Chapter 1 the tundra The land of the far north is called the tundra It is a harsh place to live Most of the tundra is flat No trees grow there The air is dry Strong winds blow Winters are long and cold in the tundra The ground is frozen It is covered with snow Some days the sun never rises The sun sets over the tundra in the winter What is the tundra like during the winter
Summer Tundra summers are short They last only a couple of months During the summer the sun shines brightly On some days the sun never sets Each summer the tundra buzzes with life Flowers bloom Birds raise their young Insects fill the air 38 COLORFUL WILDFLOWERS BLOOM IN A TUNDRA MEADOW
In the summer the top layer of soil thaws That part of the ground is called the active layer Plants and animals can live in the active layer Below the active layer the ground stays frozen The frozen layer is called permafrost Permafrost is very deep Melting snow and ice form pools of water on the tundra Some of the water drains into a nearby river
