tuNd

Tund is not a widely recognized term in standard English and is most often encountered as a misspelling or shorthand for tundra, the cold, treeless biome that occurs in the Arctic and at high elevations. In formal scientific usage, tundra is the preferred term, and tund is not used as a formal category.

Tundra, the biome commonly associated with the term tund, is characterized by extreme cold, a short growing season, and a layer of permanently frozen soil called permafrost in many areas. Vegetation is low-growing and adapted to harsh conditions, including lichens, mosses, grasses, sedges, and dwarf shrubs. There are two main types: Arctic tundra, located north of the boreal forest, and alpine tundra, found at high elevations where conditions are similarly severe but on mountains rather than in the far north.

Ecology and adaptation are central to tundra studies. Plant and animal life are adapted to strong winds, low nutrients, and long periods of darkness in winter and abundant sunlight in summer. Typical fauna includes caribou or reindeer, muskox, Arctic fox, Arctic hare, lemmings, and numerous migratory and resident birds. The ecosystem stores large amounts of carbon in permafrost soils, making tundra regions particularly sensitive to climate change; warming can thaw permafrost, alter nutrient cycles, and promote shrub encroachment, changing the structure and function of these ecosystems.

Name usage of tund is limited and nonstandard. When precision is required, tund could be understood as a misspelling or shorthand for tundra, rather than as a separate term. See tundra for authoritative terminology and definitions.