Extreme temperature and bedrocks Tundra and desert both have shallow soil profiles because of the extreme temperatures and the bedrocks it has. In the case of tundra, it has extreme cold temperature and the soil were covered in ice in long periods of time. Because of this, the plants were unable to get water from the bedrocks resulting in plants dying. In the desert, however, it has extreme hot temperature making the plants unable to survuve due to lack of water in the environment and in the bedrocks. The plants that can only survive in this temperature are the plants that has the ability to store water in their system.