Cold Desert vs. Tundra: Similar Cold, Different Rules

Both are cold, treeless, and harsh—but they operate on different engines.

Temperature

• Cold Desert: Mean annual 5–15°C (41–59°F); summer hot (30–40°C), winter cold (-20°C)
• Tundra: Mean annual <0°C (32°F); summer cool (3–12°C), winter severe (-30 to -40°C)

Precipitation

• Cold Desert: <250 mm/yr (arid) — rain shadow, continental interior
• Tundra: 150–500 mm/yr — but low evaporation = wet soils, peat, permafrost

Vegetation

• Cold Desert: Sparse shrubs (sagebrush, saltbush), bunchgrasses, cacti, biological soil crusts. Root deep.
• Tundra: Continuous mat: mosses, lichens (reindeer moss), sedges, grasses, dwarf shrubs (willow, birch). Roots shallow (permafrost block).

Soil

• Cold Desert: Aridisols — low organic, high mineral, calcic/gypsic horizons
• Tundra: Gelisols — permafrost within 100 cm, cryoturbation, high organic (peat)

Animals

• Cold Desert: Reptiles (lizards, snakes), rodents (kangaroo rat), insects, raptors, coyote
• Tundra: Caribou/reindeer, muskox, lemmings, arctic fox, snowy owl, migratory birds

Location

• Cold Desert: Mid-latitude interiors: Great Basin, Central Asia (Gobi), Patagonia, Iran, Ladakh
• Tundra: High latitudes: Arctic (Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia, Siberia), Antarctic, high alpine (above treeline globally)

Key Distinction

Cold desert = aridity-limited. Tundra = temperature-limited (permafrost). Different filters, different life.