Question

Guest

How does the tundra that you went to compare to the rest of Alaska?

Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 74 Location: Barrow, AK

Olivia
I am sorry that I didn't answer this question when you first posted it. I didn't notice that you had two questions!
Well, I have only been to a very small part of Alaska; it is SO LARGE! But I have seen some of it from the air and heard descriptions from other people so I will answer your question the best that I can.
The tundra here has mostly small plants and is rather rolling or bumpy. It is full of small mounds and puddles. Right now everything is pretty muddy because all of the snow only melted a few weeks ago. There is nowhere for the water to go, so it just sits in puddles until the ground melts enough or it evaporates. This may take until late August.
In other areas of northern Alaska, the tundra has more plants or larger bunches of grass (called Tussocky Tundra), but much it is the same. Wet, puddles and mosquitoes.
The tundra in Alaska covers pretty much all of the northern part. Then as you go south you encounter the Brooks Range mountains, which pretty much spread from Canada to the coast at about the Arctic Circle. These mountains are pretty tall and very tree covered.
South of the Brooks Range, I don't know much except that from the plane it looks a lot like isolated areas of Washington. Mountains, hills, trees and plains, with a couple of major differences. Right now there is a LOT of water runoff, so everywhere there are rivers and lakes. And everything looks a bit more rugged - high mountains, few roads, etc.
Alaska is such a big area, that it has very many different kinds of places. I hope that I was able to give you a feel for the ones that I have seen at least.
Mrs. N-O