The Tundra Traditional Cache

This micro cache is in the Assiniboine Park Zoo. There is an entrance fee. Placing trackables is not recommended in this high muggle area. Summer hours: Open daily from 9:00 a.m. and gates close at 4:30 p.m. Winter hours: Open daily from 9:00 a.m. and gates close at 3:30 p.m. Please treat our animals and plants with respect. Do not approach or feed animals, pick or damage plants, knock on glass, or throw coins in ponds. Please stay on pathways, and respect safety fences.

The Tundra

What is the Tundra? The tundra is a treeless area. The tundra is one of the coldest and harshest biomes (an area where the plants, animals and soils are similar). The only plants that can live in the tundra are shrubs, grass, moss, lichens, and some flowers because the plants have adaptations for the area. The tundra is a very windy place with winds that can blow upward of 50-100 km/h. The summer season has very little precipitation. There are very few people living on the tundra because of its harsh climate. The ground is permanently frozen. The constant cold temperatures cause the ground to be permanently frozen, and it is called the permafrost.     

What does the word “Tundra” mean?  The word Tundra comes from the Russian language (Kildin Sami) word tūndâr meaning “uplands” or “treeless mountain tract.”

What are the animals that live on the tundra? The animals that live on the Tundra include: caribou, muskox, Arctic hares, Arctic fox, snowy owls, lemmings, and polar bears. There are 48 types of animals that are land animals. There are about 240 kinds of fish in the Arctic waters. Most of the animals on the tundra are mammals. 

Sources:

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/tundra-profile/ 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tundra

By: Rylee at Beaverlodge School