Global biomes

Lapland is a place many of us dream of visiting.

There’s plenty to do here – husky rides, visit the grottos, and if you’re lucky, see the spectacular northern lights.

But how has the environment shaped the landscape and this biome?

Lapland is in the region of Northern Scandinavia, part of the Arctic tundra. In Finnish, the word tundra means treeless plain.

The Arctic tundra encircles the North Pole, extending from the frozen Arctic in the North, to the coniferous forest, also known as the taiga, in the south.

Countries across the world such as Canada, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and parts of the USA have tundra biomes.

The climate in the tundra biomes is extremely cold – I mean seriously cold! You wouldn’t want to forget your winter woollies.

The average winter temperatures can be below -30 °C. A domestic freezer is usually -18 °C. Even in the short summers, the average temperature is usually only between 3 °C and 12 °C.

There is very little rainfall, with yearly precipitation being around 150 - 250 mm, which is about a third of London’s annual rainfall.

The freezing conditions mean that one of the main features of the environment is permafrost, which – as the name suggests – means permanently frozen ground. Although, the surface layer – being only a few centimetres – may melt during the summer months, leaving muddy pools of water.

Some plants and vegetation do grow here.

The Bearberry plant has had to evolve to survive the harsh and freezing conditions and the long dark winters. So, its root system is shallow to cope with the thin and frozen soil, and plants grow closely together to provide warmth and shelter from the strong winds.

This is the Arctic Fox. They are extremely well adapted to the freezing conditions. Their thick coat provides insulation, and hair on the pads of their feet stops them slipping on the ice. They can curl their thick bushy tails around their nose and face to keep warm. In winter, their white fur acts as camouflage to help hide them from their prey. They survive by eating a varied diet including dead seals and birds’ eggs.

This handsome-looking mammal is a Musk-Ox, common in North America. Its adaptations include two layers of fur (one short and one long) to trap in the heat and protect it from the weather. They have large and hard hooves so that they can break ice to find water to drink. In the winter, they huddle together in groups to retain heat.

Tundra environments aren’t hugely inhabited by humans, but there are groups of people who call this ecosystem home.

The Sami people inhabit the far north of Scandinavia, where they rear reindeer, sheep, and are experts at fishing. About 10% of the Sami, mostly those involved with reindeer, move their animals across the tundra coniferous forest biomes in response to the seasons.

So, whilst at first this may seem like a bleak, inhospitable landscape, if you know where to look, it is teeming with wildlife, with amazing adaptations to help them not only survive, but thrive, in one of the world's most extreme environments.

Climate describes an average of weather conditions in an area over a period of time, usually around thirty years.

There are many different factors that determine the climate of a place, like…

Distance from the Equator: the curve of the Earth means that places furthest from the Equator - like the North and South Poles – are less exposed to the sun’s heat, while those closer to the Equator receive more direct, intense heat.

Elevation: how high or low an area is, as temperature decreases the higher you go.

Distance from the sea: areas by the coast tend to be cooler in summer and warmer in winter because they are cooled and warmed by ocean currents and water holds its temperature for longer.

Vegetation: the release of water vapour as part of photosynthesis impacts on cloud formation so areas like rainforests are very wet.

The world has five main climate zones.

Polar climates are cold and dry with long, dark winters and short summers. Temperatures rise above freezing for only a few months each year.

Temperate climates, like ours in the United Kingdom, have four clear seasons with warm summers, if we're lucky, and cool winters.

Arid climates are found in desert areas like the Sahara, and are hot and dry all year round. They usually receive less than 250mm of rainfall each year.

Tropical climates are found in places like the Amazon rainforest and have hot temperatures all year round with two seasons, one wet and one dry.

And a Mediterranean climate has hot, dry summers and mild winters.

The climate is something that affects us all, from our economy, to the food we eat, to our leisure activities.