Why does the author include so much description of the tundra in Julie of the Wolves?

In Julie Of The Wolves, the titular character spends most of the book surviving 'off the grid' in the wilderness, living purely off the land. This is particularly difficult in arctic climates, as the ground is almost always frozen to some extent resulting in a very limited variety of plant life and wildlife to use as resources for food and clothing, etc. The author describes the tundra in such deep detail both to set the scene and paint a more detailed picture in the reader's mind, and to impress upon the reader how difficult and uncomfortable it was, at times, for Julie to live in the wilderness.

A great portion of the novel's setting in Julie of the Wolves takes place in the tundra of Alaska. The author, Jean Craighead George, includes in-depth description of the tundra for a number of reasons. For one, in order for the setting of the story to be understood, the author must vividly describe it. Additionally, for the majority of readers who don't live in a tundra, one might be tempted to only picture miles of barren, isolated snow and freezing, uninhabitable conditions. While George does describe the fierceness of the tundra, and this description helps to underscore the predicament that Julie is in, she also describes the numerous life forms who call the tundra home. She paints a picture of the tundra in all of its fierceness, she but also describes the lichen, mosses, insects, birds, caribou, foxes, and wolverines that are found in this incredible environment. This description helps readers to understand that the tundra is, indeed, an environment that can be incredibly difficult to survive in, but it can also greatly support life if one only knows how to listen to and learn from nature.