The tundra is the coldest of the biomes. It also
receives low amounts of precipitation, making
the tundra similar to a desert. Tundra is found
in the regions just below the ice caps of the
Arctic, extending across North America, to
Europe, and Siberia in Asia. Much of Alaska and
about half of Canada are in the tundra biome.
Tundra is also found at the tops of very high
mountains elsewhere in the world.
Temperatures are frequently extremely cold,
but can get warm in the summers.
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. In the tundra summers, the
top layer of soil thaws only a few inches down,
providing a growing surface for the roots of
vegetation.
Precipitation in the tundra totals 150 to 250
mm a year, including melted snow. That's less
than most of the world's greatest deserts! Still,
the tundra is usually a wet place because the
low temperatures cause evaporation of water
to be slow. Much of the arctic has rain and fog
in the summers, and water gathers in bogs and
ponds.
Vegetation in the tundra has adapted to the
cold and the short growing season. Mosses,
sedges, and lichens are common, while few
trees grow in the tundra. The trees that do
manage to grow stay close to the ground so
they are insulated by snow during the cold
winters.
Characteristics of tundra include:
Extremely cold climate.
Low biotic diversity.
Simple vegetation structure.
Limitation of drainage.
Short season of growth and reproduction.
Energy and nutrients in the form of dead
organic material.
Large population oscillations.
Desert biomes are the driest of all the biomes.
In fact, the most important characteristic of a
desert is that it receives very little rainfall. Most
deserts receive less than 300 mm a year
compared to rainforests, which receive over
2,000 mm. That means that the desert only gets
10 percent of the rain that a rainforest gets!
The temperature in the desert can change
drastically from day to night because the air is
so dry that heat escapes rapidly at night. The
daytime temperature averages 38°C while in
some deserts it can get down to -4°C at night.
The temperature also varies greatly depending
on the location of the desert.
Since desert conditions are so severe, the plants
that live there need to have adaptations to
compensate for the lack of water. Some plants,
such as cacti, store water in their stems and use
it very slowly, while others like bushes conserve
water by growing few leaves or by having large
root systems to gather water. Some desert
plant species have a short life cycle of a few
weeks that lasts only during periods of rain.
Biomes are defined by their unique vegetation
and animal life. The savanna biome, which is a
type of grassland biome, consists of areas of
open grassland with very few trees. There are
two kinds of savannas: tropical and semi-
tropical savannas.
Key Takeaways: Savanna Biome
Animals including elephants, giraffes, lions and
cheetahs make their homes in the savanna. Due
to its open environment, camouflage and
mimicry are essential for animal survival in the
savanna.
Savannas have extreme wet seasons and dry
seasons. They can receive over four feet of rain
during the wet season, and as little as a few
inches during the dry.
Due to this lack of precipitation, it is very
difficult for large plants like trees to grow in
savannas.
While savannas are located on six of the seven
continents, the largest are found in equatorial
Africa.
Climate
The savanna climate varies according to the
season. In the wet season, weather is warm and
a savanna receives as much as 50 inches of
rain.1 But during the dry season, weather can
be extremely hot, and rainfall will amount to
only four inches each month.1
This combination of high temperatures and
little precipitation makes savannas perfect
areas for grass and brush fires during their dry
seasons.
Location
Grasslands are located on every continent
except Antarctica. The largest savannas are
located in Africa near the equator. One of the
most famous African savannas is Serengeti
National Park in Tanzania, which is known for its
large wildebeest and zebra populations. The
park is also home to lions, leopards, elephants,
hippos, and gazelles.
Other locations of savannas include:
Africa: Kenya, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South
Africa, and Namibia
Australia
Central America: Belize and Honduras
South America: Venezuela and Columbia
Southern Asia
Vegetation
The savanna biome is often described as an
area of grassland with dispersed trees or
clusters of trees. The lack of water makes the
savanna a difficult place for tall plants such as
trees to grow.
Grasses and trees that grow in the savanna
have adapted to life with little water and hot
temperatures. Grasses, for example, grow
quickly in the wet season when water is
abundant and turn brown in the dry season to
conserve water. Some trees store water in their
roots and only produce leaves during the wet
season.
Due to frequent fires, grasses are short and
close to the ground and some plants are fire
resistant. Examples of vegetation in the savanna
include wild grasses, shrubs, baobab trees, and
acacia trees.
What's the difference between a savanna and a
desert?
Deserts get too little precipitation to support
trees, grass, or any plants. Savannas have just
enough rainfall or access to water to support
grass—lots of grass—and sporadic trees.
Where are savannas located in the world?
Savannas flank tropical rainforests to the north
and south. The most famous stretches of
savanna are in Africa, but they also occur in
Australia, India, Southeast Asia (Myanmar and
Thailand), and South America.
are important factors shaping grasslands. In the
U.S. Midwest, for example, Native Americans
set fires to help maintain grasslands for game
species, such as bison. Fire can also help
prevent fire-intolerant trees and shrubs from
taking over while increasing the diversity of
wildflowers that support pollinators.