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36-511: It is situated on Lavrentiya Bay , named by Captain James Cook who arrived in the bay on the feast day of Saint Lawrence in 1778. The village itself was founded in 1928 (although some sources suggest 1927). By 1928 a Kultbaza (a semi-permanent cultural base established by the Soviet Union in rural areas to ensure the ideological education of local indigenous inhabitants) had been established in

72-537: A temperate grassland , restricting southern tundra to coastal Antarctica and its islands. The flora and fauna of Antarctica and the Antarctic Islands (south of 60° south latitude) are protected by the Antarctic Treaty . Alpine tundra does not contain trees because the climate and soils at high altitude block tree growth. The cold climate of the alpine tundra is caused by the low air temperatures, and

108-750: A local climate in which at least one month has an average temperature high enough to melt snow (0 °C (32 °F)), but no month with an average temperature in excess of 10 °C (50 °F). The cold limit generally meets the EF climates of permanent ice and snows ; the warm-summer limit generally corresponds with the poleward or altitudinal limit of trees, where they grade into the subarctic climates designated Dfd , Dwd and Dsd (extreme winters as in parts of Siberia ), Dfc typical in Alaska, Canada, mountain areas of Scandinavia , European Russia , and Western Siberia (cold winters with months of freezing). Despite

144-428: A staff, others that they had religious significance and others still thinking that they were purely aesthetic. However, investigation into the aerodynamics of the objects found that their shape had much in common with modern aircraft wings and it was proposed that these objects were in fact to assist in the flight of harpoons , thinking confirmed by the discovery of a harpoon with a "winged object" still attached to it. It

180-624: Is a bay in the Bering Sea on the eastern coast of the Chukotka Peninsula , Russian Federation . This bay is located very close to the Bering Strait , which lies only a few km to the NE. The bay is open towards the southeast; it is 45 km in length and has an average width of about 8 km. There are two little islands inside the bay where it narrows forming an inlet. On the southern shore of

216-479: Is a risk of wildfire, such as the 1,039 km (401 sq mi) of tundra which burned in 2007 on the north slope of the Brooks Range in Alaska. Such events may both result from and contribute to global warming. Carbon emissions from permafrost thaw contribute to the same warming which facilitates the thaw, making it a positive climate change feedback . The warming also intensifies Arctic water cycle , and

252-409: Is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. There are three regions and associated types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine tundra , and Antarctic tundra. Tundra vegetation is composed of dwarf shrubs , sedges , grasses , mosses , and lichens . Scattered trees grow in some tundra regions. The ecotone (or ecological boundary region) between

288-449: Is characterized by plants that grow close to the ground, including perennial grasses , sedges , forbs , cushion plants , mosses , and lichens . The flora is adapted to the harsh conditions of the alpine environment, which include low temperatures, dryness, ultraviolet radiation, and a short growing season. Tundra climates ordinarily fit the Köppen climate classification ET , signifying

324-771: Is home to several peoples who are mostly nomadic reindeer herders, such as the Nganasan and Nenets in the permafrost area (and the Sami in Sápmi ). Arctic tundra contains areas of stark landscape and is frozen for much of the year. The soil there is frozen from 25 to 90 cm (10 to 35 in) down, making it impossible for trees to grow there. Instead, bare and sometimes rocky land can only support certain kinds of Arctic vegetation , low-growing plants such as moss, heath ( Ericaceae varieties such as crowberry and black bearberry ), and lichen . There are two main seasons, winter and summer, in

360-630: Is light, evaporation is also relatively minimal. During the summer, the permafrost thaws just enough to let plants grow and reproduce, but because the ground below this is frozen, the water cannot sink any lower, so the water forms the lakes and marshes found during the summer months. There is a natural pattern of accumulation of fuel and wildfire which varies depending on the nature of vegetation and terrain. Research in Alaska has shown fire-event return intervals (FRIs) that typically vary from 150 to 200 years, with dryer lowland areas burning more frequently than wetter highland areas. The biodiversity of tundra

396-573: Is linked to Lavrentiya by a 40 kilometers (25 mi) unpaved road. Other than this short road, Lavrentiya, despite being the administrative centre of the district, is not linked to any other part of the world by road. However, the settlement has a small number of roads within it. Lavrentiya has an arctic tundra climate ( Köppen climate classification ET ) because the warmest month has an average temperature between 0 and +10 °C (32 and 50 °F). Lavrentiya Bay The Saint Lawrence Bay ( Russian : Залив Лаврентия ; Zaliv Lavrentiya )

