United States to northern Alaska. It is also the national flower of South Dakota.

To the south of the ice zone along the shores of the northern seas, the tundra zone stretches. Thousands of kilometers from west to east is a cold, treeless plain.

Winter in the tundra is long and very harsh (frost up to -50). In the middle of winter, the polar night lasts for about 2 months. You can see the auroras in the sky.

The tundra constantly blows very strong winds... In winter, there is often a blizzard and the wind speed reaches 30-40 m per second. Throwing up clouds of snow, knocking people down and overturning sledges with deer, a blizzard rages on the endless expanses of the tundra. It often lasts 5-6 days. Winds blow snow from heights into hollows, river valleys, and the bare ground freezes severely.

Corrasion - mechanical impact snow driven by strong winds. Corrasion is a powerful stream of solid ice particles capable of damaging and cutting off plants protruding from under the snow.

The climate in the tundra is harsh, summers are very short (2-3 months) and cool. The temperature in July does not exceed +14 C. And although the polar day comes, there are often frosts, and sometimes even snow falls. Cold winds blow in the tundra all year round. The tundra zone is very long from west to east. The vegetation cover of this zone is not the same in the western and eastern regions.

By the nature of the landscape, the tundra can be peaty, swampy and rocky. The vegetation is mainly mosses and lichens, sometimes low-growing grasses are found, and very rare representatives are dwarf birches and creeping polar willows. There are no shrubs in the tundra, they are only located on the border with the taiga zone, and to the north all vegetation spreads near the ground.

In a short summer, the surface of the tundra thaws about 50 cm in depth, and below (almost 500 m) there is a layer of permafrost that never thaws.

Permafrost does not allow rain and melt water to pass to a depth. And from the surface, water evaporates slowly due to the low temperature. Therefore, there are many swamps and lakes in the tundra, and the soil is moist.

How plants are adapted in the tundra: dwarf forms of plants; their small leaves are often curled, covered with hair, and have a waxy coating; plants creep along the ground, forming pillows; roots are close to the surface; many plants in a flowering state tolerate frost; bright color of flowers, attracts insects; perennial plants.

The main representatives of typical tundra are sedges and mosses, which form a closed sod 5-10 cm thick.Mushrooms, lichens live in it, stems and rhizomes of flowering plants are immersed in it. The tundra is dominated by shrubs, perennial grasses, mosses, which tolerate harsh natural conditions well.

Yagel- deer moss.

Green moss. Peat mosses.

Arctic red bearberry. On the right is the cladonia lichen.

Plants of the tundra. 1. Blueberries. 2. Lingonberry. 3 black crow. 4. Cloudberry. 5. Loydia is late. 6. Onion fast. 7. The prince. 8.Vaginal fluff. 9.Sedge-leaved sediment. 10 dwarf birch. 11. Wedge-leaved willow.

Sometimes the color of the lichen thallus depends on the color of lichen acids, which are deposited in the form of crystals or grains on the surface of the hyphae.
Most lichen acids are colorless, but some of them are colored, and sometimes very brightly, in yellow, orange, red and other colors. The color of the crystals of these substances also determines the color of the entire thallus.

And here the most important factor contributing to the formation of lichen substances is light. Than brighter lighting in the place where the lichen grows, the brighter it is colored.

mushrooms

Cloudberry.

In the short months of summer, the tundra turns into a flower and berry garden. It is replete with bright corollas of petals, beads of lingonberry, cranberry, cloudberry glow with lights, bluish blueberries turn blue. The population would not even be ten times larger than it is now in order to have time to collect and save the harvest of edible berries!

Vodyanik.

Herbaceous plants are represented by sedges, cotton grass, and cereals. Dryad, or partridge grass, plays an important role in vegetation, different kindsaxifrage, various polar poppies, forget-me-not. One of the first to bloom is the icy novosiver, which is called the arctic rose. Cotton grass.

Novosiversion ice, arctic rose.

Dryad.

