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.

Learn about the tundra biome in ecology, including its key characteristics, location, flora, fauna, and difference from taiga.

What Is The Tundra Biome? The tundra biome is a region in which freezing temperatures and scarce rainfall make the growth of vegetation almost impossible. The tundra is characterised by a total lack of trees and has, instead, stubby vegetation that grows very slowly.

The tundra is the coldest of all the biomes with an annual average temperature of less than 5°C and precipitation (mostly in the form of snow) less than 100 mm per year. The weather conditions in the tundra are so harsh that only a handful of plants and animals can survive there.

The tundra biome is estimated to be approximately 3 million square miles long and attributes to 20% of the earth’s surface. It is located in Alaska, edges of Greenland, Northern Canada, Russia, Northern Siberia and Northern Scandinavia. Tundra Biome occurs in latitudes of 55 degrees to 75 degrees north.