AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Tundra winters are long, dark, and cold, with mean temperatures below 0°C for six to 10 months of the year. The temperatures are so cold that there is a layer of permanently frozen ground below the surface, called permafrost. This permafrost is a defining characteristic of the tundra biome.

Detailed explanation-2: -The tundra is the biome characterized by the presence of permafrost. Permafrost is a layer just beneath the surface of the ground that never thaws, even in the middle of summer. The tundra is also known for being the coldest of Earth’s biomes, getting down to-40 degrees Fahrenheit during the long winter.

Detailed explanation-3: -Tundra soils are usually classified as Gelisols or Cryosols, depending on the soil classification system used.

Detailed explanation-4: -Tundra ecosystems are treeless regions found in the Arctic and on the tops of mountains, where the climate is cold and windy, and rainfall is scant. Tundra lands are covered with snow for much of the year, but summer brings bursts of wildflowers.

Detailed explanation-5: -Permafrost is found in places where the average annual temperature is below about 23°F (-5° C), including most of the Arctic and all of Antarctica. Land with underlying permafrost is called tundra. The arctic tundra is stark and treeless.