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Things That Could Be Found in a Tundra

At first glance, the tundra is a barren wasteland lacking trees, mountains and other features and even human habitation. The weather is harsh and bitterly cold, adding to the land's general inhospitable visage. However, you can find many interesting things in the tundra, including a variety of animals, rare and fragile plants, ancient Inuit art, and even precious gems.

Wildlife
- The musk ox is a majestic relic of the Ice Age.
  
  Despite the inhospitable terrain, the tundra is home to many species of animals and insects. Aside from the aggressive and unpleasant swarms of mosquitoes and black flies that cloud the sky in the summer, there are also polar bears, arctic wolves and foxes, herds of caribou that number in the thousands, and even survivors from the Ice Age like the musk ox.
Vegetation
- Lichens can survive on bare rock.
  
  The tundra does spend most of the year covered in ice and snow, but during the brief spring and summer months, the thin, wet soil abounds with a variety of flowers and lichens. These tough, hardy little plants are not only striking in their bright colors but also serve as an important part of the ecosystem. The lichens that grow in the tundra are the main staple for grazing animals like caribou and musk oxen.
Gold and Diamonds
- These diamonds might have come from the tundra.
  
  The 1800s gold rush of the Yukon is evidenced in the tundra, where a number of gold and diamond mines have sprung up. These are controversial enterprises, as they have some profound advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are economic. The gold and diamond mines bring much-needed investment and commerce to a barren and lonely area with few other employment opportunities for residents. The disadvantages to this economic boon are explained more thoroughly in the following section.
Pollution
- Rusty barrels left to deteriorate on the tundra.
  
  A sparse human population has not spared the Arctic from the ravages of pollution. Mining has become very lucrative in the tundra, and this can be a messy business. Cleanup and environmental regulations are difficult to enforce in such an isolated area and some companies feel free to openly flout what are normally stringent regulations. Government and private regulators sometimes turn a blind eye rather than disrupt the economy.
Inukshuk
- A guide for hunters and travelers in a flat and featureless landscape.
  
  A symbol of the Arctic tundra, the Inukshuk was chosen as a symbol of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. They can take angular geometric shapes and often resemble human figures. Inuksuit (this is the plural form) are simple stone statues that are not built just for decoration. The Inuit people use them as simple maps in the tundra, which is devoid of almost any natural landmarks. They were also used to help track the movement of game, which is still useful to local hunters.

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