Tundra stretches in a narrow strip in the northern part of the planet. It is located very close to the Arctic desert zone, and the natural conditions here are not much more pleasant. However, in this part of the planet there are living beings. How do they interact with each other? What does the food chain look like in the tundra? Let's find out.
Tundra nature: photo and description
The tundra natural zone borders the shores of the Arctic Ocean. It is located in northern Canada and along the coast of Greenland. In Eurasia, it stretches from Norway to the eastern outskirts of the Far East. The tundra lies in the subarctic zone, as well as at certain heights in the mountains of the temperate zone.
There are no tall trees in the tundra food chain, as, for example, in the neighboring taiga. Its entire territory is a vast swampy lowland, covered with stone, peat and undersized vegetation.
The harsh local climate is characterized by high humidity, low temperatures and constant winds. Most of the tundra zone is located beyond the Polararound, which is why its winters are very long (8-9 months) and polar nights are observed for several weeks a year. Only those animals and plants that can endure the cold and prolonged absence of sunlight can survive here. Here are some typical tundra food chain diagrams:
- Berries - lemming - snowy owl.
- Yagel - reindeer - wolf.
- Cereals - European Hare - Arctic Fox.
- Berries - mosquitoes - partridge - fox.
First link in the chain
Most often food chains start with living vegetation. In the tundra, it is represented only by undersized species, because there is not enough light necessary for normal development. In addition, already at a depth of 30-50 centimeters underground, permafrost begins, which does not allow roots to break through too far. For these reasons, the vegetation of the tundra does not rise high, but mostly spreads, covering the soil with a continuous carpet.
The main "inhabitants" of this area are lichens and mosses, presented here in large numbers. Also, dwarf willows, birches, aspens, cereal species and berry bushes, such as blueberries, cloudberries, princesses, polar poppies, sedges, dryad shrubs with small yellow flowers, participate in the tundra food chain. In addition to them, algae in rivers and detritus, the dead remains of organisms and plants, can start a trophic series.
Second link
The second link in the tundra food chain are herbivorous animals. These include rodents, lemmings, reindeer, hare, and those living in the EasternSiberian snow sheep. Birds such as waders, geese, sparrows, partridges feed on cereals and berries. Fish in rivers can consume algae.
This link includes various insects that feed on berries and pollen, as well as detritophages that consume detritus. The latter include various worms, microorganisms, beetles, flies and wood lice.
Remaining links
After the herbivores, the food chain is followed by carnivores that prey on other animals. Intermediate links, as a rule, are small predators and omnivores, for example, various rodents, small crustaceans, toads, snakes, minks, ermines, martens. This also includes fish (omul, chiry, vendace), which prey on smaller fish and crustaceans. The abundance of swamps and lakes makes the tundra a pleasant place for blood-sucking insects that appear during the warm period. Cranes, wagtails, loons, eiders, ducks, and gulls arrive here in large numbers in spring, which also occupy an intermediate position in the food chain.
The final links are large predators that eat both carnivorous and herbivorous animals. In the tundra, they are represented by needle-footed and polar owls, wolves, foxes, arctic foxes. At the very top of the chain are the apex predators, the largest animals in the area, which are not hunted by others. In the tundra, a person can be considered as such. In the northern regions of the natural zone, the polar bear is the top predator.
