Download Boreal Forest Biome - AveryGilks

Avery Gilks
Climate
The summer on the other hand
is very short, usually only lasts
about three months. The
summers are usually cool which
results in little evaporation after
the snow melt. Therefore the
ground remains wet and moist
for the duration of the summer,
furthermore the daylight hours
become longer which results in
rapid plant growth.
The average temperature in the boreal
forest ranges from 5 degrees Celsius to 5 degrees Celsius. These forests receive
anywhere from 20cm to 200cm of
precipitation every year. This number
varies on the year depending on the long
harsh six month winter, because the
majority of the precipitation is in the form
of snow.
Location
The boreal forest stretches
across the northern latitudes
of the earth. Also known as
the taiga the boreal forest
occupies 29% percent of the
land on earth. This biome can
be found throughout Canada,
Northern Russia as well as
Europe. It forms the largest
biome on earth.
The boreal forest is home to
many different species of
wildlife. The carnivores that
frequent this habitat range
from the cat family to the dog
family. Bobcats, lynx and
Siberian tigers all make their
home in the boreal forest.
Timber wolves, coyotes, black
bears and grizzly bears also
call this biome home.
Wildlife
Many herbivores are also found
in the boreal forest. Deer, elk,
moose and bison are the largest
of the herbivores but there are
also porcupines, snow-shoe
hares and beavers.
Birds
There are on average 3 billion birds
that migrate to the boreal forest every
year. These include wetland birds such
as geese and ducks as well as small
birds such as mountain thrushes and
sparrows. There are also birds that
have adapted to the unforgiving
winters and live in the boreal forest
year round. These birds include owls
who use their keen hearing to locate
small mammals beneath the snow,
ruffed grouse grow scales on their feet
which turn their talons into snowshoes,
and black-capped chickadees whose
feathers have adapted so that they
absorb heat and insulate the bird while
sleeping.
Plants
There are many plant species
found in the boreal forest but
the most dominant would be
the coniferous trees. These
trees produce their leaves in
the form of needles which
allow them to carry out
photosynthesis all year round.
Example are spruce trees, fir
trees and pine trees. There
are also a few deciduous trees
found in the boreal forest, the
most common are popular,
birch and Aspen. Mosses and
lichens also grow in these
environments and they make
up the diet of most of the
herbivores during the long
winter months.
Environmental Problems
Clear-cutting, logging, oil refineries
and natural gas reserves are the
main threats to our boreal forest.
With the destruction of this biome
the wildlife that live in these forests
run out of area in which to live and
to survive. Furthermore the trees
in the boreal forest carry out
photosynthesis year round which
helps reduce the carbon dioxide
that is in our atmosphere. Without
this layer of trees around the globe
the carbon emissions continue to
rise which are very harmful to our
environment when they exist in
large quantities.
Food Web
Lynx
Mosses
Rabbit
Wolf
Worms
Trees
Deer
Owl
clover
Grouse
Bibliography
http://my.opera.com/cofoppyplop/albums/showpic.dml?album=371184&picture=5315211
– northern lights
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11253518@N07/2152748622/ -owl
http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect3/Sect3_5a.html - location
http://www.skolaiimages.com/journal/category/wildlife/moose-photos/ - moose
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/08/30-fascinating-facts-about-the-borealforst.php - tiger
http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/boreal.htm
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0171-coniferuous-forest.php - coniferous fores
http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=354