Summers can have temperatures reaching into 34 °C while in the winter the temperature can fall below −45 °C and in rare cases, below −51 °C
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 with 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
Whales, seals and snowy owls are also found in polar regions
Polar environments are found in inland areas far from the warming influence of the sea.
Most polar regions are partly or completely covered with ice caps. These include areas such as Greenland, Northern Canada, Siberia and Antarctica.
Tundra environments are found south of the ice caps in the northern hemisphere.
They occupy 1/5 of the Earth’s land surface including huge parts of Russia and Canada.
some adaptions to the cold
caribou: Have 2 layers of fur to help them survive the bitter cold. Large hooves help them to travel over soggy ground.
snowshoe rabbits: Have white fur, so they cannot be easily seen against the snow.
lichens and mosses: Shallow roots that can tolerate both dry and wet conditions. This allows them to cope with seasonal change as the active layer melts.