Highlander viviparous This plant has developed the ability to viviparity. In inflorescences, instead of flowers, bulbs and nodules develop, capable of giving rise to a new plant.

Veronica is gray-haired. Fillodotse.

Veronica is gray-haired. Fillodotse.

Arctic penny.

The natural zone of the tundra is located mainly beyond the Arctic Circle and is bounded in the north by the arctic (polar) deserts, and in the south by forests. It is located in the subarctic belt between 68 and 55 degrees north latitude... In those small territories, where cold air masses from the Arctic Ocean in summer are blocked by mountains - these are the valleys of the Yana, Kolyma, Yukon rivers - taiga rises into the subarctic. It is necessary to distinguish separately the mountain tundra, characterized by a change in nature with the height of the mountains.

The word “tundra” comes from the Finnish tunturi, which means “treeless, bare hill”. In Russia, the tundra occupies the coast of the seas of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent territories. Its area is about 1/8 of the entire area of \u200b\u200bRussia. In Canada, the tundra natural zone includes a significant part of the northern territories, which are practically unpopulated. In the United States, tundra occupies most of the state of Alaska.

a brief description of

• The natural tundra zone occupies about 8-10% of the entire territory of Russia;
• The tundra has a very short summer with an average temperature in the warmest month, July, from +4 degrees in the north to +11 degrees in the south;
• Winter in the tundra is long and very harsh, accompanied by strong winds and blizzards;
• Cold winds blow throughout the year: in summer - from the Arctic Ocean, and in winter - from the chilled mainland of Eurasia;
• The tundra is characterized by permafrost, that is, the upper level of the earth, which is frozen through and through, part of which thaws in the summer by only a few tens of centimeters.
• In the tundra zone, very little precipitation falls - only 200-300 mm per year. Nevertheless, the soils in the tundra are universally waterlogged due to impermeable permafrost at a shallow depth of the surface cover and weak evaporation due to low temperatures even with strong winds;
• Soils in the tundra are usually infertile (due to the blowing of humus by the winds) and are heavily waterlogged due to freezing in severe winters and only partial warming up in the warm season.

Tundra - a natural zone of Russia

As everyone knows from school lessons, the nature and climate on the territory of Russia has a clearly expressed zoning of processes and phenomena. This is due to the fact that the territory of the country has a large length from north to south, and it is mainly dominated by flat relief. Each natural zone is characterized by a certain ratio of heat and moisture. Natural areas are sometimes called landscape or geographic.

The tundra occupies an area adjacent to the coast of the Arctic Ocean and is the most severe inhabited natural zone in Russia. To the north of the natural tundra zone there are only arctic deserts, and to the south the forest zone begins.

The following are presented on the plains of Russia natural areasstarting from the north:

• Arctic deserts;
• Forest-steppe
• Steppe
• Semi-desert
• Deserts
• Subtropics.

And in the mountainous regions of Russia, the altitudinal zonation is clearly expressed.

Natural zones of Russia on the map

The tundra is characterized by harsh climatic conditions, relatively little precipitation and the fact that its territory is located mainly behind polar circle... Let's list the facts about the tundra:

• The natural tundra zone is located north of the taiga zone;
• In the mountains of Scandinavia, the Urals, Siberia, Alaska, and northern Canada, mountain tundras are found;
• Tundra zones stretch in a strip 300-500 km wide along the northern coasts of Eurasia and North America;
• The climate of the tundra is subarctic, it is rather harsh and is characterized by long winters with polar nights (when the sun practically does not come out of the horizon) and short summers. A particularly harsh climate is observed in the continental regions of the tundra;
• Winter in the tundra lasts 6-9 months a year, it is accompanied by strong winds and low air temperatures;
• Frosts in the tundra sometimes reach minus 50 degrees Celsius;
• The polar night in the tundra lasts 60-80 days;
• Snow in the tundra lies from October to June, its height in the European part is 50-70 centimeters, and in Eastern Siberia and Canada 20-40 cm. In winter, snowstorms are frequent in the tundra;
• Summer in the tundra is short, with a long polar day;
• August in the tundra is considered the warmest month of the year: there are positive average daily temperatures up to + 10-15 degrees, but frost is possible on any day of summer;
• Summer is characterized by high air humidity, frequent fogs and drizzling rains;
• The tundra vegetation includes 200-300 species of flowering plants and about 800 species of mosses and lichens.

