Wind

• The tundra features strong wind, generally blowing 30 to 60 miles per hour, making it difficult for many plants to survive.
  
  

Permafrost

• Tundra also contains permafrost, or permanently frozen soil. Permafrost never thaws and can exist from a few inches to a few feet below the surface of the soil. Plants cannot grow roots through permafrost.
  
  

Plant Adaptations

• Plants adapt to the tundra by growing close to the ground, becoming dormant through the winter, reproducing through division, and growing protective coverings.
  
  

Plant Examples

• Cotton grass, sedge, mosses, lichens, arctic dryads, arctic birches, and arctic poppies all thrive in the tundra.
  
  

Fun Fact

• There are not many plants in the tundra; approximately 1,700 species of plants live there.
  
  

Threats

• Global warming, pollution, and oil mining represent serious threats to tundra, which is a fragile ecosystem.