Download Taiga/ boreal forest

TAIGA/ BOREAL FOREST
Climate







The taiga corresponds
with regions of subarctic
and cold continental
climate
Long, severe winters,
up to six months
Short summers
(50 to 100 frost-free days)
wide range of temperatures
between the lows of winter and
highs of summer.
For example, Verkhoyansk, Russia, has recorded extremes of minus 90 ° Fand
plus 90 ° F.
Mean annual precipitation is 15 to 20 inches, but low evaporation rates make
this a humid climate.
In winter snow seems to be the dominant form of precipitation
Common/Key organisms

coniferous tree is definitely the most dominant.
- able to shed snow easily and unlike many other
trees keep their needles all throughout the winter
- The needle like leaves of the coniferous trees
helps it withstand the long droughts of the northern
winter months of the taiga

black bear is one of the most dominant
-thick coat for the winter allows for it to be able
to stay warm in the harsh taiga conditions. Even
though the black bear manly eats plants, about 75%
of its diet, it helps keep populations of different
animals in check by killing off the weak and the
elderly of different animals
wolf is greatly adapted to these conditions
-Their paws are webbed to make it much
easier to run in the snow to catch prey.

Biodiversity
 There is little diversity in the main
trees.
 The four main genera found are: the
evergreen spruce (Picea), fir (Abies),
and pine (Pinus), and the deciduous
larch or tamarack (Larix).
 In North America, one or two
species of fir and one or two species
of spruce are dominant.
 Across Scandanavia and western
Russia the Scots pine is a common
component of the taiga.
Productivity
 The short summers usually cause a very low
productivity. The total productivity is only
estimated at being 2000 kcal/m2/year.
Environmental issues of particulate
importance
The taiga is threatened by
-production of fossil fuels and petro products. There is estimated
that there is a vast amount of petroleum under these forests all
throughout the world.
-global warming. Without the cold temperatures deciduous trees will
begin to form in the taiga and outnumber the coniferous trees.
-logging. Logging destroys millions and millions of trees every year.
Without these trees the plant life will begin to go down. Also the
animal life will be greatly affected because these trees are homes to
many different animal species. Coniferous trees are very slow to
regrow and require great management if they are to be logged.
Global Distribution and
examples of locations


Areas on earth that consists of taigas are North America and Russia
Most of taigas are spread out along the
northern hemisphere.
 An example of a Taiga here in North
America is -Yosemite National Park.
 Many others of Americas national parks
include some sort of Boreal Forrest.
Examples of key interactions
between organisms