The main occupations of the population in the tundra:

• Reindeer husbandry;
• Fishing;
• Hunting for fur and sea animals.

The tundra population is limited in the choice of occupations due to the peculiarities of natural conditions and relative isolation from large cities, as well as the population on, isolated on small islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the following types of tundra are distinguished with characteristic vegetation:

• Arctic tundra (swampy soils and moss-lichen plants prevail);
• Subarctic tundra or typical middle tundra (moss, lichen and shrub plants, berries);
• or southern tundra (shrub plants - dwarf birch, bushy alder, various types of willows, as well as berries and mushrooms).

Arctic tundra

In the Arctic, on the northern edge of the European and Asian parts of Russia, as well as in the extreme north of North America, there is the Arctic tundra. It occupies the coastal area of \u200b\u200bthe northern seas and is a flat swampy area. Summer brings only a short thaw there, and plants are not found due to the too cold climate. Permafrost is covered with thawed lakes of melted snow and ice. Perennial plants in such conditions are able to grow only for a short period - at the end of July and August, grouping in low and protected from the winds places, and annual plants do not take root here, since due to the harsh natural conditions they are very short vegetative period... The predominant species are mosses and lichens, and shrubs do not grow in the arctic tundra at all.

More southern types of tundra up to the forest-tundra zone are called Subarctic... Here, the cold Arctic air in the summer period briefly gives way to the warmer air of the temperate zone. The day is long there, and under the influence of the penetration of a warmer climate, tundra plants have time to develop. Basically, these are dwarf plants that nestle on the ground emitting little heat. So they hide from the winds and from freezing, trying to spend the winter under the snow cover as if in a fur coat.

IN middle tundra there are mosses, lichens and small shrubs. There are small rodents - lemmings (pies), which feed on polar foxes and snowy owls. Most animals in the tundra in winter are covered with snow-white fur or plumage, and in summer they turn brown or gray. Reindeer (wild and domestic), wolves, tundra partridge live in the middle tundra of large animals. Due to the abundance of swamps in the tundra, there is simply a gigantic number of all kinds of midges, which attract in the summer to breed chicks to the tundra wild geese, ducks, swans, waders and loons.

Farming in the subarctic tundra is impossible in any form due to the low temperature of the soil and its lack of nutrients. The territory of the middle tundra is used by reindeer herders as summer reindeer pastures.

On the border of the tundra and forest zones there is forest-tundra... It is much warmer than in the tundra: in some areas the average daily temperature exceeds +15 degrees for 20 days per year. Up to 400 mm of precipitation falls in the forest-tundra per year, and this is much more than the evaporated moisture. Therefore, the soils of the forest-tundra, as well as the subarctic tundra, are highly waterlogged and waterlogged.

In the forest-tundra, there are rare trees growing in sparse groves or singly. The forests are composed of low-growing bent birches, spruces and larch trees. Usually trees are far apart from each other, since their root system is located in the upper part of the ground, above the permafrost. Both tundra and forest plant species are found.

In the eastern part of the forest-tundra there are tundra forestcharacterized by thickets of low-growing trees. In the subarctic mountainous regions, mountain tundra and barren rocky surfaces prevail, on which only mosses, lichens, and small rock flowers grow. Yagel grows much faster in the forest tundra than in the subarctic tundra, so there is plenty of space for deer here. In addition to deer, moose, brown bears, polar foxes, white hares, wood grouses and hazel grouses live in the forest-tundra.

Agriculture in the tundra

In the forest tundra it is possible vegetable growing in open ground , here you can grow potatoes, cabbage, turnips, radishes, lettuce, green onions. Also, methods have been developed for creating high-yielding meadows on the territory of the forest-tundra.

