Download What Is a Taiga?

Name
What Is a Taiga?
By Cindy Grigg
Earth has a large variety of
climates. Climate describes
such things as the general
weather, daily temperatures,
and rainfall in an area over
a long period of time. Earth
also has a large variety of
plants and animals. But all
plants and all animals don't
need the same kind of
conditions to grow their
best. Usually the climate of
a place determines what kind of plants and animals live there.
Scientists have divided the Earth into different areas. Each area has
plants, animals, and climates that are specific to that area. Each of
these areas is called a biome. A biome is a complex community of
organisms that live in a specific area with a specific climate, such as a
desert or grasslands.
Conifer trees have several adaptations that help them survive the cold,
snowy winters.
Conifer trees' needle-like leaves have a waxy covering that helps
retain water. The pungent oils that give evergreen trees their smell act
as a sort of antifreeze. The dark green color of the needles helps
absorb sunlight so the tree can continue photosynthesis with little
sunlight. Conifer trees usually are shaped like an upside-down cone.
This helps them shed the large amounts of snow that fall in the taiga
every winter. In addition, their limbs droop downwards. Snow just
slides off the branches!
Animals that live in the taiga must be able to survive cold winters and
warm summers. Some of them migrate or hibernate. Some have fur or
feathers that change color seasonally to help hide from predators. In
the summer months, there are huge swarms of insects. Many birds
migrate to spend their summers feeding on the insects here. In general
though, the taiga has a low diversity of plants and animals.
Squirrels, deer, moose, elk, black bears, wolves, and birds are some
of the animals that live in the taiga. Trees are mostly conifers- spruce,
fir, pine, and cedar. A few deciduous trees are scattered among the
evergreens. The tall trees grow closely together and shut out the
sunlight from the forest floor. Other plants are sometimes rare. Some
ferns and mosses grow where they can find a patch of sunlight. Sedge
grass grows in damper places. Some wildflowers and berries may
grow.
The largest of Earth's land biomes is the taiga (TY guh). It is
sometimes called a boreal forest. These forests are found in the
northern Rocky Mountains and Alaska in the US and all across
Canada, northern Europe, and northern Asia. Taigas are found south
of tundra areas and north of temperate forests. They are also found in
the high mountain regions of warmer climates. All of the taiga biomes
are found in the northern hemisphere. Taiga is the Russian name for
forest because so much of it is found in that country.
Summers in the taiga are short, with fewer than three months without
frost. Temperatures may reach as high as ninety degrees, with night
temperatures falling to near forty degrees. Rainfall is low, between
twelve and thirty-three inches per year. Taiga regions were covered
with glaciers until just a few thousand years ago. Because of this, soils
are thin. Organic debris decays slowly in the cold climate, so few
nutrients exist in the soil. Taiga plants are adapted to grow in these
soils and in the shady conditions found on the forest floor.
Because of the colder climate in the taiga, most of the trees in this
forest are conifers. Conifers are trees that produce their seeds in cones
and have leaves that are shaped like needles. Conifers are often called
"evergreen" trees because they keep their green needles all year long.
A few deciduous trees and shrubs live there also.
The taiga is a huge forest biome with a special community of plants
and animals living there. It is a deep, dark forest, making up one-third
of all the forest areas on Earth. Winters are long and cold, and
summers are short. Plants and animals have adapted to live in this
interesting, but harsh, environment.
Winters in the taiga are very cold. The average temperature is below
freezing for about half the year. The short summers are warm and
humid. Winter snowfall usually melts completely every summer.
Compare the taiga to another biome you have read about. How are
they alike? How are they different?
Name
What Is a Taiga?
Questions
1. What is the largest of Earth's land biomes?
A. taiga
B. temperate rain forest
C. tropical rain forest
2. Taigas are found between which two biomes?
A. tundra and temperate forests
B. grasslands and desert
C. desert and rainforest
3. Another name for taiga is:
A. tundra
B. temperate rain forest
C. boreal forest
4. Most of the trees found in the taiga are:
A. deciduous
B. evergreen
C. conifers
D. both b and c
5. Winters in the taiga are:
A. long and cold
B. cold and snowy
C. both a and b
D. none of the above
6. Summers in the taiga:
A. are very short
B. have hot days and cold nights
C. have little rainfall
D. all of the above
E. none of the above
Name
Write a short paragraph about the taiga biome. Use details from the
reading passage.