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Tundra Information
The tundra ecosystem is characterized by its frigid temperatures, lack of trees and abundance of icy, permanently frozen soil. Tundra is in found mainly in the Arctic and Subarctic regions of the Earth. There are a few animals that live exclusively in the tundra, such as caribou, arctic foxes and lemmings. Some species of plant live in the area, mostly mosses, lichens and short grasses. The three natural resources that are found in the tundra are oil, uranium and rare minerals.
Oil
Many areas of the tundra have deposits of oil. Petroleum exporters drill deep below the surface of the tundra regions of Alaska and Russia. These areas can be lucrative for oil companies because they often contain large amounts of oil that is fairly easy to access. However, drilling in the tundra can be costly for oil companies because of the freezing temperatures, high winds, unstable permafrost and the high cost of transportation.
Uranium
Uranium is the radioactive element that is used to power the nuclear reactors that provide energy around the globe. Because it is a rare element in the Earth's crust, it is difficult to obtain. Many tundra areas of the Earth contain uranium trapped in the soil. Uranium is mined in parts of Canada, Russia and northern European states. Uranium is often obtained through large, open-pit mining, which, in the tundra area, requires that mounds of permafrost soil be moved and filtered.
Other Rare Earth Minerals
The tundra area also contains several gemstones, rare earth minerals and precious metals. Diamond mines in northern Alaska and Russia produce high quality diamonds for jewellers. It also contains rare earth minerals, such as apatite, cerite and stillwellite, that have several industrial uses. In addition, permafrost soil of the tundra contains small amounts of gold, platinum and palladium.