Do you know what ...

In Iceland, which is entirely in the natural tundra zone, in the past, potatoes were grown and even barley was cultivated. The harvest was good, because Icelanders are a stubborn and hardworking people. But now open farming has been replaced by a more lucrative occupation - growing plants in greenhouses heated by the warmth of hot springs. And today, various tropical crops, especially bananas, grow beautifully in the tundra of Iceland. Iceland even exports them to Europe.

There are also mountain tundras, which form a high-altitude zone in the mountains of the temperate and subarctic zones. They are located above the border of mountain forests and are characterized by the dominance of lichens, mosses and some cold-resistant grasses, shrubs and shrubs. There are three zones in the mountain tundra:

• Shrub belt - formed on stony soils, like the plain tundra.
• Moss-lichen belt is located above the shrub, its characteristic vegetation is represented by half-shrubs and some grasses.
• Upper belt mountain tundra is the poorest in vegetation. Here, among stony soils and on rocky formations, only lichens and mosses grow, as well as squat shrubs.

Mountain tundra (highlighted in purple)

Antarctic tundra

The Antarctic Peninsula and islands in the high latitudes of the southern hemisphere have a natural zone similar to the tundra. It was named Antarctic Tundra.

Tundra in Canada and the USA

In the northern part of Canada and in the state of Alaska, the USA, very significant territories are located in the natural tundra zone. It is located in the Arctic in the northern regions of the Western Cordilleras. There are 12 types of tundra in Canada and the USA:

• Tundra of the Alaska Ridge and St. Elijah Mountains (USA and Canada)
• Coastal Tundra of Baffin Land
• Tundra of Brooks and British Mountains
• Tundra of the Davis Strait Highlands
• Tundra of Torngat Mountains
• Highland tundra inland
• Highland Tundra Ogilvy and Mackenzie
• Polar tundra
• Subpolar tundra
• Polar tundra
• Tundra and Icefields of the Pacific Coast Mountains
• Arctic tundra

Flora and fauna of the tundra

Since the entire territory of the tundra is characterized by permafrost and strong winds, plants and animals have to adapt to life in difficult cold conditions, snuggling against the ground or stones.

Plants in the tundra have characteristic shapes and properties that reflect their adaptability to harsh continental climate... The tundra is rich in mosses and lichens. Due to the short and cold summers and long winters, most of the tundra plants are perennials and evergreens. Lingonberries and cranberries are examples of such perennial shrub plants... They begin their growth as soon as the snow melts (often only in early July).

But the bushy lichen lichen ("deer moss") grows very slowly, only 3-5 mm per year. It becomes clear why reindeer herders constantly wander from one pasture to another. They are forced to do this not at all because of a good life, but because the restoration of reindeer pastures is very slow, it takes 15-20 years. Among the plants in the tundra, there are also many blueberries, cloudberries, princesses and blueberries, as well as thickets of bushy willow. Sedges and grasses predominate in swampy areas, some of which have evergreen leaves covered with a gray waxy bloom, which gives dull colors.

A distinctive feature of the tundra is large numberbut small species composition of animals... This is due, among other things, to the fact that the tundra is literally at the very end of the earth, where very few people live. Only a few species have adapted to the harsh conditions of the tundra, such as lemmings, arctic fox, reindeer, ptarmigan, snowy owl, white hare, wolf, musk ox.

In summer, a mass of migratory birds appears in the tundra, attracted by a variety of insects that are abundant in marshlands and are especially active in summer. They hatch and feed their chicks here, so that they soon fly away to warm lands.

Numerous rivers and lakes of the tundra are rich in different fish. Here you can find omul, vendace, wild boil and nelma. But cold-blooded reptiles and amphibians are practically not found in the tundra because of the low temperatures that limit their life.