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432-694: Is low: 1,700 species of vascular plants and only 48 species of land mammals can be found, although millions of birds migrate there each year for the marshes. There are also a few fish species. There are few species with large populations. Notable plants in the Arctic tundra include blueberry ( Vaccinium uliginosum ), crowberry ( Empetrum nigrum ), reindeer lichen ( Cladonia rangiferina ), lingonberry ( Vaccinium vitis-idaea ), and Labrador tea ( Rhododendron groenlandicum ). Notable animals include reindeer (caribou), musk ox , Arctic hare , Arctic fox , snowy owl , ptarmigan , northern red-backed voles , lemmings ,

468-495: Is not clear why such a useful tool fell out of use amongst the indigenous peoples. Historically, one of the most significant cultural exports from the village was the indigenous ensemble Yeti ( Russian : Етти ) which was led in 1976 by the Yupik woman M. S. Glukhikh, who now leads the national ensemble White Sail ( Russian : Белый парус ). The village also contains the Church of

504-448: Is now Chukotsky District to Lavrentiya from their current position in Uelen . Transfer ultimately took place but was slow. A final decision was not made until late in 1940. The first institutions did not actually move until 1942 and, because of World War 2, were not completed until 1946. With the shift in district administration to Lavrentiya, a new airfield was built and during World War 2 this

540-404: Is similar to polar climate . Alpine tundra is generally better drained than arctic soils. Alpine tundra transitions to subalpine forests below the tree line; stunted forests occurring at the forest-tundra ecotone (the treeline ) are known as Krummholz . Alpine tundra can be affected by woody plant encroachment . Alpine tundra occurs in mountains worldwide. The flora of the alpine tundra

576-569: The Kerguelen Islands . Most of Antarctica is too cold and dry to support vegetation, and most of the continent is covered by ice fields or cold deserts. However, some portions of the continent, particularly the Antarctic Peninsula , have areas of rocky soil that support plant life. The flora presently consists of around 300–400 species of lichens, 100 mosses, 25 liverworts , and around 700 terrestrial and aquatic algae species, which live on

612-468: The mosquito , and even polar bears near the ocean. Tundra is largely devoid of poikilotherms such as frogs or lizards. Due to the harsh climate of Arctic tundra, regions of this kind have seen little human activity, even though they are sometimes rich in natural resources such as petroleum , natural gas , and uranium . In recent times this has begun to change in Alaska , Russia, and some other parts of

648-506: The Archangel Michael. Lavrentiya, as the administrative centre of the district contains the majority of the key district facilities including a branch of the district court and public prosecutor, hospital, post office, school, telecomms, pharmacy and is the regional headquarters for the airline Chukotavia . Lavrentiya is 650 kilometres (404 mi) from Anadyr . The village is served by Lavrentiya Airport . The village of Lorino

684-406: The area and by 1930 the settlement was sufficient that it was appointed as the administrative centre of Chukotsky District. This appointment was later transferred to Uelen but administrative responsibilities returned to Lavrentiya in 1942. Lavrentiya was founded as a village in 1928, when a Chukchi Kultbaza, a communist run cultural and political base was established. The Chukchi Kultbaza connected

720-583: The areas of exposed rock and soil around the shore of the continent. Antarctica's two flowering plant species, the Antarctic hair grass ( Deschampsia antarctica ) and Antarctic pearlwort ( Colobanthus quitensis ), are found on the northern and western parts of the Antarctic Peninsula. In contrast with the Arctic tundra, the Antarctic tundra lacks a large mammal fauna, mostly due to its physical isolation from

756-561: The atmosphere, creating a feedback cycle that changes climate. The term is a Russian word adapted from the Sámi languages . Arctic tundra occurs in the far Northern Hemisphere , north of the taiga belt. The word "tundra" usually refers only to the areas where the subsoil is permafrost , or permanently frozen soil. (It may also refer to the treeless plain in general so that northern Sápmi would be included.) Permafrost tundra includes vast areas of northern Russia and Canada. The polar tundra

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792-633: The bay at Cape Hargilah is the village of Port Lawrence . British Captain James Cook landed for a few hours in St. Lawrence Bay and met some of the local Chukchi people in August 1778, but he didn't linger in the bay. This bay was first surveyed by Russian mariner Count Fyodor Petrovich Litke in 1828. This Chukotka Autonomous Okrug location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Arctic tundra In physical geography , tundra ( / ˈ t ʌ n d r ə , ˈ t ʊ n -/ )

828-483: The climate system activated around 2 °C (3.6 °F) of global warming suggested that at this threshold, permafrost thaw would add a further 0.09 °C (0.16 °F) to global temperatures by 2100, with a range of 0.04–0.16 °C (0.07–0.29 °F) Antarctic tundra occurs on Antarctica and on several Antarctic and subantarctic islands, including South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and

