cold environments

• Cold environments (both polar and tundra) are found in high latitude areas and mountainous regions of the world. They have an extreme climate and unique characteristics such as the soil type and the plants and animals found there. The biodiversity in cold environments is relatively low because very few species survive there.
• climate


  long cold winters, with annual temperatures mostly below freezing. Polar areas are often windy, with very little precipitation. Permanent ice caps cover polar landscapes.
• soil


  the soil is covered in ice throughout the year.
• plants


  hundreds of species of moss, algae and lichen survive the harsh conditions of the Polar biome. Few other plants can survive
• animals


  Polar bears live in the Arctic and penguins live in the Antarctic. Whales, seals and snowy owls are also found in polar regions.
• tundra climate


  cold, windy and little rainfall. Snow covers the ground for much of the year. Average temperature in the Arctic tundra is between -12°C and -6°C. The summer season lasts for 50-60 days each year during which there is permanent daylight.
• permafrost


  this is the layer of frozen soil under the Earth's surface. The frozen ground may extend as deep as 450 m. In the highest latitudes the ground remains frozen all year round. In the most southern parts of the Arctic, the surface layer of the permafrost melts in the summer.
• tundra soil


  this is high in organic material because it is too cold for dead organisms to decompose.
• tundra plants


  trees do not grow in the tundra. When the snow melts, small plants flower. In mountainous areas, cushion plants grow between the rocks.
• tundra animals


  arctic foxes, polar bears, grey wolves, caribou, snow geese and musk-oxen are found here. In mountainous areas, goats, sheep and marmots can be found. When the surface layer of the permafrost melts in the summer, shallow lakes and bogs appear which attract insects, birds and other wildlife