The tundra partridge is one of the most famous birds of the tundra

Watch an interesting video about the natural tundra zone:

It is difficult to imagine the existence of living organisms in conditions when an icy wind blows and frost crackles all year round. In the tundra, representatives of the fauna have adapted to the conditions of eternal winter. When the ground thaws briefly, the plants enter the growing season. It lasts two months.

How to survive in the harsh conditions of the North

Nature has provided protection measures from the harsh climate. But how do tundra plants protect themselves from the winter cold?

• To defeat the wind, you need to grow fast.
• To defeat the cold, you need to develop rapidly.
• To defeat ice in soil, you need to have shallow roots.

Only 2 months a year are allotted to plants in order to release shoots, drive out leaves and stems, dissolve flowers (and they also bloom in the tundra!) And allow fruits to ripen.

Amazing representatives of the tundra flora

Translated from Finnish, the word "tundra" means treeless land. Dull landscapes, devoid of color and life, immediately pop up in the imagination. But this is not the case.
Among the flora of the tundra, there are very bright and amazing specimens that amaze with their colors and diversity.
Bearberry (bear berry) surprises with bright red colors of berries, attracting not only clubfoot, but also birds.
Ledum is a beautifully flowering shrub that exudes a pungent aroma of essential oils.
Lumbago delights with the tenderness of the petals lavender... But appearance beautiful flower do not at all harmonize with the harsh climate.

Cloudberries, unlike our raspberries, initially have a pink-red color, but as they ripen, they become orange-yellow.
The boletus mushroom is worthy of a separate story. In late summer, countless mushrooms appear on the tundra. Under the little tops of tiny birches, hundreds of little brothers with brown hats crawl out of the ground.
Dwarf birch is one of the few representatives of the tree family in the tundra. For an adult, this tree barely reaches the knees.

Tundra is a treeless natural area in the north of Eurasia and North America. It is characterized by a harsh climate and the occurrence of permafrost even at shallow depths. Due to low winter temperatures and frozen soils, trees cannot grow here, even conifers that can withstand extreme Siberian frosts. What animals live in the tundra in such conditions?

Features of the tundra climate

The tundra zone corresponds to the subarctic climatic zone. Here, the average January temperatures drop to -40º, and the minimum is even lower. But this is not the case everywhere. For example, on the coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula, where the warm Norwegian Current passes, January temperatures rarely drop below -20º. But winter lasts a very long time throughout the tundra.

Summer here is comparable to our fall. In the hottest month, the temperature rarely exceeds + 10º. Even in July, subzero temperatures and snow can be observed. And such a summer lasts at most a month and a half.

The main feature of the tundra climate is excessive moisture. But not because there is a lot of precipitation, but because of low temperatures and, as a result, insignificant evaporation. As a result, there are many swamps and lakes here. There are also strong winds here, especially on the coast of the Arctic Ocean.

In winter, beyond the Arctic Circle, the sun does not go beyond the horizon for several days in a row. Summer is the turn of the polar day. And to the south the sun shines so long that the evening dawn gives way to the morning and there is no real darkness. This phenomenon is called "white nights".

Fauna and flora of the tundra

The tundra vegetation is very distinctive. In the south of the zone, where it is warmer, dwarf trees are still found: polar willow, dwarf birch. It is difficult to mistake them for trees, because the thickness of their trunks does not even reach the diameter of a pencil, and in height they rise only 20-30 cm.

The main plants of the tundra are mosses and lichens. They determine the appearance of the tundra landscape. There is enough moisture for them here, but they are unpretentious to heat. True, they grow very slowly.

The most famous plant of the tundra is lichen, or deer moss, which is actually not moss, but lichen. This is a source of food for reindeer, which is why it got its popular name.

There are a lot of shrubs in the tundra that winter under the snow without shedding their small dense leathery leaves. This allows them to start growing immediately after thawing from under the snow. First of all, these are lingonberries, cranberries, blueberries and cloudberries.

Herbaceous plants include sedge, cotton grass and polar poppy. In a short Arctic summer, they manage to go through a full vegetative cycle.

