Frozen Tundra — Reading Comprehension Lesson

Reading Passage

Frozen Tundra

The tundra is the coldest and most barren of Earth’s major biomes. Arctic tundra encircles the North Pole, covering northern Canada, Alaska, Russia, and Scandinavia. Alpine tundra is found above the tree line on high mountains around the world. Tundra is characterized by extremely cold temperatures, low precipitation (usually less than 10 inches per year, mostly as snow), strong winds, and a very short growing season of only 50 to 60 days per year.

One of the most important features of Arctic tundra is permafrost — a layer of permanently frozen soil that extends from a few feet to hundreds of feet below the surface. Permafrost prevents water from draining, creating boggy, waterlogged conditions at the surface during the brief summer thaw. It also prevents trees from establishing deep roots, which is why the tundra is treeless. Permafrost stores enormous amounts of organic carbon — the remains of ancient plants and animals — that has been frozen for thousands of years.

Despite its harsh conditions, the tundra supports a surprising diversity of life. Low-growing plants — mosses, lichens, grasses, sedges, and dwarf shrubs — hug the ground to stay out of the wind and absorb as much heat as possible from the thin soil. During the brief summer, wildflowers bloom and migratory birds arrive in enormous numbers to breed, taking advantage of the long daylight hours and abundant insects. Year-round residents include Arctic foxes, lemmings, musk oxen, caribou, and polar bears on the sea ice.

The tundra is warming faster than almost anywhere else on Earth — about twice the global average rate. As permafrost thaws, the organic matter it contains begins to decompose, releasing carbon dioxide and methane, which accelerates warming further. Thawing permafrost also causes the ground to sink and slump, damaging infrastructure and altering ecosystems. The loss of Arctic sea ice is changing the hunting grounds of polar bears and affecting indigenous communities that have depended on tundra resources for thousands of years.

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