864-737: The formation of the village, in December 1930 the Kultbaza in Lavrentiya became the administrative centre for the Chukotka National District (not to be confused with the current Chukotsky District), though in April 1932, this was switched to Anadyr. In December 1933, at a meeting of the District CPSU, the question was raised in Lavrentiya concerning the potential transfer of district institutions for what

900-488: The increased amounts of warmer rain are another factor which increases permafrost thaw depths. The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report estimates that carbon dioxide and methane released from permafrost could amount to the equivalent of 14–175 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per 1 °C (1.8 °F) of warming. For comparison, by 2019, annual anthropogenic emission of carbon dioxide alone stood around 40 billion tonnes. A 2018 perspectives article discussing tipping points in

936-478: The only subantarctic orchids; the royal penguin ; and the Antipodean albatross . There is some ambiguity on whether Magellanic moorland , on the west coast of Patagonia , should be considered tundra or not. Phytogeographer Edmundo Pisano called it tundra ( Spanish : tundra Magallánica ) since he considered the low temperatures key to restrict plant growth. More recent approaches have since recognized it as

972-607: The other continents. Sea mammals and sea birds, including seals and penguins, inhabit areas near the shore, and some small mammals, like rabbits and cats, have been introduced by humans to some of the subantarctic islands. The Antipodes Subantarctic Islands tundra ecoregion includes the Bounty Islands , Auckland Islands , Antipodes Islands , the Campbell Island group , and Macquarie Island . Species endemic to this ecoregion include Corybas dienemus and Corybas sulcatus ,

1008-413: The polar tundra areas. During the winter it is very cold, dark, and windy with the average temperature around −28 °C (−18 °F), sometimes dipping as low as −50 °C (−58 °F). However, extreme cold temperatures on the tundra do not drop as low as those experienced in taiga areas further south (for example, Russia's, Canada's, and Alaska's lowest temperatures were recorded in locations south of

1044-522: The potential diversity of climates in the ET category involving precipitation, extreme temperatures, and relative wet and dry seasons, this category is rarely subdivided, although, for example, Wainwright, Alaska can be classified ETw and Provideniya, Russia ETs , with most of the rest of the tundra fitting into the ETf subcategory. Rainfall and snowfall are generally slight due to the low vapor pressure of water in

1080-444: The subject of habitat conservation programs. In Canada and Russia, many of these areas are protected through a national Biodiversity Action Plan . Tundra tends to be windy, with winds often blowing upwards of 50–100 km/h (30–60 mph). However, it is desert-like, with only about 150–250 mm (6–10 in) of precipitation falling per year (the summer is typically the season of maximum precipitation). Although precipitation

1116-412: The tree line). During the summer, temperatures rise somewhat, and the top layer of seasonally-frozen soil melts, leaving the ground very soggy. The tundra is covered in marshes, lakes, bogs, and streams during the warm months. Generally daytime temperatures during the summer rise to about 12 °C (54 °F) but can often drop to 3 °C (37 °F) or even below freezing. Arctic tundras are sometimes

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1152-481: The tundra and the forest is known as the tree line or timberline. The tundra soil is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus . The soil also contains large amounts of biomass and decomposed biomass that has been stored as methane and carbon dioxide in the permafrost , making the tundra soil a carbon sink . As global warming heats the ecosystem and causes soil thawing, the permafrost carbon cycle accelerates and releases much of these soil-contained greenhouse gases into

1188-531: The various administrative and economic institutions of the region to promote the consolidation of Soviet power. A steamer with timber for the construction of houses and other buildings entered the Gulf of Lawrence in August 1927 with workers on board. By the autumn of 1928 Kultbaza consisted of a series of buildings: a veterinary station, repair shop for motor vehicles and appliances, hospital, warehouse, homes, factories, boarding schools and three residential houses. Following

1224-406: The village every year. The museum in the village, dedicated to indigenous history and culture, achieved national status in 1994 and contains exhibits from Uelen and Ekven , including a number of "winged objects", butterfly-shaped instruments carved from walrus tusk, which initially provoked confusion over their original purpose. Initial opinion was divided, with some thinking they were part of

1260-588: The world: for example, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug produces 90% of Russia's natural gas. A severe threat to tundra is global warming , which causes permafrost to thaw. The thawing of the permafrost in a given area on human time scales (decades or centuries) could radically change which species can survive there. It also represents a significant risk to infrastructure built on top of permafrost, such as roads and pipelines. In locations where dead vegetation and peat have accumulated, there

1296-500: Was used for Lend-Lease flights. In 1955, a regular air route was established between Lavrentiya and Uelen, and in 1958, a number of Yupik who lived at Naukan were relocated to the village following the closure of Naukan. Within the framework of municipal divisions , Lavrentiya is subordinated to Chukotsky Municipal District and incorporated as Lavrentiya Rural Settlement . There is an annual Whale and Skin Boat Regatta held in

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