How Is Desert Similar to Tundra?
A desert and a tundra are similar in that both of these regions receive little precipitation, have somewhat limited vegetation and experience cold temperatures at night. Along with forest, aquatic and grassland, tundra and desert are among the five major biomes on Earth.
Deserts comprise about 20 percent of the Earth. Four types of deserts make up the desert biome: cold, coastal, arid and semi-arid. Deserts are known for their low precipitation levels, and many are known for their hot climate. Even those that are hot in the daytime, however, experience cold nights because the dry air does not hold heat, allowing temperatures to cool down considerably at night. Cold deserts have long winters and cold temperatures. The tundra is cold with permafrost soil, which is not hospitable to plant life. The Arctic tundra is near the North Pole, and alpine tundra is comprised of mountainous areas located above the tree line. Antarctic tundra is near the South Pole. Tundra is located where the climate is dry and cold. About 1,700 species of plants grow in the tundra. The species of plants that grow in the desert depend on the particular desert, but some deserts are host to around 2,500 different species. Several hundred thousand species exist on the Earth.
