Hobbies And Interests
Temperature
The tundra and taiga are both cold climate biomes, meaning that the winters are long, harsh and cold, and the summers are short and mild. Temperatures can reach below freezing for six months out of the year in both biomes. Winter temperatures in the taiga and tundra range between -65 and 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Summers are short, generally only 50 to 60 days in the tundra and 50 to100 days in the taiga, with temperatures ranging between 20 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Animal Life
Despite the harsh climates in the tundra and taiga, both are home to wildlife. Herds of caribou graze on the mosses and lichens that grow in the summer. Predators such as foxes, wolves, wolverines and bears prey upon smaller mammals like snowshoe rabbits, hares, shrews, voles and lemmings. Mammals in the tundra and taiga tend to hibernate in the winter. Many species of birds also migrate north in the summer to breed and feed upon the swarms of insects.
Precipitation
Although the taiga receives much more precipitation than the tundra, they both receive snowfall annually. The tundra receives 6 to 10 inches of precipitation each year, most of which falls in the form of snow. The taiga receives 12 to 33 inches of precipitation each year in the form of snow, rain, and dew.
Location
Both the tundra and taiga are located in the upper latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Due to the cold temperatures in Antarctica that prohibit the snow and ice from melting, neither the tundra or taiga is found in the Southern Hemisphere. The tundra and taiga cover areas in Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, Russia, Siberia, Iceland and the coastline of Greenland. The tundra is located above the tree line and around the North Pole.