The vegetation here often forms creeping and pillow-like forms. This makes it possible to better use and conserve ground-level heat, to protect against strong winds that break the stems.

The fauna of the tundra is not rich in species, but it is large enough in quantitative terms. What animals live in the tundra constantly? The indigenous inhabitants of the tundra include reindeer, lemmings, arctic foxes, wolves, and birds - snowy owl and ptarmigan. Very rare animals are musk oxen.

Fauna of the tundra of Russia

The most numerous animals of the tundra are lemmings. These rodents feed on the seeds, fruits and roots of tundra plants. They can multiply very quickly, because they mature in 2-3 months after birth. In a year, they can bring up to 5-6 litters of up to ten cubs each. It is clear that there is not enough food for everyone. And lemmings undertake large migrations, migrating en masse in search of food.

Although lemmings are not used by humans, animal world the tundra cannot do without these animals. After all, they serve as the main food for valuable game animals - arctic fox, fox.

Arctic fox and wolf are also typical representatives of tundra animals. But if the arctic fox mainly feeds on lemmings, hunts birds and ravages bird nests, the wolf prefers larger prey. And in this way he poses a danger to reindeer. Wolves hunt in large packs, driving herds of reindeer to discourage weakened animals or young calves from the herd.

Reindeer is the main animal of the tundra

Reindeer graze in vast areas of the tundra. They feed not only on lichen, but also on other plant species. In search of food, they have to wander all the time, because the eaten vegetation is restored for a very long time. In addition, in winter they migrate to the more southern regions of the tundra and to the forest-tundra, since here the snow is looser and it is easier to dig out plants with a hoof. And the leaves of dwarf trees are also used for food.

In summer, the deer move closer to the coast of the ocean, the wind from which saves them from the midges - blood-sucking insects.

Reindeer has long been domesticated by humans. He is simply an irreplaceable animal in the tundra. Their meat, skins are used, deer transport people and goods. It's not for nothing that the song says: "And the deer are better ..."

Reindeer wool is very warm, because the hairs in it are hollow, filled with air. Therefore, the deer can easily endure very severe frosts. And for the inhabitants of the tundra, clothes made of reindeer skins are also necessary.

In North America, caribou deer live in this area.

Tundra birds

The fauna of the tundra is also represented by birds. The most famous eider is a large sea duck. It is famous for its exceptionally warm down, which lining the nest and covering the eggs. This gray down is highly prized and harvested. From one nest, from which the chicks have already left, you can get 15-20 grams of pure fluff.

The grouse is also a permanent resident of the tundra. The name suggests that in winter its plumage turns white, which allows the bird to be invisible against the background of snow. She eats plant food, and chicks are also insectivorous.

The snowy owl mainly preys on lemmings. And in summer time it is also dangerous for birds, as chicks are a good addition to its diet.

Summer paradise for waterfowl

In summer, the endless expanses of the tundra are literally saturated with water. These are melted snow waters, and numerous lakes and swamps, and rivers. Therefore, the animal world of the tundra is replenished with a huge number of water birds. They find in the water both algae and insect larvae, and they do not refuse the insects themselves.

Geese, ducks, loons, sandpipers, swans - that's far from full list birds feeding and hatching chicks in the far north. And in the fall, they take their chicks to the south, to warm lands.

Tundra animal protection

The flora and fauna of the tundra is very fragile, because it takes decades to restore it in harsh conditions. Therefore, he needs protection.

The Red Data Book of Russia aims to protect flora and fauna. Animals of the tundra, which are included in it:

• putorana bighorn sheep;
• chukchi bighorn sheep;
• polar bear;
• white goose;
• white-billed loon;
• goose white;
• lesser white-fronted goose;
• barnacle;
• red-breasted goose;
• pacific black goose;
• small swan;
• american swan;
• rose gull;
• siberian Siberian Crane, or White Crane.

To protect the wildlife of the tundra, reserves have been created: Kandalaksha, Lapland, Taimyr, etc.